10 Ways to Prepare Selling your Home

• Get rid of clutter. Throw out or file stacks of newspapers and magazines. Pack away most of your small decorative items. Store out-of-season clothing to make closets seem roomier. Clean out the garage.
• Wash your windows and screens to let more light into the interior.
• Keep everything extra clean. Wash fingerprints from light switch plates. Mop and wax floors. Clean the stove and refrigerator. A clean house makes a better first impression and convinces buyers that the home has been well cared for.
• Get rid of smells. Clean carpeting and drapes to eliminate cooking odors, smoke, and pet smells. Open the windows.
• Put higher wattage bulbs in light sockets to make rooms seem brighter, especially basements and other dark rooms. Replace any burnt-out bulbs.
• Make minor repairs that can create a bad impression. Small problems, such as sticky doors, torn screens, cracked caulking, or a dripping faucet, may seem trivial, but they’ll give buyers the impression that the house isn’t well maintained.
• Tidy your yard. Cut the grass, rake the leaves, trim the bushes, and edge the walks. Put a pot or two of bright flowers near the entryway.
• Patch holes in your driveway and reapply sealant, if applicable.
• Clean your gutters.
• Polish your front doorknob and door numbers.

5 Ways to Speed Up Your Sale

• Price it right. Set a price at the lower end of your property’s realistic price range.
• Get your house market-ready for at least two weeks before you begin showing it.
• Be flexible about showings. It’s often disruptive to have a house ready to show on the spur of the moment, but the more often someone can see your home, the sooner you’ll find a seller.
• Be ready for the offers. Decide in advance what price and terms you’ll find acceptable.
• Don’t refuse to drop the price. If your home has been on the market for more than 30 days without an offer, be prepared to lower your asking price. 

7 Steps to Preparing for an Open House

• Hire a cleaning service. A spotlessly clean home is essential; dirt will turn off a prospect faster than anything.
• Mow your lawn, and be sure toys and yard equipment are put away.
• Serve cookies, coffee, and soft drinks. It creates a welcoming touch. But be sure the kitchen has been cleaned up; use disposable cups so the sink doesn’t fill up.
• Lock up your valuables, jewelry, and money. Although the real estate salesperson will be on site during the open house, it’s impossible to watch everyone all the time.
• Turn on all the lights. Even in the daytime, incandescent lights add sparkle.
• Send your pets to a neighbor or take them outside. If that’s not possible, crate them or confine them to one room (a basement or bath), and let the salesperson know where to find them.
• Leave. It’s awkward for prospective buyers to look in your closets and express their opinions of your home with you there.