Preparing Your Home For Sale

Buyers form an opinion of your property in the first 30 seconds, so making a good first impression is important. Steve will advise you how to prepare your home to sell quickly for the highest possible price.

Here are tips from Steve to show off the features of your home:

Outside/Yard areas

• Mow and edge the lawn; trim shrubs and remove/replace dead plants.
• Tidy up the yard and patio
• Clean outdoor furniture and remove broken ones.
• Remove clutter, toys, etc.

Steve can arrange for his gardener to do these for you.

Exterior

• Freshen the front door (clean or paint) — the first impression is important.
• Ensure that house numbers, mailbox, and exterior lighting are in good condition.
• Inspect all sides of the home for cracks, loose trim, drain pipes, and fencing.
• Clean windows and screens.

Steve can arrange for his handyman to do these for you.

Interior Living Areas

• Touch-up scuffs with paint. If rooms are dark or have unusual colors, consider repainting with neutral colors.
• Clean drapes
• Clean carpets.
• Ensure that all lights bulbs are working and as bright (high wattage) as possible.
• Clean the fireplace and remove smoke stains from the wall and mantle.

Steve can arrange for his handyman to do these for you.

Kitchen

• Make the kitchen sparkle.
• Remove all appliances that are not absolutely needed for day-to-day living.
• Remove fridge magnets, kids drawings — anything not needed for day-to-day living.
• Clean and wax the floor.
• Clean the oven, range, and other appliances.
• Clean the tile and grout; replacing if necessary.

Steve can arrange for his house cleaner and handyman to do these for you.

Bathrooms

• Make the bathoom sparkle.
• Clean the mirrors, glass, chrome, and all surfaces.
• Replace the shower curtain if necessary.
• Fix any faucet drips or leaks (check under the sink, too).
• Clean the grout and caulking, replacing if necessary.

Steve can arrange for his house cleaner and handyman to do these for you.

Closets and Storage Areas

• Make closets look spacious — remove everything not necessary for day-to-day living.
• Neatly arrange shoes and clothes.
• Ensure that doors and drawers operate smoothly.

Steve can arrange for his house cleaner to help you with this.

Garage

• It is okay to store items here, but make it neat and tidy. Remove clutter where possible.
• Tidy up the shelves.
• Clean the floor.

Steve can arrange for his handyman to do these for you.

General

• Make wood floors sparkle.
• Check that doors, windows and cabinets operate smoothly.
• Remove personal effects, such as photos, knicknacks, etc.
• Vacuum the furnace and water heater so buyers know they have been well-maintained.

Steve provides full-service property preparation and advises you how to cost-effectively address the issues that are important to today’s buyers. Knowing what is wise to address and what is better left as-is is another way that Steve helps you get your property sold quickly at the highest possible price.