Get Your Home Ready to Sell

Even if you don't plan to sell your home immediately, it's wise to start preparing several months in advance.

First of all, do what you can to increase curb appeal. People won't come in your house if they don't like what they see from the street, so make the street view of your house sparkle. That might mean new a new doorknob and knocker, fresh paint on the door and perhaps the whole house, power-washing the walk, sealing the driveway, etc. Trim the shrubs so plenty of light shines in the windows. Get the windows washed. Get a new mailbox if necessary.

Work on the inside of the house as well. Kitchens and bathrooms are key. Consider replacing faucets and cabinet knobs if the current ones are dated. Fix leaky faucets, doors that don't shut properly, and clean the grout. A coat of fresh paint (in a neutral color) throughout does wonders.

De-cluttering is key. Clean the closets. Make them look like you have so much space you don't have enough stuff to fill them. Clean the basement too. You have to do it sometime, so you might as well get some boxes and pack up as much as you can. Rent a storage unit and move the packed boxes and anything else you don't need to it. Remember though, you'll pay to store or move everything you don't throw out, so now's an ideal time to purge.

Remove everything but a few decorative elements from horizontal surfaces. No stacks of mail or magazines. Buy baskets to store these personal items.

Reduce the amount of furniture throughout the house. Less furniture makes the rooms look bigger.

Depersonalize the rooms. Get rid of the most personal items. While you don't need to get rid of every photo and collection, the more things that reminds the buyer of your family and their interests, the harder it is for them to imagine the house as their own.

Clean the carpeting. If it's stained or has lost it's "like new" appearance, consider replacing with a neutral color. However, if you aren't willing to buy a neutral carpeting that is at least moderately priced, it may be better to give a carpeting credit to the buyer. Inexpensive carpeting won't help sell the house.

Let the light shine. Trim shrubs outside the windows, open the blinds wide, and even consider removing the curtains if they reduce the light coming through the windows.

Play up your home's best features. If it's the view out the family room, make sure that view is the focus when someone enters the room. If you have an attractive fireplace, paint the mantel to give it punch, or group attractive artwork, vases, or candles on it to draw the eye.

Re-caulk the tubs and sinks. Consider updating the towel bars. Buy new towels for the bathrooms, and use them as props, only pulling them out when you have a showing. If necessary, replace the vanity and/or counters. It's often an inexpensive update. Replace the faucets if they're dated.

When you're ready to list, have pots of lush flowers near the front door, and make sure all the plantings around the house are in good shape. Fresh mulch helps too.

By cleaning, purging, and repairing you can help your home sell quickly.