How do you prepare your home for sale?

Many factors come into play in preparing your property for showing.  Before you start presenting your home to prospective buyers, there are some things you can do to spruce it up, without spending a lot of money.

Buyers decide to visit a home after they’ve driven by it. If they like the outside, they’ll go inside, so to make sure they like the outside, your first concern should be the “curb appeal” of your home. Keep the lawn and landscape nicely manicured. Water regularly. Trim the bushes and plant some flowers. Be sure your front door area has a "Welcome" feeling. A fresh coat of paint on the front door looks great.

Now, let’s move to the inside. Of all the rooms in your house, pay special attention to the kitchen and bathrooms. They should look bright and fresh. It is very important that they are clean and odor free. It may be a good idea to hire a professional cleaning crew every other week while your home is on the market. A fresh coat of paint and replacing door knobs will give your kitchen and bathrooms a fresh new look. If your kitchen is a constants reminder of the 70's, consider painting your appliances and changing the acrylic ceiling panels that have turned yellow with time for brand new ones; this will make your kitchen much brighter.  Keep your kitchen countertops cleared from clutter and fix leaky faucets.

Finally, for every showing make sure you replace all burned out light bulbs, open all drapes and window blinds, put pets in cages or take them to a neighbor, remove RVs or unappealing cars from the driveway, clear dirty dishes from the sink and laundry from the washer/dryer, put some soft music and light a scented candle or bake something (an apple with sprinkled cinnamon smells like home for the holidays)