Do It Yourself Guide to Preparing Your Home for Sale
20 Steps to a Great Listing
If you’re getting ready to list your home for sale, you know you will probably need to invest some money and time to prepare for this competitive market. Unless you’ve just had a major renovation, your home may have “wear and tear” or just need a little updating and pizazz. This is by no means a comprehensive list of things to do to prepare your home and some suggestions are situational.
For instance, you are not going to replace the drawer pulls in the kitchen if the cabinets really need to be replaced. I suggest you start by having a Realtor and a Home Stager come to give you a complete list of recommendations.
That being said, these are things that I would always consider when evaluating a home for market readiness. If you’re on a tight budget, this is a great place to start. Figuring 8 rooms of paint at the cost of paint and supplies, plus the other suggestions, the list comes to $2,000 and a lot of elbow grease. All prices are based on free labor- this means you! Home Depot products were used for pricing of hardware, paint, etc. Remember you investing in your investment. Also as important - Delegate and bend your knees when you lift!
Free, and practically free, things everyone should do before they list:
1. Consult with a Realtor. Start off right with advice from the pros.
2. Clean like a maniac. Look at your home as if it were a hotel room- would a stranger be thrilled enough to tip the bellman (make an offer immediately) or would they be calling the front desk (move on to the next listing)?
3. Trim bushes, edge, cut the lawn, put out a fresh pot of flowers
4. Dress flower beds with fresh mulch—lots of counties have free mulch if you’re on a tight budget
5. Water the yard if necessary
6. Replace worn or dirty caulk in kitchen and bathrooms
7. Take down heavy or patterned draperies
8. Remove dented or nonworking blinds
Make a great first impression:
9. Repaint any railings or light posts outside $25.00
10. Replace front door hardware $130
11. Replace front porch light $50
Do these things and you’ll win hearts:
12. Replace kitchen cabinet pulls if worn $85
13. Replace kitchen faucets $100
14. Remove fluorescent light fixtures in kitchen, replace with flush mount updated lighting $60
15. Update dining room light fixture $150
16. Update foyer light fixture $35
More hard work than money- but worth it everytime:
17. Freshly paint tired rooms- $75 per room (paint and supplies)
18. Polish floors $15
19. Clean carpets $100
20. Hire a Home Stager for a two hour consultation $200
It’s hard to look at your own home objectively. After all, you’ve decorated and changed it to fit your lifestyle and personality. When you’re home is for sale, it needs to appeal to a large audience of buyers. That’s why having a Realtor and Home Stager give you the outsider’s view is so critical. We’re on your team to help you sell. Let us help.
Best wishes for a speedy sale,
Sandy Gardner
Commonwealth Staging LLC
www.Commonwealthstaging.com
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