St. Augustine Real Estate Blog: Getting Your Home Ready to Sell

You have made the decision to sell your home. Now that you are ready you will want to make sure that your home is ready. Every seller wants their home to sell fast and bring top dollar. It is not luck that makes it happen. It requires careful planning and know-how. One way to make this happen is to spruce up your home. Here are some helpful tips that can turn your home into an irresistible and marketable home.

1. Disassociate Yourself With Your Home. Say to yourself “This is not my home; it is a house-a product to be sold.” Make the mental decision to “let go” of your emotions and focus on the fact that soon this house will no longer be yours. Picture yourself handing over the keys to new owners and don’t look back-look towards the future.

2. De-Personalize. Buyers want to be able to picture themselves in your home. Pack up those personal photographs and family heirlooms. You want buyers to picture their own photos on the walls.

3. De-Clutter! Remember the old adage: if you haven’t used it in over a year, you probably don’t need it. If you don’t need it, throw it away or donate it. Clean off everything on kitchen counters and appliances. Put essential items used daily in a small box that can be stored in a closet when not in use. Pack up books and knickknacks. Use this as a head-start on the packing you will eventually need to do.

4. Rearrange Bedroom Closets and Kitchen Cabinets. Buyers will look everywhere. If a buyer notices you keep everything neat and organized it sends the message you take good care of the rest of the house as well. In the kitchen consider alphabetizing the spice jars, neatly stack your dishes, and turn all handles to face the same way. In the closets hang like clothes together all facing the same way and line up your shoes.

5. Rent a Storage Unit. Almost every home shows better with less furniture. Remove pieces of furniture that block or hamper paths and walkways and put them in storage. Leave just enough furniture in each room to showcase the room’s purpose and plenty of room to move around.

6. Remove/Replace Favorite Items. If you want to take the window coverings, built-in appliances or fixtures with you, remove them now. This also includes like fixtures (i.e. chandeliers). Removing these items now will avoid problems later. You don’t want to end up in a contract dispute or have the deal fall apart over a chandelier in the dining room or a washer/dryer.

7. Make Minor Repairs. Take a critical look at your home. Repair any holes in the drywall or cracked floor or counter tiles. Fix and leaky faucets. Fix doors & drawers that don’t close properly. Also, replace any burned-out light bulbs. Also take a good look at your décor. For example, if you have a worn bedspread consider replacing it now.

8. Make the House Sparkle. You will want to make your home show itself to its greatest advantage. Wash all your windows both inside and out. Pressure wash sidewalks or other exterior surfaces like pool decks. Check the bathrooms and re-caulk tubs, showers, and sinks if necessary. Clean your home from top to bottom including dusting ceiling fans and light fixtures. Don’t forget the cobwebs in the corner and the dirt on the baseboards.

9. Scrutinize. Go outside, open your front door and stand there. Ask yourself “Do I want to go inside?” “Is this a welcoming house?” Linger in the doorway of every single room and imagine how your home would appear to someone seeing it for the first time. Examine how the furniture is laid out. Before you leave the room inhale deeply. What do you smell? You want your home to smell crisp, clean, and inviting but not overpowering. Consider airfreshers with a “crisp linen” or “ocean breeze” title.

10. Check Your Curb Appeal. We’ve all heard the expression “you never get a second chance to make a first impression.” The exterior of your home is the first impression. Keep the sidewalks clear. Mow your lawn and trim and hedges or trees. Also, make sure visitors an clearly read your house number either on your house or on your mailbox.

If you’ve completed all these steps your home is ready to be placed on the market for sale. Stay tuned for our next article in this series entitled “Choosing the Right REALTOR® to Sell Your Home.” If you have any questions regarding the real estate process give TEAM JOHNSON of Watson Realty Corp a call. TEAM JOHNSON has a team of REALTORS working to sell your home as soon as possible and for top dollar. We are members of 3 local MLS boards and successfully list and sell properties as far south as Palm Coast, as far west as Palatka, as far north as Jacksonville and everywhere in between. Give us a call at 904-495-0146 or email us at teamjohnson@watsonrealtycorp.com