What do I need to do to prepare my home before it hits the market.

We are approaching the golden months where homeowner want/need to get their homes on the market. So for first time home sellers, whether you have been in your home for 3 years or 30 years.... there are a lot of questions.  What do I need to do to prepare my home?  Do I need a home stager? How much does it cost?  How do I find a realtor with great marketing skills?  I will be addressing these questions and other questions pertaining to selling your home.  As one of the top 10 2017 winner of Real Estate Staging Association Occupied Home Staging we know a little bit about getting your home ready for market.

  What do I need to do to prepare my home? 

The very first thing that you need to do is to de-personalize your self from your home and look at it as a product that needs to be sold.  What do you have to do to sell this product? Set a time line and schedule to complete all of the items that I have listed below. 

1.  First thing is to go through the closets, garage basement and attic and declutter.  Donate, Sell, Dump.  The more you get rid of the less you will need to move.

2. Second is to go through your main living area of your home and weed through your books, knickknacks, and person items.  If you have a lot of items that you want to bring with you to your new location - rent a storage unit off site.  

3.  Make minor repairs such as caulking around the bath tub(s) and showers.  Fix leaky faucets and/or replace them for a sleeker new design.  Fix all holes and cracks in walls.  A fresh coat of paint is highly recommended in all cases, but especially if you have darker color walls.   Change all burned out light bulbs. 

My recommended paint colors from Benjamin Moore:  

Neutral Beiges

Manchester Tan HC81

Carrington Beige HC93

Grant Beige HC83

Hazy Skies OC48

Neutral Gray

Stonington GrayHC170

Seattle Mist 1535

Gray Owl OC52

Colors

Paris Rain 1501

Grey Cashmere 2138-60

Dunmore Cream HC29

Gray Wisp 1570

4. CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN !!! Bleach grout, power spray the outside of your house and walk ways, wash all windows inside and out.   Clean and wax floors, don't forget the moldings in your home.  Replace all worn entry rugs with new ones. Have all your rugs steamed cleaned.   Oh, and if you have drip pans in on your stove, replace them with new ones.   Change all burned out light bulbs. 

5.  You want to make sure that all of your safety equipment is in working order and you have fire extinguishers.

After all of this is completed you will be ready for an appraisal of your home.   Your home will appraise higher  if all of the above is completed prior to the appraisal.  I have attached this article regarding appraisals. http://www.maxrealestateexposure.com/appraisers-look-real-estate-appraisal/