Before you put your home on the market, you should ask a professional home stager or your realtor, “is my house ready for the market and for the home buyers? What steps do I need to take to make my home ready for the prospective buyers?”
If you car is like mine, and I believe most cars are now being made this way, a light pops up letting me know it’s time to be serviced.
I then call my dealer/mechanic to make an appointment for my vehicle.
All homes could use a TUNE UP warning sign too.
Wouldn’t it be great if homes also had a tune up button? This way, we would be informed about what is wearing out and what needs to be repaired or replaced. Most homeowners, since they live in their home day in and day out, get used to all the wear and tear in their house and when the time comes to sell, they are not able to identify all that needs to be done before their house goes on the market.
Yes, it would be wonderful if all homes came with this kind of warning system. But, I have good news for home sellers. A professional home stager can identify all that needs to be done to prepare your home for the market. She/he will create a complete To Do List tailored to the needs of your home.
Below is a general list of steps to get you geared up to tackle the projects in order to get your home ready for the market and the buyers.
- Exterior Paint – Take a closer look. Paint if the existing paint is tired or flaking off. Fresh paint is the best facelift for ALL homes.
- Fence – Check the condition and make the necessary repairs.
- Pathways and stairs – Power wash to remove moss and dirt.
- House number – The house number should be visible for the homebuyers.
- Garden – Fresh mulch and seasonal flowers make a HUGE impact; please don’t cut back here.
- Replace all exterior and interior burned out light bulbs.
- Running toilets and worn out toilet seats are not cool.
- Re-grout tile and around the bathtubs and sinks.
- Leaky faucets should be repaired or replaced.
- Replace any missing outlet covers.
- Tackle sticky drawers, squeaky doors and missing knobs and pulls.
- Replace worn carpet and shampoo the dirty ones.
- Fix holes in the interior and paint the walls and trim.
- Replace any broken glass/windows.
- Refinish the wood floors. Homebuyers LOVE wood floors in great condition.
- Take down broken blinds or tired and saggy curtains.
- Re-stain or paint cabinets in the kitchen and bathrooms.
- We love energy saving light bulbs, but for homes FOR SALE, we recommend regular light bulbs. Light sells homes.
- Clean out your attic and discard any items no longer needed.
- All appliances, including the garbage disposal, should be running and working well.
- Ask your realtor or home stager if it is necessary for you to repair or replace the roof; if old, it may not pass the inspection.
- Fireplaces and chimneys should be cleaned.
Keep in mind that this is a general list and a good place to start getting your home ready for the market and home bueyrs. If home sellers take the time and address these projects before their homes go on the market, they will ensure that they get the most money for their homes. Homebuyers will use the inspection list to bargain down the price.
Give your home a proper tune up and make it ready for the homebuyers. The results will SHOUT OUT to the homebuyers that this home is loved and taken care of. Like cars, people want to purchase homes in great condition.
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