Preparing To Sell

Preparing your home for sale is extremely important as it can attract more buyers and possibly increase the sale price of your home. The following are tips on how to make your home appealing to potential buyers. If you list your home with Coldwell Banker 1st Choice Realty can help if you need professional cleaning, handyman, painting, landscaping or other services to ready it for the market.

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Look through the buyers eyes!

Exterior/Curb Appeal

• Clear the street in front of your house of any litter or debris so it looks impeccably clean from the corner right up to your front door.
• Pick up and carefully organize tools and gardening equipment.
• Coil hoses neatly
• Weed garden thoroughly and shrub areas. Remove fallen sticks and leaves.
• Give your lawn a fresh mowing so it looks healthy, cared for and well groomed. Re-sod any bare spots as needed.
• Trim plants and shrubs to create a feeling of orderliness and precision.
• Remove and replace any dead or dying shrubs.
• Clear away bikes, toys and extra cars from driveway. If you have a fix-it hobbyist in the house that has spare parts everywhere, show no mercy - find someplace else for working on cars, bikes, boats, etc.

Entryway

• Closets - Remove, consolidate, clean or paint, face all coats and jackets on wood hangers. · Remove shoes, boots, sporting equipment, etc.
• If your hall table is a mail collection spot, clear it off and select an alternative location or place mail in attractive wood box or basket.
• If you're selling a condominium, make certain that other occupants' mail and deliveries are picked up daily. Consider talking to each occupant and let them know you are willing to be on "entryway duty" during the time your unit is on the market.

Kitchen

• Counters - Clear them off. Store small appliances, gadgets, pots, pans and bowls.
• Cupboards, drawers and cabinets. Remove, consolidate, clean or paint interior, clean and face contents. Group like items together (baking pans, serving pieces, etc.) to create a feeling of space and ease. Purchase organizers to make efficient use of tight space.
• Silverware drawers. Purchase a new organizer if yours is worn. Sort the drawers so all similar utensils are together.
• Cooking-utensil drawers. They don't need to look like a junk drawer. Sort through your spatulas, wooden spoons, etc., and store what you won't need. Use dividers and organizers.
• Everyone has a junk drawer, and probably everyone needs one. This is an opportunity to show potential buyers how "perfect" your home is. Purchase drawer organizers or use small food containers to create an organized look. Place all tape, pencils, and scissors together; screwdrivers and measuring tape together, etc.
• Refrigerator - Remove and consolidate extra items. Take out the shelves and wash and shine with glass cleaner. Wipe off food containers and consolidate. Face the items as you replace each one. Add a box of baking soda to remove odors and ensure a fresh, clean smell.
• Under the sink - Remove, consolidate, clean and face all items. Add a paper-bag holder or door organizer to hold items and get them off the floor. Throw out dirty rags. Scrub the flooring. If it is stained, paint or add a throw rug. Put cleaning products and containers into a pail or holder.
• Plants - Give away or discard unhealthy plants.
• Memo Areas - Remove papers and notes, children's artwork, chipped or broken magnets.

Bathrooms

• Counters - Clear them off and store all personal-care products out of sight.
• Vanities, medicine cabinets, linen closets - Remove, consolidate, clean or paint interior, clean and face all items.
• Put makeup into a basket or case.
• Group cleaning supplies in a bucket.
• If your shelves are old and stained or sticky from too many years of self-adhesive paper, consider painting or replacing them with new glass shelves.

Bedrooms

• Drawers, closets, built-ins - Remove, consolidate, clean or paint, clean and face articles and clothing.
• Remove extra furniture to create space.
• Sort through children's play areas. Box extra toys and recycle or sell old ones.
• Make sure beds are made.

Living Room/Dining Room/Family Room

• Remove all papers and magazines from coffee and end tables.
• Rearrange furniture for openness.
• Remove and store, sell or give away excess.
• Remove unhealthy and extra plants. Take down hanging plants. They block the light and get in the way of buyers seeing a room. Plants are more pleasing when you look down on them instead of up at the bottom of a pot.
• Weed out excess books from bookcases.

Garage/Attic/Storage Area

• These are major storage areas and can seem overwhelming if you have accumulated years of mementos, souvenirs and other paraphernalia.
• Take on one room at a time. You'll feel a real sense of accomplishment and be much more enthusiastic about completing the job when you can see the difference your efforts have made. A good rule of thumb is, if it's in storage, you won't need it until you move, so box and move it off the property or sell it if you no longer use it.
• If you have an amusement room or play area, sort box and store toys and games.
• Hang tools, sports equipment and lawn/garden equipment on the wall with organizers.
• Store paint cans on shelves. If you don't have shelves, purchase inexpensive shelving Move it to your new house to start out organized.

Laundry Room

• Sort and straighten out laundry area.
• Group and face soap, stain removers, fabric softeners.
• Take workout and outgrown clothes to a charity or consignment store.

Backyard/Lanai/Balcony

• Pick up all toys, gardening tools and equipment.
• Remove and store any building or repairing projects in progress.
• Remove excess decorations and pots.
• Remove all but a few furnishings to convey spaciousness.

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