15 Easy Ways to Prep Your House for a Sale
Use this handy checklist to help find a buyer when your house is going on the market.
Sabrina Soto, home-staging expert and host of HGTV's Get It Sold, shares her tips on what to do before putting a house on the market. Print out this handy checklist.
- Use "home wash" (a hose attachment that is available at any home improvement store) to clean the outside of the house.
- Clean rain gutters as well as outside windows and screens.
- Make sure the front door is inviting. Paint it if needed. Also, replace any outdated exterior lighting fixtures.
- Buy new house numbers if the old ones are dated or faded. Be sure buyers can see the new ones from the curb.
- Buy a new welcome mat.
- Eliminate half of your belongings - clutter can cost you a sale. Rent a storage unit or portable pod for extraneous pieces of furniture or knickknacks. Another idea is to ask a friend if you can borrow some space in his or her garage.
- Organize all closets and drawers. Buyers might look there.
- Make any necessary repairs so that buyers don't have to add that to their mental list of post-purchase expenses.
- Rearrange furniture to make rooms appear as large as possible.
- Make every surface shine, from ceiling fans to baseboards. Don't forget interior windows, mirrors and floors.
- Scrub every inch of the kitchen and bathrooms.
- Depersonalize each room, removing photo frames and posters or artwork.
- Buy new linens and pillows if necessary. Be certain they are a neutral color.
- Buy air neutralizer and spray it often.
- Let go emotionally of your home, and get ready for an offer!
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