| The Fine Art of Preparing Your Home for Sale
 Few
buyers can visualize the improved outcome of minor changes to a
property. That is why as a seller you must show buyers the
best potential features of your property. Do not assume
that they can visualize improvements on their own. The
following are helpful improvement tips to help add to the value
of a property and make your property more appealing to buyers.
Curb Appeal
Curb appeal is the first view of a property that buyers see when
they drive by or arrive for a showing.
Curb appeal can repel or invite a buyer. A large
percentage of buyers decide whether or not to take the property
into serious consideration based on its curb appeal.
Exterior
A clean or freshly painted exterior which should include
doors, window sills, and fences, will do wonders for a buyers
first impression. If possible, pressure wash dirty siding
and brick fences. If your budget allows for painting, view
the palettes of other structures in your area for some ideas.
Clean the windows and clear the rain gutters.
Landscape
Remove those eye sores. In some instances excess vegetation can
add to a viewers pleasure, in other instances it might be best
to remove those ingredients that dull the eyes. An
example, would be when trees become so large that they
overshadow the beauty of a property, thus reducing curb appeal.
Remove any mildew from the exterior walls along with any weeds
that might be growing on the sidewalks, driveway, or flower
gardens.
Mow and edge the lawn. Remove any weeds that might be growing
with the grass. Add some grass seeds to any brown or
off colored areas of the lawn. Make sure the
grass seeds are of the same or similar kind of grass currently
on your property. A trip to one of the home building
supply stores or landscape shops can be helpful.
Trim the bushes, shrubs, trees, and any excess vegetation
growing on the property.
Driveway
Remove any stains from the driveway as best as possible.
Park vehicles off the driveway during a showing.
Lighting
Exterior and interior lighting can brighten up a
properties appeal. Add lights or redirect lighting to dark
areas. The type of lighting used can also have an effect
on the space being lit. Choose your lights thoughtfully
and don't be afraid to experiment.
Front Entrance
Remove any toys or shoes from the entryway to the front
door and clean the door mat to create a welcoming environment.
If the door mat has had it's fair share of depresses, get a
new one.
Front Door
If budget allows, try new hardware and an attractive
front door with glass designs or features that bring out the
properties style. If a new front door is beyond your
budget, try repainting or staining the door and polishing the
hardware.
Interior
A buyers first impression of the interior of a property is what
he sees when the agent opens the front door. Spice up this
area, but keep it simple.
Remove clutter. Too many objects can make rooms look
smaller and cluttered.
If you have a lot of furniture, consider removing a few items.
In some instances, rearranging furniture can increase a rooms
appeal.
Sweep the floors and vacuum the carpets. If budget allows,
buff the floors and shampoo the carpet.
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