This is a continuation of the checklist for sellers looking to prepare their home for sale.
Invest in Photography: Today, with the emergence of mobile marketing, chances are that your property will be previewed online first before the actual physical showing. Your home should be professionally photographed. The photographer will be able to give you additional tips on presentation and staging, which will include decluttering, cleaning and proper lighting. These days, you will probably be directed by your real estate agent to have a virtual video tour shot.
The Dining Room: Lighting, staging, arrangement of furniture all go into the visual design of your dining room. Every room represents an important part of your sales puzzle, and the dining room plays its own particular role. Don’t waste time polishing your dining room table if it is terribly scratched and marred, and the chairs are in bad shape. Invest in a new tablecloth at least and at best consider repairing your chairs and touching up your table.
Cleaning Up: Bring in the boxes for you to begin a campaign to declutter your home. Everyone seems to attract clutter, especially if you have been in the home for any serious amount of time. Basements are favorite places for clutter and junk. Budget a reasonable amount of time to tackle each room. Your mission is to make each room as spacious as possible.
Your Entrance: Remember first impressions last forever, especially when it comes to your prospective buyers. Don’t get lazy just because at the moment, it is a seller’s market. Go the extra mile, and make sure that your entrance makes the kind of impression that says, “This is home.” Some experts say that a decision to buy occurs within the first 15 seconds after the buyers have walked onto your property.
A New Coat of Paint: There is nothing like a fresh coat of paint to bring life back to the atmosphere of a home. This is one of the cheapest ways to freshen up your home. Neutral colors are the safest color scheme to follow. No red bedrooms, blue living rooms or orange hallways.
Faucets, Light Switches and Blinds Work: Fix that leaky faucet, patch those holes in the wall, and make sure the plates and switches for the lights all are updated and working.