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Preparing to sell:
Free tips to help you sell your Home Fast
"Selling my house was easy after
I moved out half of my stuff..."
First Stage of Selling Your House
Remove Your Emotions
When
talking with estate agents, you will often find that when they talk to
you about buying property they will refer to your purchase as a "home."
Yet if you are selling property, they will often refer to it as a
"house." There is a reason for this. Buying property is often an
emotional decision, but when selling property you need to remove
emotion from your thinking process.
You need
to think of your house as a marketable commodity. Property.. The idea is
to get others to see it as their potential home, not
yours. If you do not consciously make this decision,
you can create a situation where it takes longer to sell your property.
The first
step in getting your home ready to sell is to "de-personalize" it.
People buy homes that appear
spacious, clean and uncluttered
Clutter and dark colours turn off most
buyers. That means getting rid of everything you can live without.
Have a garage sale to eliminate unnecessary items. Use the money you to
put some of your bulkier possessions in storage.
Bright lights
and white walls make rooms look bigger.
●
If you plan to paint, use white or off-white.
●
Replace lights with higher wattage bulbs.
Clear kitchen
countertops as much as possible. Reduce number of items in cabinets.
Arrange clothing neatly in each closet and reduce number of items stored
on shelves and on the floor.
Clean and organize your basement,
attic and garage.
Clean:
Clean everything - carpets included. Ask a
friend to assess your efforts, especially sensitive areas like odours.
Wash windows and mirrors.
Clean the oven and all appliances.
Clean all grease spatters and polish chrome fixtures and surfaces.
Clean window treatments and carpets. Replace worn, stained and odorous
carpeting.
Clean smudges, especially around doorknobs and light
switches.
De-Personalise your Home
Potential buyers do not want to see hordes
of family pictures or your collection of miniature china dolls that fill
the living room shelves.
Store away any items like this and look
forward to putting them out in your new House.
Keep It Solid
Rattles, squeaks and leaks leave the
impression that houses needs a lot of work. Eliminate them.
Repair squeaking steps and wobbly banisters.
Repair leaking roof
and remove all signs of water damage:
- Paint over water stains
- Replace discoloured wallpaper
Repair leaky pipes. Repair or
clean cracking around tubs and sinks.
Tighten loose doorknobs,
light switch plates and cabinet hinges.
Repair sticking doors and
windows.
Stage your House
● Turn off The Television and put on
some relaxing Music.
● Always let your buyer walk into the
room first.
● Remember your buyer has very little
imagination you have to do all of the above. You have to de-personalise
your Home and stage it so that your potential buyers can imagine living
there.
Preparing To Sell Kerb Appeal
"The work I put into my lawn paid off ...big
time!"
Tips for the Exterior
Lawn and Garden
A well kept lawn implies a well maintained
home. Cut lawn weekly while showing your home. Rake leaves and sweep
Pavement on weekends when house is to be shown.
Remove dead limbs
and debris from shrubs and trees.
Plant extra flowers for more
colour or spruce up landscaping with potted flowers.
Store lawn
equipment, toys and other outdoor items away neatly. Board dog or other
large pets with neighbours while showing the house.
Front Entrance
The front entrance of your home is a key
part of the "First Impression." Paint, clean or stain the front door.
Make sure entry light and doorbell are in working order.
Replace
missing house numbers and make sure the number is visible from the
street in the early evening.
Put out a nice welcome mat and a
potted plant if you have room on steps or entrance way.
Roofs and Windows
Experienced home owners often ignore
miss-aligned shutters, bent gutters and loose shingles (unless there is
a leak). These things jump out at some buyers.
Paint and repair
gutters. Repair loose shingles and flashing in roof, especially when
visible from the ground.
Paint window sashes, trim and shutters.
Replace cracked window panes, and wash entire window.
Clean and
paint siding as needed. White or something very close is the best colour
for aluminium, wood or synthetic siding
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