Preparing yourself to sell a home can be very difficult, as can preparing your home. Below are some great tips Getting Your Home Ready to Sell.

Disconnect Your Emotions
Buying real estate is often an emotional decisions, but when selling real estate you need to remove emotion from the equation. Think of your house as a marketable commodity. The first step in getting your home ready to sell is to depersonalize it.

Make Your Home “Anonymous”
You want buyers to view your home as THEIR potential home. Put away family photos, trophies, collectibles and souvenirs. Remove all unnecessary clutter so the potential buyer sees personality but no person.

Uncluttering the House
Clutter affects the way buyers see the home even if you do not realize it so make sure everything is out of site. Take a step backward and pretend you are a buyer and look at everything you see when you walk through the house and open up drawers.

Repairs
Do not do anything expensive but make minor repairs and improvements. Prospective homebuyers often do not really know what to do when viewing a house so they play with things. Because of this, all your sink fixtures should look shiny and new. Check to make sure you have good water pressure. Make sure all your light switches work and all handles are secure. Check all the ceilings for water stains. Painting can be your best investment when selling your home. Unless your carpet appears worn and old, you should hire a good carpet cleaner. Repair or replace broken floor tiles. Check all of your windows and doors to make sure they open and close easily. If you smoke, minimize smoking indoors while trying to sell your home. Make sure your home has as few negative impressions as possible.

Exterior
Unless there is a major project involved, save the exterior of the home for last. There are two reasons for this; one, preparing the interior of the house is easier and two, the exterior is the most important part. A homebuyer’s first impression is based on his or her view of the house from the car.

Landscaping
If your landscaping is average or below for the neighborhood, buy a few bushes. Make sure your lawn is evenly cut, freshly edged and free of brown spots. Always rake up loose leaves and grass cuttings.

Painting
The big decision is whether to paint or not to paint. When you look at your house from across the street, does it look tired and faded? If so, a paint job may be in order. Choose a color that fits well in your neighborhood.

Roof
If your roof leaks, repair it. If you do not repair a leaky roof, you are going to have to disclose it and the buyer will want an entire new roof. If you know your roof leaks and you don’t repair it and don’t disclose it, expect to be hearing from lawyers.

Put these tips to good use and you will be well on your way to selling your house!

 

-Orly