How to Get Your House Ready to Sell

1. Trim your shrubbery
2. Add color with flowers and potted plants
3. Power wash the front sidewalks and driveway
4. Clean the pine needles from the roof
5. Wash the windows and remove screens
6. Refinish your front door and polish the hardware, upgrade the doorbell
7. Get a new door mat that says “Welcome”
8. Clean up after your pets
9. Organize the garage to make the space seem larger
10. Make sure all your light bulbs are working and replace any burnt out ones.
11. Replace old, stained, worn out carpet. If they don’t need replacing have the carpets professionaly steam cleaned
12. Remove excess furniture that make your rooms look small. Rent a storage unit if necessary
13. Wipe down the walls. If the walls need more than a thorough cleaning, apply a fresh coat of paint.
14. Power wash the exterior of the home
15. Set out “show towels” in the baths
16. Clear away the items on your sink vanities and store them in the cabinet.
17. Get as much stuff off the floors in your closets as possible. Thin out your hanging clothes. Neaten up the things on your closet shelves. These actions will make your closets look larger.
18. Depersonalize your home. Put away family photos, sports trophies, diplomas, and your collectibles.
19. Organize your pantry.  Remove items that are not pantry items.
20. Remove all the items from the top of your kitchen counters. Only leave out those items that you absolutely use on a daily basis
21. Remove everything from the top, front, and sides of the refrigerator.
22. Repair or replace any leaky faucets
23. Make your fireplace the focal point of the room instead of the television
24. Repair any damage created by pets.
25. Recaulk the grout around your shower and bathtubs
26. Clean your tile grout
27. Check all the ceilings for water stains. If an active leak exists repair it. If the stain is from an old repaired leak, repaint the ceiling.
28. Dust, dust, and dust including the baseboards, ceiling fans, light fixtures, and air vents
29. Replace rotten wood
30. Call your handyman. Make sure anything and everything that needs to be fixed (think locks, hardware, leaky faucets, running toilets, cracks in the walls, squeaky doors, etc) has been taken care of before listing your home.   Otherwise, buyers think your home hasn’t been well taken care of and your home will sell for less.

Finally, setting the right price, staging your home, professional photography and videos, floorplans and extensive marketing will get the house sold fast.  That’s my job.