Preparing to List Your Home For Sale

When you are thinking about listing your home for sale, there are definitely some things you should consider doing before it hits the market. We'll focus on the exterior on the home first, move on to the interior of the home, and finish with some final considerations.

Curb Appeal Matters

Many buyers form their first impression of a home before they even get out of their cars. Curb appeal is the view of the property from the curb and gives the buyer an indication of how attractive and well-maintained your home is compared to other homes.

The exterior of your home should be in pristine condition if at all possible. This means fresh paint, cleared of clutter, with no visible repairs needed. Broken steps, overgrown bushes, and junk in the yard can spoil the buyer's first impression.

To see what needs to be done to sell your home faster and for a higher price, go outside, stand on the curb, and try to look at your home from the fresh perspective of an interested buyer. Look at things like:

• Walkways/driveways - Are they clear of snow, weeds, or debris? Are there cracked steps or pavers? If possible, parks your cars in the garage instead of the driveway, and pick up any toys, trash, or other debris.
• Landscaping - Keep your lawn mowed, edged, and watered. Prune dead branches and plants. Weed flower beds and replace leggy, thin landscaping with fresh plants and flowers.
• Exterior - Replace loose or damaged shingles, clean the gutters, and paint and caulk window trim and doors. Consider repainting the front door an eye-catching color that complements the rest of the exterior. Replace broken windows.
• Entry - Power wash the siding, brick, windows, and porches. Paint or replace furniture such as rocking chairs or porch swings. Replace mailboxes, light fixtures, door knobs, or any other fixture that looks less than fresh. Put out a welcoming new floormat.

In short, put the best face on your home as you can.

Interior of the Home

You've made the exterior of your home clean and inviting, now let's focus on the interior. Go through the same process, looking at the interior of your home from the eyes of a prospective buyer.

• Cleanliness - Your home should be de-cluttered and clean to give a good impression. Not only is it much more pleasant to look at a clean home, but it also gives an indication that the home was well-maintained by the present owner.
• Paint/Trim/Finishes - Are there gouges or marks on the walls, ceilings, trim, or floors? Is the carpet stained and dirty? Fresh paint and touching up these items will make a difference in how the home shows. Consider replacing stained carpet and steam clean any existing carpets.
• Lights/Ceiling Fixtures - All lights and ceiling fans should be clean and properly functioning. One of the first things buyers do when entering a room is flip on the wall switches. It makes a bad impression if these fixtures are broken or are very dirty.
• Temperature Control - Be sure your HVAC system is clean and operating properly.
• Plumbing and Water Fixtures - Plumbing fixtures should be clean and operating properly. Stained or broken fixtures are a turn off.
• Odors - Eliminate the source of any unpleasant odors.

Other Considerations

Before you list your home, there are other things to consider. Obviously, where you are going to move and how once your home sells is a major consideration that you will be planning and working on while your home is for sale. You should make sure you know the exact balance owned on your mortgage and any other loans secured by your home. Finally, you should consider the timing of putting your house on the market and how quickly you need the home to sell.