Do these 11 Things Before You List Your Home
When listing your home for the first time, you may be venturing into uncharted territory. From learning about how much to price it, to what repairs need to be made - there are so many things to consider. If it's been a while since you bought your home, it may be easy to forget what it was like to be a home buyer, so I'd like to remind you of a few small things you can do to make a HUGE impact on a potential buyer's opinion of your home.
Indoors
1. Walls
Sure, the walls are just cosmetic - but they can be very distracting to a home buyer. It's always a good idea to put a fresh coat of paint on the walls. Be sure to choose something neutral that will appeal to many different tastes. If you have any holes in your wall from the decor, you should patch them up before repainting. If you have wallpaper, it's just a good idea to take it down. I know it's more work but it can make a huge impact on first impressions.
2. Floors
Every flooring needs a different method of cleaning. If you have carpet, give it a deep cleaning, and if you have a lot of stains you may want to consider replacing it. You can give your hardwood and tile floors a fresh cleaning by steaming them and polishing them.
3. Ceiling
Do you have old stains from repaired leaks? It would be a good idea to repaint the ceilings to keep unnecessary concerns at bay. If you have popcorn ceilings in your home, just realize that it dates a home, and is one of the details that buyers always make comments about. Investing in scraping them off is always a good idea.
4. Doors
If there are dents, dings, or holes in your doors don't forget to have them repaired. If the knobs are dated or broken - repair them. Do your doors squeak? Spray the hinges with a lubricant to eliminate as many distractions as possible.
5. Caulking
After years of use, the caulk in your home will likely become old and damaged. You can easily purchase this from your home improvement store to fix it. Pay attention to areas like your windows, doors, baseboards, bathtub, and sinks.
6. Baseboards
Out of sight out of mind applies to the baseboards. They aren't generally a focal point - until you're a home buyer. Make repairs to any dents and scratches, and then paint them with a fresh coat to make them shine!
Outdoors
7. Pavement & Driveway
There's nothing that makes a buyer more nervous than cracked concrete, even outside the home. If your sidewalks or driveways have large cracks in them, look into repairing them. Even if you can't, find a pressure washer and at least get the stains removed from the surface.
8. Lawn & Landscaping
First impressions start with the outside of your home, and if your landscaping isn't in order, buyers may question whether the house is either. If you're selling in the summer, make sure everything is lush and green. If you're selling in the winter make sure that leaves and debris have been removed.
9. Mailbox
What does your mailbox say about you? Is it old and needs replaced? If so, you can either repaint it or replace it - and only replace the house number and not your name.
10. Fence
If your fence has stains or peeling paint, take the time to repair it. If it's in complete disrepair you might want to consider taking it down or replacing it.
11. Front Door
Your potential buyers will spend a lot of time staring at this front door while we are letting them in - give them something nice to look at. Repaint it if it needs it, and make sure it's clean and sparkling. Add a cute wreath if you want to go the extra mile.
How to Sell a Colorado Springs Home
Selling a home is all about strategy. You want to get the highest price for your home, and have it on the market for the least amount of time - but you have to make the right moves to get these results. We work closely with our clients to help you get what you want from the selling process, and we want you to be completely satisfied. If you haven't found a real estate agent in Colorado Springs, give us a call! We would love to work with you to sell your home and even find a new one if you want to stay in the area!
Mike@BuyWithMike.com
Indoors
Sure, the walls are just cosmetic - but they can be very distracting to a home buyer. It's always a good idea to put a fresh coat of paint on the walls. Be sure to choose something neutral that will appeal to many different tastes. If you have any holes in your wall from the decor, you should patch them up before repainting. If you have wallpaper, it's just a good idea to take it down. I know it's more work but it can make a huge impact on first impressions.
2. Floors
Every flooring needs a different method of cleaning. If you have carpet, give it a deep cleaning, and if you have a lot of stains you may want to consider replacing it. You can give your hardwood and tile floors a fresh cleaning by steaming them and polishing them.
3. Ceiling
Do you have old stains from repaired leaks? It would be a good idea to repaint the ceilings to keep unnecessary concerns at bay. If you have popcorn ceilings in your home, just realize that it dates a home, and is one of the details that buyers always make comments about. Investing in scraping them off is always a good idea.
4. Doors
If there are dents, dings, or holes in your doors don't forget to have them repaired. If the knobs are dated or broken - repair them. Do your doors squeak? Spray the hinges with a lubricant to eliminate as many distractions as possible.
After years of use, the caulk in your home will likely become old and damaged. You can easily purchase this from your home improvement store to fix it. Pay attention to areas like your windows, doors, baseboards, bathtub, and sinks.
6. Baseboards
Out of sight out of mind applies to the baseboards. They aren't generally a focal point - until you're a home buyer. Make repairs to any dents and scratches, and then paint them with a fresh coat to make them shine!
Outdoors
7. Pavement & Driveway
There's nothing that makes a buyer more nervous than cracked concrete, even outside the home. If your sidewalks or driveways have large cracks in them, look into repairing them. Even if you can't, find a pressure washer and at least get the stains removed from the surface.
8. Lawn & Landscaping
First impressions start with the outside of your home, and if your landscaping isn't in order, buyers may question whether the house is either. If you're selling in the summer, make sure everything is lush and green. If you're selling in the winter make sure that leaves and debris have been removed.
9. Mailbox
What does your mailbox say about you? Is it old and needs replaced? If so, you can either repaint it or replace it - and only replace the house number and not your name.
10. Fence
If your fence has stains or peeling paint, take the time to repair it. If it's in complete disrepair you might want to consider taking it down or replacing it.
Your potential buyers will spend a lot of time staring at this front door while we are letting them in - give them something nice to look at. Repaint it if it needs it, and make sure it's clean and sparkling. Add a cute wreath if you want to go the extra mile.
How to Sell a Colorado Springs Home
Selling a home is all about strategy. You want to get the highest price for your home, and have it on the market for the least amount of time - but you have to make the right moves to get these results. We work closely with our clients to help you get what you want from the selling process, and we want you to be completely satisfied. If you haven't found a real estate agent in Colorado Springs, give us a call! We would love to work with you to sell your home and even find a new one if you want to stay in the area!
Mike MacGuire
The MacGuire Team
6760 Corporate Dr
Ste 300
Colorado Springs, CO 80919
719-536-4324 or 719-660-6793
Comments