Top Ten Ways to Get Your House Ready to Sell

1. De-clutter

a. Let buyers imagine themselves living there. Put away anything that you don’t need.

2. Give it a good cleaning!

a. If you don’t want to do it yourself, consider hiring a cleaning service for a good once over. Get the windows, walls, floors, cabinets, and everything cleaned!

3. Make minor repairs

a. Repair leaky faucets, paint the scuffed walls, repair the bad boards in the deck, etc.

4. Give your place some curb appeal!

a. Mow the lawn, shovel the snow, pull the weeds, paint the exterior if necessary or the front door.

5. Do you own a pet? Try to make it less noticeable than you do!

a. Clean the litter box, scoop the yard, vacuum the floor, clean the furniture, hide the toys, and food dishes, etc. before every showing.

6. Kids Rooms

a. Try to get a toy box that all the toys can be put into before showings. You want buyers to see the space, not all the toys.

7. Smells

a. Strong smells are a big turn-off. Clean your carpets, scoop your litter box. Light a candle or use plug-in air fresheners to help get rid of any lingering smells. But don’t go overboard – too much can also be a turn-off to buyers!

8. Bathrooms & Kitchens

a. Keep these rooms SPOTLESS! Thoroughly clean all appliances, keep the dishwasher empty. Put small appliances away that are not for daily use. In the bathroom scrub, scrub, and scrub some more! Re-caulk tubs and showers if mouldy, and replace toilet seat if it’s in bad shape. Put away all personal items.

9. Too much furniture diminishes room size

a. If you have too much furniture, it makes the space look small. Keep only necessary items and store the others to allow the area to look larger.

10. Get rid of everything that is not essential to everyday living

a. Box up out-of-season clothing to give your closets more space and appear larger, put away excess personal products, knick-knacks, and collections. You want your house to appear as clean and pristine as a hotel.