Before putting the For Sale sign in the front yard, listing your duplex on MLS or opening the doors for showings there are a few things that you can do to prepare your home to insure that you receive maximum value. Here are my top 5 suggestions to prepare your home for a successful sale.
Maximizing your Homes Value
Step 1: Landscape
Cut the grass, water the plants and make the initial impression that buyers will have a good one. If it is a side by side duplex and your neighbour has been slacking off on yard maintenance it might be worth the time or $ to get their grass cut as well. This will be the first thing people see as they walk up to your door and one of the concerns with living in a Duplex is having living so close to someone else. If your neighbour looks like a clean family that takes care of their outdoor area this will save a lot of questions.
Step 2: Declutter your Closets
Believe it or not people do look in your closets when they are previewing your home and one thing that they are looking for is storage space. Having half empty closets will make it look like you have plenty of space and it also sends across a message that the home is not cluttered and that it is well taken care of. If you have a garage or a mini van it may help to throw some of your off-season clothes, skis, or clutter in there for the first few showings.
Step 3: Hide Family Portraits
As much as you love your family and want each room to remind you of them buyers often have a harder time picturing themselves in your home if it is very personal. Taking down some of the family photos will not only help declutter but also keep the home and potential buyers in a more neutral space.
Step 4: Take the Pets Out
If you have a dog or cats it would be good to hide the kitty litter and remove the pet food from the floor. If your home has a lot of carpet, getting the carpet cleaned is likely also a good idea. For the open houses and as many of the showings as possible taking Fido out for a walk will really help. You would be surprised at how many people don’t like pets!!! People automatically think that a home with pets also has more wear and tear. Let’s keep these thoughts out of their minds.
Step 5: Fresh Paint
If your rooms haven’t been painted in over 5 years they are probably showing some wear and tear. It’s amazing what a fresh paint will do for a home. Keep the colours neutral. Whites and greys are great as they often make the home brighter and feel larger. If you had kids living with you and their rooms still have old posters or photos on the wall, a fresh paint will also help clean up some of the old scuffs.
Getting your home ready to sell doesn’t need to be a huge overhaul but you should take some time to get it ready to present it at it’s best. Keep it simple and don’t spend too much money, but clean up the yard, clean out the closets and freshen it up as much as possible. If you have any questions regarding other specific tactics to help maximize your sale don’t hesitate to call.
