- Clean it up!
Ok, I know this may not be Jaw dropping to most but my jaw always drops when I go and interview a perspective client that has been trying to market their own home for sale. Absolutely the first step in preparing your home for the market is; clean it up. I don’t just mean mop the floors and pick up the clutter although eliminating the clutter is the first step; I mean scrub the floors and the baseboards as well as all the door and window frames. While you are at it clean the windows inside and out. Scrub the cabinets and if they are wood cabinets apply a finishing treatment like Murphy’s oil. Scrub your appliances down; if they are stainless steel finish then apply a stainless steel polish. Have your carpets professional cleaned, especially if you are a pet owner. Professional carpet cleaners have enzyme based products to neutralize pet odors that you may not even know exist.
2. Give your home a haircut.
Pick up everything lying around outside. A home that shows well from the street will always sell faster. Trim all trees and shrubs back and re-sod any bare areas of your yard. Re-mulch if necessary. If you have a pool make sure it is clean and properly maintained, showing bright and clear.
3. Identify what are the features that attracted you to your home and why, good schools and low crime rate are typically the big ones but there are many more to think about.
4. Research and hire a local Real Estate Professional to market your home. “Ok Aunt Betty is a Realtor I will just list with her”. This may be the best thing for Aunt Betty but is it the best possible solution to get your home sold for the highest price with the least amount of work on your part? I know you are thinking I can post it on craigslist or For Sale By Owner dot com myself and find a buyer and save all that commission, but statistics show that home sellers that utilize a professional brokerage to market their home receive an offer more rapidly at a higher price resulting in more money in their pocket.
5. Competitively price your home to sell. In order to do this properly you must have knowledge about your market area and what homes are selling for. You will typically only have one first impression for the buyers that are drawn to your home. If you are not competitively priced they will move on to the next home. Get a Professional Home Valuation from an experienced agent. Ask me how this applies to our current Cape Coral real estate market.