So many sellers are wondering what they can do to get their home sold right now.  The market has more homes for sale than there are buyers looking!  Buyers are so picky – and offering less than sticker price for already competitively priced homes.

Back in the market when sellers were on the “high” they could ask themselves questions such as “how much profit can I make on my home”.  Now they need to be realistic and say “what do I need to get out of my home without financial distress”.  The market has turned ~ and sellers who wish to sell need to get on board with this idea.

Spring time is right around the corner and homeowners who are thinking they may sell next spring need to get to work now.  Getting a home ready for sale often takes months for some! 

Think about re-painting your home, take a really good look inside and out and see what needs to be painted.   Pay attention to the trim in your home – make sure it is caulked with no gaps.  Do you have wall paper?  Buyers can’t stand wall paper (and chances are it’s dated) remove it and paint the room a warm neutral color.   Interior rooms should be warm neutral colors! 

Pre-pack about 1/3 of your belongings, store any “extra” furniture that you have in a room (come on, we all have rooms with just too much furniture!).  Go into the bathrooms and scrub, scrub, scrub ~ re-caulk if necessary.  Use a q-tip around faucets to get out the gunk!   Take everything out of your closets.  Do you need everything?  Store what you can – then refold and replace everything – it’s amazing what they will look like with a little TLC.

Go outside and stand across the street.  With a critics eye look at your landscaping decide what needs to go and what can stay – improve areas that need improving – add color.  Your yard will need a fresh layer of mulch before going on the market!

Now walk around your home – look at your light fixtures.  Are they dated?  Do you have a lot of brass in your home?  If so, it’s time for a trip to Lowes or Home Depot to replace the lighting in your social areas (go for antique bronze ~ will blend with the brass handles on your doors).  This makes a huge impact for a buyer and you can get great light / fan fixtures for a reasonable price.

Now for your floors…  Are they dirty?  Scratched?  You may need to think about replacing carpet – or having hardwoods refinished or deep cleaned and polished.

Do you want to say – “I’m exhausted and it’s just too bad – the buyer isn’t getting a new home?”…I am sure you do.  But reality has it that if you want to sell – then you need to compare yourself to new construction as best you can.  This means getting your home ready like a show home! 

Ok – now it’s time to call us.  We will give you some final tips on getting your home ready for market – but take a deep breath….if you have gone thru the above steps you should be almost at the finish line!