Tips For Selling a Home
There are many decisions that go into buying a house. While price, location and accessibility to services are all key factors, personal and emotional factors also play a large part. When you are ready to put your house on the market, take into consideration the personal choices that come into play when a family is looking for a new home. Ultimately, they are searching for a home that will provide them with comfort and security. An unmowed lawn can affect your showing. In fact, in as little as 15 seconds, buyers have already developed a perception of your property, which can affect the rest of the showing and their perceived value of the house.
Prepare Your Home for Showing
- Plant colourful flowers, spend some time weeding and edging gardens
- Mow the lawn and trim any hedges or shrubs
- Clear the driveway and sidewalks of dirt, leaves or snow
- Water your lawn, in advance of listing your house, so the grass is green
- Remove any clutter from your yard, driveway or sidewalks, such as old lawn ornaments, toys and play sets
- Clean and repair rain gutters and siding
- Do a quick touch up on exterior paint
- Clean out the garage
- Pick up any garbage or debris
- Clear any clutter on your countertops
- De-clutter all heavy traffic areas
- Store surplus furniture and decorative items to reduce feeling crowded
- Pack up seasonal clothing and place into storage
- Clear halls and stairs of clutter
- Clean out all closets so they are neat and tidy (closets should be only half-full, even if this means moving items to other storage areas)
- Polish mirrors and appliances
- Wash and polish all floors
- Clean and freshen bathrooms
- Vacuum/shampoo all carpets
- Clean all windows, walls, doors and trim
- Open the windows to air out the house
- Touch up interior paint and wallpaper
- Repair cracked plaster
- Tighten door knobs and cupboard latches
- Oil squeaky doors
- Repair leaky plumbing (taps, shower heads and toilets)
- Repair seals/caulking around bathtub and sinks
- Replace burnt-out light bulbs/install brighter bulbs
- Clean furnace and humidifier
- Repair any other minor flaws
- Turn on all lights
- Open all drapes in daytime
- Play quiet background music
- Turn on air-conditioning or light fireplace
- Keep pets outside during showings
- Try to be absent during any showings so potential buyers do not feel awkward
