Preparing Your Home for Showing...

Presenting your home in it’s best light is one of the most important aspects of selling it.  Follow this checklist and your home will be ready for showings.

Repair:

• If your city requires a pre-sale inspection, repair/replace any items on the list.
• Finish any repair projects that are underway.
• Repair walls and ceilings, and paint.
• Fix broken screens, damaged woodwork, cracked windows, etc.
• Replace broken light fixtures, leaky faucets, etc.
• Fix any hardware that needs it, loose doorknobs, broken locks, etc.
• Make sure that all of your appliances are in working order.
• Replace old, worn or dated carpeting.
• Update fixtures, wall colors, etc. if they are dated.

Organize:

• Start by packing up what you can to store off site.
• Give away or sell unwanted items.
• Take away the clutter one room at a time, starting with the first room that potential buyer’s will see.
• Organize closets and storage spaces to make these spaces seem larger.
• Organize work spaces and garage space.
• Organize children’s bedrooms.
• Take down hanging items, excess photos and posters.
• Take out sick houseplants, dried, or diseased.

Clean:

• Clean windows, drapes, blinds, and mirrors.
• Scrub walls and floors.
• Clean appliances thoroughly, especially the stove, refrigerator, and range hood.
• Clean out laundry area, basement and storage spaces.
• Maintain an environment that has minimal clutter to make clean-up easier for showings. 

Exterior:

• Repair and paint exterior, check for cracks along foundation, broken shutters, gutters, shed, etc.
• Clean gutters, window wells, and decks.
• Trim trees that have dead branches or branches that are hanging over home.
• Trim shrubs, weed and clean out flower beds.
• Create curb appeal with seasonal decorations (secular decorations will often make all who see your               home feel welcome, but you don’t have to refrain from your holiday decorating or compromise your lifestyle).
• Make sure your address numbers are visible.
• Update outdoor light fixtures (obviously optional).
• Mow lawn and keep lawn as well as landscaping well watered.
• In winter, shovel, keep path and driveway ice-free.

Staging:

• If you've done all that's on the list above or even some of it you're on your way, but some simple decorating ideas can help you with giving your home the perfect touch.  Statistics show that staging your home increases your chance of selling faster, for more money.
• Start with removing clutter items and excess furniture.
• Cover old furniture with slip covers, you may also choose to update linens and window treatments.
• Brighten up dark rooms.
• Adjust paint colors, bringing light into dark spaces, toning down colors that are overstylized. 
• Use lighting to access rooms, highlight areas, and create a spacious look.
• Stage empty rooms to give them a lived in look.
• If you have to move before you sell, you may choose to consider leaving furniture behind or renting furniture to stage your home.