Tips on Getting Your Home Ready to Show/Sell

    Whether you are using a Realtor to sell your home or you are selling it by the owner, you want to make sure that your home is ready for showings. Having it ready can save you a lot of time and sometimes even money. A move-in ready home sells faster and most often at a better, higher price. 

    The first thing you may want to think about is the presentation. Presentation is key in catching the interest of potential Buyers. The first thing the Buyer is going to see when they arrive at your home is the exterior. Make sure that your lawn is maintained, bushes and hedges are trimmed and there's no trash or other debris. You want your home to have that curb appeal that makes people say "Honey, stop the car!"

    Make sure that your home is clean and decluttered. Making sure that clothes are picked up from the floor, dishes are washed and put away, and beds are made during showings and in the marketing pictures can actually make a difference when Buyers are viewing your home. You want them to envision themselves in your home, so make it welcoming. Decluttering is also just as critical, if not more. A cluttered home has a feeling of a smaller space and that can often be a deciding factor for most Buyers. 

    Also, keep in mind that most Buyers often come with limited funds, and chances are they are looking for a home that is move-in ready. Now, with that in mind, make any repairs prior to putting your home up for sale. Doing this will not only help to save time during the sale process but also with the presentation. In the event that the Buyer has a home inspection done, this means fewer items that come back on the report needing to be addressed, and the fewer concerns the better in the Buyer's eyes. It also means that while viewing your home there will be fewer things visible for your potential Buyer to put any "but's" to the purchase. 

    Prepare a Seller's Property Disclosure and make it available to Buyers prior to or at showing. This document tells the potential Buyer things they may want to know about the home and help them in their decision making. A Seller's Property Disclosure usually discloses things like the age of the roof or electricals, if the home is connected to a public sewer or if it's on a septic system, and how long it's been since it's been serviced, just to give an example. This instrument is useful to the potential Buyers because this helps them make a more informed decision and they can take into consideration any possible things they may need to budget for in the short term. 

    Although none of these things are required to sell your home, doing them can help out a lot. Hiring an experienced Realtor can also help you prepare your home. Realtors have insight into the current market and will have a better idea of what most Buyers are looking at when viewing homes.