Buyers have come to expect houses to be in model-home condition. If they are dirty or crowded, buyers will want to discount the price. Hours of HGTV shows such as House Hunters, Love It or List It, Flip or Flop and others have conditioned buyers to expect a beautiful presentation. There are reasons builders create and stage a model home in communities of new construction; it triggers an emotional response from buyers. And it is vitally important for a resale property to generate positive “oohs” and “aahs” from visitors and not “ewws” and “ohs”.
Most buyers decide in the first 30 seconds if they are interested in a home. Making their first impression a good one is critical to selling quickly and for a high price.
Here is a brief checklist of the things you should review before putting your home on the market. My full list is available for a download (see form at right).
- Review walls and ceilings for small cracks. Repair these throughout. If there are larger cracks in the ceiling, walls, foundation, or driveway, these might be a sign of a problem that you may want to look at or fix before coming on the market.
- Check the paint in each room. If the rooms need to be freshened up, paint is one of the cheapest ways to have big impact.
- Wipe down all baseboards and trim. If there are scuffs, dents, or marks, if your trim has a wood look, you can touch up the stain and if they are painted and the scuffs won’t come off, you may need to touch up the paint.
- Make sure your ceiling is free of cobwebs and dust.
- Clean all vents.
Get the Full Checklist
Get the full checklist for how to be prepare your home for market. It’s free, just fill out the form below:
If you are thinking of selling in the next few weeks, or even months from now, there are things you should do to get your home into tip-top shape. Here is a list of the most common items that I check when getting a home ready to sell:
