How To Prepare Your House for Sale

The thought of moving into a new house can be exciting. New rooms, new colors, new options all waiting for your creative and "homey" touch. But your current home is more than "lived in," isn't it? What can you do to make your current home ready for sale while still remaining livable for you and your family?

1. Take it one step at a time. The best thing you can do for yourself is to have a licensed realtor do a market analysis of your home first. Not only will they be able to analyze your home and compare it to the prices of other homes in your neighborhood, but they'll be your best help in getting your home ready for sale. They'll be able to suggest what should be done and what should be avoided in order to help your house sell. Should you paint that back hall? Replace the living room carpet? Paint the paneling or leave it? Will updating the windows pay off in the end? These are all questions that a realtor can help you resolve from an objective point of view. They want your house to sell, too, so they would not suggest doing something that would not pay off for you at closing.
2. Try to make as much visible as possible. Potential buyers want to see the house lived in and comfortable. But if there are so many books and boxes in the way, they may not be able to see past it all. Remove as much "clutter" as possible and pack things away that you do not need. Consider renting a storage unit to store your boxes so that potential buyers can see the attic and basement structure and condition. Trying to hide some of these things might only prolong the selling process.
3. Move (or remove) furniture to make rooms look more spacious. Big furniture in a small room will only make the walls feel like they are closing in. Consider taking a piece or two out of the room for storage and you'll notice the room open up and look more appealing.
4. Give the air a little "ambiance." Whether you are present at a house showing or not, there are things you can do to make your home feel as lived in as you've made it. Baking an apple pie or a loaf of bread just before the showing will give the air that comforting and appealing feel that buyers like. And that "at-home" feeling might last longer than any air freshener.
5. Think about what you'd like to move into. Consideration is key when preparing your house for someone else. Do your best to gather all paperwork regarding appliances for the new owners. This would include furnace, air conditioner, water heater, etc. If you've had recent remodeling work, it would be a good idea to leave the contractor's information handy so the new owners could call the contractor if there are any questions in the future.

   It's also considerate to clean up after yourself once all the furniture and boxes are gone. A simple wipe-down and floor cleaning should be enough to satisfy the next people. After all, you'll probably be cleaning your next home to your own standards, regardless of how the previous owners might have cleaned up after themselves. It's safe to assume your new buyers will do the same. But it is still considerate to get that surface cleaning done so they can see what they're working with. Remember the old "Golden Rule"...Do unto others as you'd have done unto you.

Remembering to do a little research with a realtor and treating your home as you'd want it treated if you were buying it can make things much smoother for all parties involved. The better you can make the transition, the easier it will be to leave your house and make the new place your home!