Merritt Real Estate Blog

1. Refresh your curb appeal.

The front of your home is the first thing potential buyers will see. Put your best foot forward and make a good impression by refreshing a few areas. Trim overgrown trees or shrubs and plant flowers in the flower beds. Repaint the front door, trim, or shutters for a fresh look.

2. Make a room-by-room checklist of everything that needs to be fixed.

The amount of to-dos in getting your home ready to sell can overwhelm you quickly if you don’t have a plan. Take the time to walk through your house, room by room, keeping a list of things that need repaired in that room. Working on one room at a time can ensure a thorough job.

3. Tackle those paint touch-ups.

Most homes really take a beating over the years, especially when it comes to paint getting chipped off the walls. Paint touch ups are something that every homeowner must do, but how do you match your existing color up precisely?

Use a razor blade to shave a small 1-inch portion of paint off the surface of your sheetrock. Place it in a bag labeled with the room you took the sample from and take it into a paint associate at your local hardware store. When you get home, apply the paint with a brush or roller and wait for the paint to dry entirely to determine if it was an accurate match.

4. Repair any and all door knobs or handles.

A lot of times, they just need a few screws tightened or a little WD-40, but make sure those door knobs and handles are all working properly.

5. Deep cleaning: take it one room at a time.

Selling a house is probably the best opportunity to declutter. Again, tackling the job one room at a time is probably the easiest. Have three containers ready with you: one for trash, one for donating, and one for items you’ll take with you to the new house but don’t immediately need. This way, half of the packing will already be done before you even sell your home.

6. Update kitchen and bathroom hardware.

Another inexpensive update that can make a huge difference is changing out the existing hardware on your kitchen and bathroom cabinets and drawers with new ones. 

7. Wax all wood floors or consider refinishing them.

Over time, your once smooth and shiny hardwood floors become scratched and dull. Give them a little TLC by waxing them or even refinishing them. 

8. Re-caulk the kitchen and bathroom.

After years and years of use, the calk in your kitchen and bathrooms can start to look cracked and dirty. Re-calking is a very simple task and can refresh your kitchen or bathroom counters.

9. Spruce up tile grout.

Similarly, tile grout gets dingy due to natural wear and tear on your home. There are several ways to clean your grout, but it might require a bit of grunt-work. For natural cleaners, vinegar works wonders! Lemon juice is also a good cleaner.

10.  If you have any crazy-colored walls, repaint them.

You may like purple or pink or bright green on the walls of your home, but that doesn’t mean potential buyers do. In fact, odd-colored paint can turn a home buyer off real quick. If you’ve got something like that, take an afternoon to repaint it a more neutral tone.

11. Clean the baseboards.

Baseboards are the one finish that ties your whole home together and gives it that polished look. Wipe the dust off them, use a Magic Eraser to clean up any scuffs, and give them a good over-all clean. One fun trick is to use dryer sheets to wipe them down. This keeps the dust from sticking!

12. Revive the lighting in your home.

Dust all light fixtures top to bottom, replace light bulbs, and consider replacing outdated light fixtures with newer ones.

13. Clean windows and pressure wash the exterior.

If it hasn’t been done for a while (or ever) get your windows professionally washed and pressure wash the exterior of your home to give it a shiny new makeover.

14. Have the carpets cleaned.

Carpets hide and harbor a lot of dirt and junk and having them cleaned will make your home look cleaner and more impressive.

Ready for Home Showings

15. Put all toiletries in a convenient box.

People who come through your home will definitely be opening your drawers and cupboards to get an idea of how much storage space your home has. They don’t want to find your personal toiletry items. Go ahead and pack up things you don’t use or need immediately, then store items like toothbrushes, makeup, and feminine products in a convenient box that you can either take with you when your home shows or store in an out-of-the-way place.

16. Clean and organize closets and remove any personal items.

The less you have in your closets when it’s time for home showings, the better.

17. Remove all signs of clutter.

Too much clutter—and that means over-decorating—can make your house look messy and smaller. 

18. Shape up your pantry.

Deep clean your pantry and organize it so that it doesn’t look like the kids just ravaged through it for a snack. The kitchen is the #1 seeing point for a lot home buyers.

19. Mow and maintain the lawn.

Finally, while your home is on the market, make sure to mow and maintain your lawn. That attention to detail is noticed and will serve as one small detail that can elevate your home above others in the area

Information Provided By: https://howdoesshe.com/home-ready-to-sell/