By
Rick Yost
When
a seller is getting ready to sell their home, there are always projects that can
be done to make the home more saleable. Removing clutter, touching up paint and
a deep cleaning are the most common first step recommended to a potential home
seller and increasing the potential for getting a home sold.
The
steps discussed in this article are the next level and are meant to return the
greatest amount of value with the least amount of cost and effort. These steps
will also get your house ready for sale at the highest possible price in the
shortest amount of time. These are the little things that potential buyers
notice and influence their decision to make an offer and how much they decide
to offer. Home sellers following this advice are truly ready to sell their
home.
Appliances and
furnace
All
potential home buyers will look at your furnace and appliances. Make them
shine. Sellers should clean the oven, stove top and inside of the refrigerator
as best as possible. Use some appliance touch up paint on small chips and
nicks. Use a degreaser on the furnace, wipe off all dirt and dust and clean the
floor around the furnace.
Buyers
will make over all assumptions about the upkeep of the home based on the
appearance of the appliances and furnace. I cannot tell you how many clients I
have worked with that reject a home based on the condition of the furnace. The
condition being entirely determined by the way the furnace looks.
Baseboard,
moldings and sinks
Cracking,
peeling, and discolored caulk and/or silicon on your baseboards, moldings,
sinks and tubs stand out like a sore thumb but a little time and effort can
remove the cracked and discolored caulk and silicon.
Tubes
of caulk and silicon are inexpensive and easy to apply. Sellers will be
surprised at the difference this step will make in the overall appearance of
the house because nothing looks more dated than a sink with cracked caulk all
around it.
Smoke detectors
and CO2 detectors
Discolored,
beeping, and non-functioning detectors are eye sores and annoying for buyers. A
quick trip to the local hardware store to get replacements for dated detectors
and fresh batteries for more current detectors is always a cheap and easy way
to add visual appeal and value to a home.
Fireplace and
chimney
Having
the chimney and fireplace cleaned helps make a home more attractive to buyers. Although
buyers love a fireplace, they fear chimney fires. As a result, water stains
inside the fireplace, piles of soot and loose mortar are all troubling signs to
potential buyers, so sellers should consider spending a little extra money to improve
these conditions professionally and save the receipts for potential buyers. Not
only will it further home safety, but will increase the likelihood of a quick
sell.
Screens
Sellers
should make sure that all windows have screens. Screens that don’t fit
correctly or are damaged should be repaired immediately with particular
attention to the screen door. Potential buyers notice those screens first.
Window sill
Of
all the things this article recommends, this is the most important. Windows should be cleaned, sills vacuumed,
and blinds dusted. There should be no peeling paint, moisture stains or discoloration
as all of these are warning signs to potential buyers. Scrape, sand, etc. your problem sills and put a fresh coat of
paint on them. Sills are so often
overlooked by seller, but not by buyers.
Now
that the seller has completed his deep cleaning, removed clutter, touched up
paint and followed the steps in this article, they are ready to go to market
with a house that is truly ready for potential buyers to see and truly ready to
sell.
Rick
is an Award-Winning Realtor, real estate author and long time Windham
resident. You can reach Rick with all
your real estate questions at rickyost63@gmail.com
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