Getting Your Home Ready to Sell!

So, it's time for the big move.  You have hired your agent (hopefully me :)) and now you just have to wait for buyers to start rolling in, right?  Well, sort of.

What you need to realize now is that it is 2011, not 2005.  Your house has to stand out amongst a lot of competition.  I always like to tell people to go ahead and fix all those nagging little things that you have been meaning to fix or correct for the past 5 years.  You know, that trim that the dog chewed up or the hole that you put in the wall when you had the treadmill on high and it threw you off.  Those things.

Now, I am not covering a lot of other things that go into getting your home ready to sell, like title work, finances, etc.  I am just covering the basics of cosmetics.

What you want is the prom queen.  I know that you are probably still living in your home and it's tough to keep it clean, I understand; I have a 5 year old, 4 foot tall tornado who loves nothing more than taking out everything he owns and spreading over every square inch of the house.  It's tough to make all the beds and make the house look like it was just filmed for HGTV.  But you have to.

No one said selling your house was a fun thing to do.  But it doesn't have to kill you either.  Here are some things you can do that will dramatically help you when you put your home on the market.

Your Home’s Exterior

Good “curb” appeal is very important.  If people don’t like the house from the outside, they won’t want to come inside.

 Make sure your front lawn looks neat and tidy to make the 1^st impression favorable.

1. Plant some extra flowers for color, or just put some potted plants on the porch.
2. Remove any dead trees, limbs, or debris from the yard.
3. Sweep the driveway and sidewalk.
4. Paint the front door if need, it is a major focal point and helps with impressions.
5. Replace faded old house numbers with new brass ones.
6. Repaint or replace mailbox if needed.
7. Touch up paint on house if needed.
8. Check roof for shingles and flashing that need replacement or repair.
9. Fix any broken windows, screens, or window seals, and then wash for appearance.
10. Sweep away cobwebs that collect in corners.
11. Haul off any “junk” in your side or backyard.
12. Test the entry light and doorbell.
13. Clean out the garage.  Don’t be tempted to use it as a storage area.
14. Store garbage cans neatly.
15. Arrange lawn equipment in a neat and orderly fashion.

                Your Home’s Interior

 After you’ve tackled the exterior of your home, head inside.  The goal here is to make everything appear more spacious, open, and organized.

 No matter what the season, do some spring-cleaning.

1. Buy bright, high intensity light bulbs and put them everywhere.  Bright lights and open drapes and blinds give the home a friendly glow that buyers like.
2. A fresh coat of neutral paint can do wonders.  It also gives the home a “new” smell.
3. Take down pictures and remove as much furniture as possible.  This will make the house seem larger.
4. Clean out all closets of clutter and store the remaining items neatly in boxes.
5. Have a garage sale and use the proceeds for your touch up expenses.
6. Clean the kitchen and bathrooms till they are spotless.
7. Clean all windows, mirrors, and appliances.
8. Remove clutter from kitchen counters.
9. Have carpet cleaned or replaced.
10. Tighten loose knobs and handles.
11. Clean the oven and refrigerator.
12. Fix squeaky doors, floors, and stairs.
13. Clean up after pets, they can kill a sale.
14. Remove smoke odors, and smoke outside.

All of these tips will help to improve the overall impression your home makes on potential buyers. Clean and tidy homes sell faster than drab, dirty ones. Remember, you are in business now and your product is your home!

Why should you speak with a lender before looking at homes?

Over the years I have shown hundreds of homes to people that have never spoken to a lender.  Don't ask me why...I guess I was nuts or just wanting to show houses.  Nowadays, I rarely show a home unless I know who the buyer's lender is. 

Why?

Well, first of all, lenders have tightened up the requirements to get a loan.  This is a good thing, but it also means that someone really needs to be serious about buying because today is not 5 years ago when you could just fog up a mirror and a lender would give you money.  Now, you really need to qualify and even then you might feel like you are being abused.

Secondly, if you can't get a loan, why would you look at homes?  I know this sounds obvious, but in the past 2 weeks I have had several people want to look at homes eventhough they filed bankruptcy in the past year.  One person had not filed taxes in the past 5 years! 

A good lender will help set you on the correct path.  They will let you know how much you can borrow, thereby letting you know just how much home you can afford and what type of homes you should be looking at.  This is why speaking with your lender is the very first step of any serious home search.  If you have credit issues, they can direct you on how to clean it up.

A lender will ask you some tough questions and even pull your credit, so don't bother telling them you have a 760 credit score when you know you have been late on most of your bills, they will find out!  It is best to be up front and honest, after all, the lender is actually a human as well (believe it or not) and their time is just as valuable as yours and mine.

So, don't get upset at an agent if they ask you who your lender is before showing you homes.  Realtors are 100% commission.  We don't get paid to show homes, we do not have a draw account, we pay for our own gas, etc.  I only want to work with people who are serious about purchasing a home, and that means that they are ready to speak with a lender.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me.  I would love to help out.