When you decide to list your home and prep your house for sale, you should keep it simple. No need to buy into the HGTV and Home Show suggestions of upgrading and repairs. But you do need to focus on my favorite 3 items. Clean, Fresh and Tidy. Follow these 3 suggestions and you will be on your way to show-able home in no time.
Clean: Be aware that your level of clean may not be up to the level of clean your buyer may expect. Over clean and scrub the house to ensure they are not turned off simply by overlooked areas. Cobwebs in stairways, dirty door jams, clogged return vents and hand prints on glass can be offensive. Take the time to make sure the house is clean and sparkly for each showing. Do a walk through and make a check list if it helps and add to it as you get to work.
Fresh: Fresh is just not the air! I say fresh to describe how your house should feel since new is not always possible. Appliances may not be replaceable but you can make them seem fresh and not warn out. Bathrooms should be airy and sanitary, so that crud on around the faucet and toilet should be removed. An atmosphere of fresh is with a great combination of cleaning and getting that air moving. No matter time of year, you should be opening windows and running the HVAC fan to keep things feeling light and refreshing. Painting should be considered as well. It is a least expensive way to make trim and walls look fresh and clean.
Tidy: Knickknacks, baby pictures and favorite beer mug are cool for your home but this is a house for sale and buyers don’t want your stuff. Give them a suggesting but blank canvas to work from. And de-clutter to make it seem like unkempt people don’t live there. Shelves should be minimal and closets must not be stuffed full. If I see cramped closets I think the house lacks storage. If I see full end tables it distracts me from what my furniture would look like in that room. As a rule, all counters should be completely cleared and cleaned for a showing. We do not want to see your Methadone prescription while we are looking through your master suite.
-curt
