Eight steps to selling your home: Step 3

      Eight steps to selling your home

Step 3:

Prepare your home. Most of us don't keep our homes in "showroom" condition. We tend to overlook piles of boxes in the garage, broken porch lights, and doors or windows that stick. It's time to break out of that owner's mindset and get your house in tip-top shape. The condition of your home will affect how quickly it sells and the price the buyer is willing to offer. First impressions are the most important. Your real estate agent can help you take a fresh look at your home and suggest ways to stage it and make it more appealing to buyers.

A home with too much "personality" is harder to sell. Removing family photos, mementos and personalized décor will help buyers visualize the home as theirs. This is a really go time to start packing. Packing your most personal belongings first is a good way of insuring that they won’t get lost or broken when the “actual” move happens.

Make minor repairs and replacements. Small defects, such as a leaky faucet, a torn screen or a worn doormat, can ruin the buyer's first impression. Be careful if you are patching holes where photos once hung. Paint color can fade with time, and most buyers will understand and expect small nail holes in the walls.  

Clutter is a big no-no when showing your home to potential buyers. Make sure you have removed all knick-knacks from your shelves and cleared all your bathroom and kitchen counters to make every area seem as spacious as possible. Again this is a great time to start packing your personal items. It is also a good time to donate items that you have not used in a while, clothing that doesn’t fit and furniture that you don’t plan on moving. Most thrift stores, various non-profit organizations and the boys and girls clubs. Have a pick-up service if you cannot bring the items to their drop locations. Plus, donating is a tax write-off, so make sure you get a receipt.

Last thing make sure your home is ready to show, day or night. Often time buyer will drive by your home and want to see inside. It’s better to be ready then to scramble to get the beds made and the dishes done last minute.   

If you have any questions please call, text or email 

Kitty Berry 

801-550-4640

yourSLChomes@gmail.com