You’ve decided to sell your home, choose a Realtor wisely, and are ready to start preparing your home to sell. Now what?

Your home is the object you are selling after all, so it is only natural to want it to show in it’s best possible light. Here are some hints to help you make your home shine:

Clean Your House

When you live in your home for any amount of time, it is easy to look past some of the mess that you have gotten used to. Maybe there are fingerprints on the doors, dirt on your baseboards, or grease on the top of your stove that has been stuck on and just won’t scrub off. While these are things that you may not notice, it is something that buyers definitely will. You may consider hiring a cleaning company to come in and do a thorough cleaning and pay attention to the areas that you may not see as readily. Cleanliness definitely matters and a house that is less than squeaky clean will turn buyers off fast. Also, pay close attention to smells and odors. If you have animals or do a ton of cooking, your house may not smell to you, but it may to people that are not used to it. Consider having carpets professionally cleaned and repainting the interior to help with any lingering odors.

Declutter Your Home

While you love your “stuff”, other people don’t have the same attachments to your things that you do. In fact, your things can easily become overwhelming to buyers and make them not feel welcome in your home. If a buyer doesn’t feel welcomed, they will have a hard time imagining themselves living in your home. And when a potential buyer can’t see themselves living in a home, they will move on to the next. Buying a home is an emotional process and as the seller, you want to help the buyer to connect with your home however possible in order to get it sold. Think “hotel like” when decluttering. Yes, it is boring to you may be, but it appeals to a greater amount of people, increasing the likelihood of a sale.

Speak To Your Realtor

Ask your Realtor to give you an opinion on what you should fix to sell for the highest amount. It is easy to get overwhelmed and overextended when making fixes to your home in preparation for sale. You don’t want to go too far and spend more time and money than you will see in return for those projects. Balance out the time and money you spend with the benefit received to keep in check.

Fix Functionality Issues

Have a super sticky lock that makes it harder to get in? Fix that so it doesn’t interfere with an agent opening the door during showing time. If a buyer sees a bunch of small issues, they may wonder if there is something bigger going on or that the house has not been well cared for. Those are two thoughts you do not want to be circulating in a potential buyers mind.

Take Down Family Photos

For your security and privacy, take down family photos and any identifying decor (diplomas, awards, occupational plaques) that you wouldn’t want to be circulating on the internet. This is a good idea if you don’t want random people you don’t know, knowing more about you than necessary.

Make House Available To Show

If it is hard for a realtor to get in and show your property, this will translate into fewer showings and less potential to sell at the best price with the best terms.

While it can be inconvenient and a lot of work to get your home ready to sell, it can be well worth the effort to get it sold. Focus on why you are selling and try not to dwell on the steps involved in getting there. When you focus on the positives that will come with selling, it is easier to gather the patience and fortitude to get there.