Prepping Your Home for Market

Getting ready to sell your home? Preparation is critical to getting an offer and can have a big impact on how high (or low) that offer is.

Here are some tips to help you prepare:

• Locate condo documents – If you’re selling a condo, get all of your association’s condo documents in order. These typically need to be furnished within just a couple of days of an accepted offer. Find and file them now, so it isn’t a mad scramble later.
• Clean – The importance of cleaning cannot be underestimated. Everyone wants to move into a clean and tidy home, and they may never get the first impression of your less-than-fresh house out of their heads.
• De-clutter – You want every room in your home to look as spacious as possible. Clear kitchen and bathroom counters, shelves and other surfaces of anything that isn’t essential. Find a temporary home for extraneous or bulky furniture. Clean out and organize your closets and cabinets.
• Stage if needed – Buyers have a hard time imaging the space when it's vacant and rooms that are empty tend to appear smaller. Staging is not an expensive as you may think and homes that are staged often sell faster or at a higher price than those that aren’t. 
• Make repairs – Never fixed the broken garbage disposal? Have a hand rail that’s loose on the staircase? These items may sound minor, but if you have enough of them, potential buyers tend to see nothing but mounting dollar signs. It’s not uncommon for buyers to walk from a deal after an inspection reveals one-too-many issues. Address everything now to help ensure a smooth transaction.
• Require professional photography – Hire a real estate agent who pays for a professional photographer and doesn't cheap-out by taking their own photos. End of discussion. 
• Choose a real estate agent – Hiring the right real estate agent is the most important decision you will make. Interview a variety of agents and ask them pointedly what marketing they will do. A good broker should also have the knowledge and skills to expertly manage the transaction from start to finish.

​Author: Donna Charpentier

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