Once you have decided to sell your home it’s time to prepare for showings. The following tips will help get your home ready for sale:
- Educate yourself: Make it a point to drive around your area and look at other similar homes that are on the market. This will help you see how your home stacks up in comparison.
- Repairs: Now is the time to complete any minor repairs to your home. Touching up paint, fixing a leaky sink, cleaning carpets, and replacing broken tiles, etc. are important in preparing your home for sale. A buyer will typically schedule a home inspection to occur within ten days of the accepted offer – the inspection report will include any and all items that need to be repaired or replaced.
- Appliances: Make sure all the appliances that you intend to include in the sale are in good working condition. Scrub all of them so they sparkle.
- Permits & Inspections: Permits for any additions, including decks, patios, bathrooms, etc. must be on record with the town. If the additions were not permitted or inspected by your town, it is imperative that is done before marketing your home for sale.
- Declutter: Decluttering is very important in preparing your home for sale. Rooms should appear organized, and everything should appear to have a place. Personal items should be kept at a minimum as buyers need to envision their belongings in your home.
- Curb Appeal: In addition to the inside, sprucing up the outside of your home is also very important. Landscaping should appear neat, bushes and shrubs trimmed, and any distressed tree limbs addressed. Other items that may need attention are gutters, fencing, the mailbox, and any outbuildings, including the garage.