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Grab a clipboard and a legal pad. Go through the whole house with your partner and/or an honest friend, and make a list of what needs to be done in each room. Look critically, and try to see things through the eyes of a prospective Buyer. Don’t be overwhelmed—you can (hopefully) get help from your family for some of what needs to be done, and if you need to hire a cleaning crew, handyman or tradesman for some of the rest, it will be money well-spent. Here are some things which might go on your list:

  • Clean windows and light fixtures, and wipe down woodwork and doors throughout.
  • Applying a new coat of paint will definitely make the house look cleaner and fresher, but even washing it here and touching it up there—if it’s done properly—can make a big difference. If you need to have an entire room repainted, consider using a neutral color (off-white, white, beige or putty) instead of something a Buyer may need to change. Be sure to repair any cracks or holes before repainting.
  • Hint: To cover up a few marks on the wall, if you have paint which is a perfect match, dip a sponge into a small amount of paint & squeeze the sponge nearly dry. Dab it lightly over the marks, so that there’s not a clean line where the paint begins and ends. Apply a 2nd coat after it dries, if necessary. You may want to do this in an inconspicuous place first, to make sure the match is good enough for the repair to be invisible when dry. Paint often fades over time, especially when exposed to sunlight. However, if the paint colors match, it’s amazing how well this technique can work, and it can certainly save time and money, if done properly.
  • Wallpaper, especially if it’s outdated, can be perceived as something which will need to be changed or eliminated. Although trends will undoubtedly change over time, current designs rarely include wallpaper. If you have the resources, strip it and repaint the walls in a neutral color.
  • Burned-out light bulbs should be replaced.
  • Bathroom & kitchen caulk should be replaced if it doesn’t look great. Repair faucets, if leaky.
  • Closets (including linen closets), bathroom and kitchen cabinets, pantry, and any other built-in’s need to be clean and tidy. Remove enough things to make them look spacious. Give prospective Buyers the impression that there is room for all of their belongings. (I usually find, while doing this, that I have a lot of things I don’t really use and it’s a relief to have them out of the way.)
  • Toilet seats which are in bad shape should be replaced.
  • Chips in white enamel sinks or bathtubs can be touched up with a bottle of appliance paint, available at most hardware stores.
  • Make sure the entryway, traffic paths and stairways are clear of clutter and hazards.
  • Ovens, microwaves and cooktops should be clean. If your stovetop drip pans aren’t clean and shiny, replace them.
  • Wipe down your dishwasher, and try to keep it odor-free.
  • Even if you plan to take your washer, dryer, and refrigerator with you when you move, buyers may want to include them in the offer, and may decide to look in them before they do. It’s fine for these appliances to look like they’re used, but if they look very unkempt it may present an impression that you don’t take fastidious care of other things in your home, either. You want to remove any reason you can for people to eliminate your home.
  • Anything that needs repair should be repaired, preferably before the house is shown. It’s much better for buyers to not even see a problem, than for them to imagine the cost and aggravation of getting it repaired themselves.
  • Get your carpets cleaned if they’re soiled or matted down. If they’re in really bad shape, consider replacing them with new carpet in a neutral color. You don’t need to purchase extremely expensive carpeting, especially since the Buyers may want to replace it anyway, but if they know it looks presentable so they don’t have to do it right away, it will certainly help. Again, your Real Estate salesperson may be a good person to consult about this.
  • If the kitchen countertop or cabinets are very dated or in bad condition, replacing or refacing them may make the difference between Buyers purchasing your home or another. IF BUYERS ARE COMPARING 2 FAIRLY SIMILAR HOUSES WITH SIMILAR PRICES, they will often select the house which needs the least work in order to make it “livable” to them. That said, if you’re considering a costly replacement, do discuss this with your real estate agent. They should be able to guide you as to whether you should make the improvement and whether you are selecting an appropriate material (countertop, kitchen flooring, etc.) for the project, according to what is typically used in similar homes which are selling in your area.
  • Eliminate any material which mold or mildew has permeated (such as carpeting in your basement) and use a dehumidifier to eliminate any dampness (which causes mold and mildew to grow in the first place). You can visit Packers and Movers in Delhi NMD to get your stuff packed professionally.

Now, take your clipboard outside…

  • A good first impression is important. Grass should be cut, shrubs trimmed, porches de-cluttered. Leaves should be raked, hoses coiled or put away, snow shoveled, pine straw or bark chips refreshed…whatever it takes to make the home look like it’s well cared-for. Obviously, this needs to be kept up while the house is on the market. You may even want to put some potted flowers in front of the house—just avoid placing them by the front door, if they will attract bees.
  • The front door may need cleaning or repainting, and the doorbell should be in good working order. If you have a personalized door knocker, replace it with a new one, making sure not to leave any old holes visible.
  • If the exterior of the house needs painting, repair, or power washing for mold or mildew, get it done.
  • Consider whether the roof, sidewalk, or concrete driveway would look a lot cleaner and fresher if they were power-washed. If their appearance detracts from the overall impression of the exterior, it may be worth the investment and may not cost as much as you anticipate.

…and into the garage. The garage should be clean and look tidy.

  • Collect balls and toys lying around and place in a plastic bin or a box.
  • Items which are not used frequently should be neatly placed in garage cabinets, the basement or shed, if available.
  • Bicycles can be hung up or put in the tool shed or basement, if they make the garage look like there’s not enough room—but if they’re used regularly, I’m not telling you to put them where the kids can’t get to them. Your children need to work off their energy somehow.
  • Vacuum the garage. Sounds obsessive, I know, but it’s a great way to get rid of all those yucky spider webs and (hopefully dead) insects, not to mention the dirt, and it will really make your garage look a whole lot more appealing. Why, I even do this occasionally when I’m NOT moving. Of course, I discard the vacuum cleaner bag right after doing this, so I don’t have any tiny little spiders crawling around inside it. Another plus to doing this is that you won’t be moving these spiders and their webs to your new home.

Exclusions

While you’re examining each room in your house, note any items you’d like to take with you, such as a dining room chandelier, shelf or window coverings. Generally, anything “attached” to the house is considered part of the sale unless you specifically exclude it, and your real estate agent will be able to guide you if you have questions about this. If you don’t want to part with an item, other than window coverings, you would be wise to place the item out of sight and replace it with another which is suitable for the room. If you remove a shelf, make sure you replace it with another or leave the wall in such good condition, that others will not know a shelf was ever there. If you want to keep your chandelier, I strongly suggest that you get another one and have it installed NOW so that Buyers don’t even see it. Then you have eliminated a possible point of contention.

Appliances (washer, dryer, and refrigerator) are common items to exclude from the sale of a house….although Buyers may draw up a contract including them in the sale. You can utilize services of Packers and Movers to lessen your burden. At that point, you would have to decide whether it’s worth dickering over (and possibly losing the contract). If you have a contract that is very pleasing in every other way, you may not want to take the chance that the Buyer won’t accept or resubmit the offer. She may decide not to continue with the process, in which case you’ve lost the sale over these items. Still, it’s often best to exclude these from the listing so that you’re not “giving them away”, since Buyers probably won’t offer any more for the house with the appliances than they would without.

You may be an avid gardener, and want to take some of the plants from the garden. This is fine, as long as you put this in the Listing, and the Buyers agree to it. The main concern will be that it doesn’t LOOK like things have been removed, so the Buyers will want to be assured that the property will still look attractive. If you want to take trimmings or clippings before the Buyers see the house, that’s no problem as long as you’ve left things looking nice.