Getting your Home Ready For Selling

Before your home goes on the market it needs to look as nice as possible. All major and minor repairs should be addressed and any renovations or improvements completed. The potential buyers do not want to see problems that may cost them money down the road. Any such problems will need to be disclosed to the buyer and will make your home less attractive. (Not disclosing known problems is not even an option, unless you enjoy lawsuits)

Cosmetic changes, such as landscaping or interior painting, typically are not supposed to influence the price of a home. But in reality it can be one of the most important aspects to selling at the best possible price. They can also be the highest return investment you could make in a home before selling it. If the cosmetic details make the home look very impressive to buyers they will be willing to spend more to have it.

An impressive paint job with vibrant colors that tie in well with your decor will improve the look of your home and increase its value more than most other forms of cosmetic improvements. Hire a professional painter, do not do it yourself unless you know you are a very good painter and can cut very straight lines with a paint brush, no masking tape. Painting before selling your home is a good investment. $2000 spent on a professional paint job could mean another $5000 to $10000 on the selling price of a home.

The House Painting Guide offers lots of tips and painting how-to's for those looking to tackle re-painting by themselves. There is no need to be concerned that the paint should be neutral throughout the home to make it easier for new owners to match their decor. You want to impress them with the potential they too could achieve in the home. Most buyers will be fully prepared to change some colors to suit their style anyways. (some will disagree with this and feel it falls into personal touches (see below). The author of this page is also a professional painter and has seen the results that a top notch paint job can do for a home sale.)

Remove personal touches and items before selling. Things like family photos, knick-knacks, trophies, collectables are part of "your" personality and not the potential buyers personality. Removing these types of items will allow buyers to visualize the home filled with their own personal items, without the distraction of your stuff.

Organize and de-clutter all storage areas like closets, kitchen cupboards, crawl spaces, garages, etc. Buyers looking at these areas want to be able to see that it can handle their stuff.

Organize your closets. Buyers will be looking in them. Place excess items in storage so the closets can be organized a little sparser than normal. An organized closet will allow them to see how large they actually are. It will also impress them and convince them you have taken good care of the home while you owned it.

Rent storage space to store your personal items and any items that clutter your home. Think twice before asking friends or relatives to store your stuff, especially if it is a considerable amount of stuff.

Have your carpets steam cleaned and all windows should be cleaned inside and out. If needed, hire window cleaners to reach higher exterior windows. This is especially important if your home has a nice view. Windows looking out over the view should be spotless so as not to distract from this important selling feature.

Doors and Windows should open and close properly. Give door hinges a squirt of lubricant to silence squeaks.

The exterior of the home will be the first thing buyers see. Curb appeal, curb appeal. It too should look as nice and clean as possible (though it is not quite as important as the interior). Repair or replace damaged siding or shutters. A leaky roof needs repair. Repaint trim or siding if needed.

Lawns should be green and freshly cut. Remove dead plants and if needed plant a few flowers or shrubs to improve the look of sparse areas. A more extensive professional landscaping project could possibly add significant value to the property.

This is still only a partial list. Walk around and look over your home as if you were the buyer. What would you want them to see and not want them to see. Make appropriate repairs to anything you would not want to see if you were going to buy the home.

Determining Your Asking Price

Halifax Landscaping - Atlantic Seascapes provides landscaping and excavation services along the South Shore of Nova Scotia.

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