Selling Your Home? Here Are Some Tips to Prepare Your Home to Sell

Focus on the curb appeal and interior presentation of your home to attract potential buyers to an open house and get the best offers. Start with an honest survey of your home's interior and exterior to determine problem areas that need to be addressed before you put the home on the market, then work through staging tips before the open house.


Typical problem areas
Tackle these at least a month before the open house, then keep these areas neat until you sell your home.

• Messy front yards - Many potential buyers will stake out your neighborhood before the big day. Clean your yard, trim your hedges, power wash your driveway, wash your exterior windows, repaint the porch and add some nice flowers to give your house curb appeal. If you have decks or porches, give these a thorough cleaning too.
• Dirty or outdated bathrooms - Moldy shower tiles and a shower curtain or door covered with soap scum can be an instant turn off.  If your bathroom looks old, paint over the walls or the tile to update it.
• Safety hazards - Look at your home with an eye for safety. Fix any potential safety hazards, such as loose flagstone pavers in the yard, rotted wood on the deck or burnt-out light bulbs in the basement. You may have forgotten about these things, but buyers will look for them and interpret them as signs that the home needs work.

Tips for home staging
You'll need to do these things for the move, but they'll have a big impact in how potential buyers view your home.

• De-clutter - Go through rooms and box up books, knick-knacks, family photos and other items that don't see everyday use. Buyers like to imagine the home with their belongings and a house filled with items that don't fit their personal taste risks turning them off. 
• Deep clean everything - Hire a cleaning service or deep clean yourself. Scrub floors, wash walls, steam clean rugs and scour surfaces. When your home is gleaming, it's much more inviting and may fetch a better price. Don't forget to neaten closets, since buyers will want to see them.
• Style your home for maximum appeal - Gender neutral tones in bedrooms maximize their appeal. Add fresh, matching linens to the bed and put away any gendered items. Style the dining room table and kitchen to look inviting with a few small pieces. Try a collection of bud vases on the dining room table or fill a kitchen fruit bowl with fresh fruit. 
• Address unattractive pieces and awkward areas - Show buyers what they can do with that corner nook, extra space under the stairs or outdated fireplace. Style awkward areas for a specific purpose, be it a reading room or children's' play area. Update outdated accent pieces with fresh paint or stain. 

On the day of your open house, don't forget flowers or scented candles, which add a welcoming touch. An updated fact sheet that lists your home's assessed value and selling points can also positively influence buyers. Happy selling!