Preparing Your Home to Sell

Preparing Your Home to Sell

Buyers look for homes that are clean and bright.   In general a home that Shows pride of Ownership.

Small Details make big statements. By showing attention to detail and understanding the buyer’s need to visualize your house as theirs, you will increase the sale ability of your property. Packaging your house properly will help achieve the best price in the shortest period of time.

As part of the marketing program for your home, we have compiled the following inexpensive tips and tricks that will increase the appeal of your property to

HELP GET YOUR HOME SOLD FAST

Remember: You don’t get a SECOND chance to make a GOOD First impression.

Here’s a checklist for preparing your home to sell:

Make it easy for viewers to get to your home | Prepare your Home to Sell | First Time Home Buyer Calgary

• Remove any snow and Ice from the sidewalks and driveway in the winter season

• Arrange to have the least number of people in the house as possible during the showings. Children, pets and adults can keep buyers from feeling at ease while they look through a home

• CLEAN, CLEAN, CLEAN

• Control Pets and evidence of pets in the home

Keep Pets Away | Prepare Your Home to Sell

• Make sure your home smells Fresh & Clean. Smell has more impact then you would expect. Strong cooking odors, and smoking before a showing can ruin a sale. Fresh Paint is always a good idea

• Add a touch of fragrance. For the aroma of fresh baking try vanilla on light bulb or on a stove burner

• Use Fresh Flowers to enhance the smell & look of a room

• Put extra spicy condiments or spices in Ziploc bags

• Subtle background music can relax a buyer. Avoid loud music or television sounds. Never turn on a dishwasher or laundry appliance on

• Dress up your front door and step area. This is the focal point of your house. Try adding a brass knocker, an / or a flower box, replace any worn hardware

• Avoid strong personal religious, political or sexual statements. The buyer is less likely to feel comfortable and therefore less able to visualize the property as his or her own

• Get an objective opinion – think about consulting an interior decorator for simple ideas.

• Open the blinds and curtains. It is proven that people react more favourably to property shown under bright lights than dark

• Replace burnt out light bulbs.
  

  Burnt Out Light Bulbs Don’t Make a Great Impression | Prepare Your Home to Sell

• Turn on all lights, use 1000 Watt bulbs for the best effects (or as large a bulb as safely possible in each fixture.

• Keep walkways clean for easy access

• Repair, wash or paint front doors screens and steps.

• Clean or replace exterior light fixtures, mailboxes, house numbers etc.

• Repair and paint broken fences , decks, and railings.

• Clean the carpets

• If carpets are badly worn, consider replacing them with new ones in a neutral color

• Paint the interior using neutral colors
  

  Neutral Colors Help the Viewer Imagine Their Own Belongings in the Home.

• Avoid unusual wall paper of highly patterned wallpaper

• Limit bright colors to an accent role, like flowers towels, area rugs and shower curtains.

• Touch up on the baseboard, corners etc.

• Clear halls and stairways to give wide appearances

• Clean and organize kitchen cupboards.

• Make sure the cupboard doors, drawers and hardware operate easily, get rid of those squeaks

• Spruce up kitchen cabinets by installing new knobs

• Replace kitchen sink if it is in rough shape

• Repair leaky faucets

• Keep kitchen counters clean and clear

• Put baking soda in refrigerator and freezer

Baking Soda Freshens the Fridge

• Try putting a quarter section of lemon in the garbage disposal to freshen it up

• Remove small kitchen appliances and gadgets from counter tops to create an uncluttered look

• Clean all appliances inside and out

• If appliances are dated by color consider having them professionally refinished in a new color – white is best. This will make appliances look new at a fraction of the cost of replacing them.

• Get rid of unnecessary furniture items. Remove one piece of furniture from each room. This will make each room look bigger.

• Tidy up desks, phone areas, etc.

• Clean and organize storage areas. Is it time for that garage sale or donation to a worthwhile cause?

• Clean and organize bedroom closets. Closets organizers do a great job of helping fully utilize space
  

  Closet Organizers help With Presentation | Prepare Your Home to Sell

• A ceiling fan can be an attractive and practical accent to any room, bedrooms included

• Mirrored closet doors can add dramatically to the feeling of size

• Use mirrors whenever possible to enhance the perception of size

• Clean windows and the area around them

• Replace cracked or broken glass

• Clean Mirrors, watch for streaks !

• Wash door knobs and light switches

• Replace noisy bathroom fans

• Clean tub, shower grout and molding

• Replace bathtub caulking if needed

• Clean off all hard water marks from taps tiles etc.

• Put all personal items and all valuables out of sight, if you have expensive jewelry or large amounts of cash, store in a safety deposit box or at a friend’s or relative’s home
  

  Safety Deposit Box for Valuables

• Add color and brightness with a new towel rack and towels

• Replace and old toilet seat with a new one

• Buy a new shower curtain

• Open the shower curtain. This will add an extra 2 feet to your bathroom size

• If the bathroom is in poor shape, consider refinishing the tub

• Clean and organize the laundry area

• Clean out the wood burning fireplaces. Show it off to its best advantage

• Make sure the fireplace screen is in good condition, replaces if necessary

• If appropriate make a cozy, crackling fire, or dress up the hearth with fresh indoor plants or dried flowers

• Dust and clean out furnace room including pipes and hot water tanks

• Have the furnaces cleaned

• Replace the furnace filters

• Check hot water tanks for leaks and sign of aging

• The roof is one of the most important aspects of your home. Replace any broken or missing shingles, shakes or tiles.

• Paint eaves and fascia boards

• Repair flashing where needed

• Maintain gutters and down spouts. Consider replacing highly visible ones if they are in need of repair.

• Clean vinyl or aluminum siding with a product designed for these materials.

• If exterior paint is peeling or worn a fresh coat of paint can be one of the best investments you can make to increase the value of your property. If you do not want to paint the entire house, consider just painting the trim, shutters or the front of the house
  

  Peeling Paint Isn’t Good for a First Impression

• Your properties landscape is not limited to the lawn and shrubs; it encompasses everything from the street to your door step. For this reason, make sure each component of the visual landscape looks its best. The real estate industry refers to this as “curb appeal”

• Clean up the back lane and rear parking area

• Remove debris, old cars, etc. from around the house

• Keep gates in good repair

• Sweep or hose down the sidewalk

• Trim the shrubs and trees

• If there are spots on your lawn that look beyond help, a little sod goes a long way to restoring the look of a well – maintained lawn.

• Cut the lawn, remove the weeds
  

  A lush, well manicured lawn increases curb appeal

• Add color to landscaping. Plant colorful, seasonal flowers when possible.

• Clean and organize the garbage and recycling

• Enhance the garage by adding-sheet rock and storage shelves

• Hang as many objects, garden tools, etc. as possible on walls of basements and garages to minimize the clutter.

• Clean up any oil stains from the garage or driveway. This can be done with kitty litter or newspaper

• Paint bare garage and basement cement floors with oil-based gray paint

• Install a garage door opener

• If the driveway is worn looking consider resealing with a high quality sealer product.

• If driveway or path to house is cracked or broken consider having it repaired or replaced

Swimming Pools and Spas

If you have a swimming pool or spa, it should be sparking clean in good operating condition. Here are some helpful suggestions:

• Have receipts available for any service work done.

• Repair or replace any broken tiles
  

  Pools and spas must look clean and inviting

• Patio and concrete decking around the pool should be clean and any cracks repaired

• Pool filters should be cleaned

• Clean heating equipment

• Replace worn or broken pool equipment (brushes, hoses, sweeps, pool covers, etc.)

• • If your pool is stained, you may want to have it professionally serviced and acid washed or refinished

To download this list of things to do to prepare your home to sell, and to find additional helpful guides and documents, visit: https://firsttimehomebuyercalgary.com/packages-for-available-for-download