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Making the most of your home on the market

1. Make sure your entranceway says “Hey, look at me!”. Freshening up the look of your front door is an easy thing to attract not only buyers from Realtors but make passers by notice as well. Make sure the light at your entry works and it is free of leaves and other clutter and debris. Throw away the dingy welcome mat. Purchase a new welcome mat and some potted plants from your local home improvement store to add color and warmth.
2. Prune dead limbs from trees. If any of those are hanging near an electrical line call the power company to have them removed. Limbs are a nuisance and hazard to your roof and bystanders potentially. It is better to have them removed then wait to see where and when they fall.
3. Paint (or touch up) exterior, and repair screens,windows, and any rotted wood that may be present. Wood rot and broken windows can disqualify a buyer’s financing. If home is not peeling paint or does not have siding consider power washing the exterior and the fencing. It will make your home look newer just by being clean.
4. Take care of the honey-do list. Fix those things you have been putting off such as leaky faucets,loose toilets, change the AC filter, make sure your light bulbs are nice and bright and all in good order , fix that squeaky cabinet, and drawer about to fall out. The little touches speak the loudest to prospective buyer.
5. Clean all drapes ,carpets and rugs. Drapes depending on fabric can be dry cleaned or washed . If they are not too terrible a simple vacuuming will work. If they are bulky heavy drapes you may want to take them down so they are not a distraction to your buyer and make the room look bigger. Keep your carpets and rugs vacuumed as much as possible at the very least. If you can have the professionally cleaned or rent a carpet cleaning machine and do it yourself it is best. Having these objects and surfaces clean and keeping them clean will help a buyer feel more confident about your home.
6. Declutter!! That can not be stressed enough when having your home on the market. It will make moving easier and buyers will have an easier time seeing themselves in your home. You can put things in a storage unit or POD and sell other things for cash.
7. Mow lawn, edge driveway and walkways and clean up your shrubs and flower beds. Having a well maintained and cleaned up yard is also very important for attracting buyers. The outside is the first impression after all! You can hire someone to do the more intensive or everyday stuff but make sure that it gets done. The inspectors will thank you for it as well when that time comes.
8. Ensure windows, doors, and locks work smoothly.There is nothing worse than a prospective buyer coming to your home and one of the doors catches. First thing they will question is the structural integrity of your home. Do not forget the garage door either! Garages are great selling points and buyers will knock down their offer for a garage door system that is not in working order.