The weather is SWELTERING and the real estate market is HOT HOT HOT… there is still time to sell your house before the weather AND the market turn. There are so many tasks that need your attention during the buying and selling process it can be overwhelming, and you may be looking at your current home and think, “There is SO much to do here, we will NEVER get it ready in time.” Northwest Home Team Realty in Tumwater, Washington wants to help you narrow your focus and make your to-do list seem much more manageable. So here are the 7 Key Tasks Prior to Your Home Hitting the Market.
ONE: SPRUCE UP THE EXTERIOR
Curb appeal is a real thing, and potential buyers make an evaluation if your home is a contender within 8 seconds of seeing the front door. 8 SECONDS! They probably haven’t even gotten out of their car and they already “KNOW” if this home has potential.
Try to look at your home with “FRESH EYES.” That has nothing to do with Visine, and everything to do with looking at your home as if you were seeing it for the first time. Be hyper critical and notice everything wrong with your home. The cracks in the driveway from the Christmas of 1984 are “precious memories” to you. To a new buyer it shows a possible engineering problem.
Some highlights to take care of:
• Pressure wash and possibly paint
• Have the windows professionally washed inside and out
• Clean the Gutters
• Trim all overgrown and dead landscaping
• Cleaning the front door (you’ll be surprised what a good scrub with TSP will do for curb appeal)
• Replace corroded hardware
• And you would be surprised at how many people check to see if your doorbell works.
TWO: SERVICE THE HEATING and COOLING SYSTEM
It seems like you would know if your furnace or A/C in your home was in working order… but… you don’t know if it’s on the verge of a major repair.
KEY POINT: It’s better to make your repairs now… buyers will feel more at ease to haggle over the price if they see the potential for a lot of work, and if something is wrong with a major system in the home, they begin to wonder… “What else is about to go wrong?”
THREE: DO A LIGHT BULD CHECK.
Make sure all your light bulbs (inside and out) are clean and work. They won’t go home and talk about how amazing light bulbs were…. But they will talk about the hallway light that was burned out. “Was it just an old light bulb or is there an issue with the electrical?”
FOUR: CHANGE THE BATTERIES IN YOUR SMOKE DETECTORS
It seems pretty basic…. But there’s a large portion of society that likes to find fault with every thing and why give them anything to add to the list especially when it has to do with safety.
FIVE: DEEP CLEAN AND DECLUTTER
Consider hiring a cleaning service for this task. Because deep cleaning means EVERYTHING from wiping down the base boards to the back corner of the bread drawer in the kitchen. It’s a lot… and sometimes it’s easier to have someone else face your grime than to have potential buyer think, “These people are PIGS, we can’t live here.” AND don’t forget to declutter… it’s hard to do, but away your family pictures, awards, vacation snow globes, etc. In this market, you’ll be unpacking your personal mementos before you know it… and even sooner if your home is decluttered.
KEY POINT: Your home will appear larger (and sell faster) with fewer things filling the counters, tables, and shelves.
SIX: BLUE TAPE YOUR ENTIRE HOME
Conduct a thorough walk through of the interor of the home. If there are any nicks, dents, or scratches on the walls and moldings attach a piece of blue painter’s tape to each mar. Then start your repairs. Planning your paint touch ups is better on your already tight schedule than randomly addressing them.
SEVEN: CLEAN THE GARAGE
Consider power washing the floor or painting it with an epoxy… that piece-of-junk Ford that used to leak oil, shouldn’t devalue your home, so it wise to just paint over it. Garages take a lot of abuse over the life of a home, so look for cracks, peeling paint or drywall seams that need to be fixed… not only on the walls but also the ceiling.
Buyers recognize and appreciate… and even SEARCH for homes that have been well taken care of. Taking time to invest into your home maintenance before selling will likely impact your bottom line with a BIG payoff when you receive offers!