Part 1 of 3: To Dos Before You List Your Home

Many people want to know how to prepare their homes for sale. So, here is the beginning of the answer for you.

Part 1 of 3: To-Dos Before You List Your Home

By John Sizemore, REALTOR
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"I know many people who are planning to list their homes for sale in the springtime. Some people have asked me how to prepare their homes, so I prepared 36 tips, which I will list in 3 postings.

The first tips, which I call “The Dirty Dozen” (because they focus on cleaning), will get you started:

1. Visit model homes in your area. These are your competitors. Size them up and get a feel on how to prepare your home. Be sure to take digital photos.

2. Start packing. Time to rent a storage unit. Get your knick-knacks packed. This will help you when it is time to paint. Decluttering your home is the easiest way to make it appear larger.

3. Move or store large furniture. If the furniture is too large for the room, be sure to send it to storage along with the knickknacks.

4. Empty the closets. OK, maybe don’t empty them but clean them out and feature all the storage space they really have. People want storage space.

5. Clean out your garage and have a garage sale. Same rule as the last three. Your garage is the room that may make or break the sale with the potential buyer (especially males).

6. Clean fixtures. Make sure your bathroom, kitchen, and lighting fixtures are clean and polished.

7. Clean the carpets. You will probably have to clean them again when it is time to list but clean them now and determine if you need to replace the carpet or if cleaning will do.

8. Tile and other flooring. Check to see if it is in tip-top shape. No cracks or deep scratches. Repair the floors, or if necessary, replace the areas. I have seen $400,000 homes not move because of a few broken tiles.

9. Clean the grout. Make sure your grout comes out clean. No one wants to buy a home where the grout lines are dirty.

10. Replace or repair bathroom fixtures. I’m talking about pink toilets or green sinks. Many times these have to be replaced. In some instances they can be refinished. The colors should be white, buff, or one of the colors being used in the model homes you visited.

11. Clean or paint appliances. If your stove is an off-color, have a professional come in an paint them. Remember, all your kitchen appliances should match. Replace broken knobs and latches. Be sure to have the stove and oven surfaces clean when listing.

12. Clean your driveway. Driveways usually have oil stains and can be cleaned using high-powered liquid drain cleaners (like Drano). You can then sweep those oil spots away. Read all the directions and be sure to have the hose ready.

If I can answer any questions on this, call me at 281-203-6000 or Email me at John.Sizemore@att.net or visit my Web site TheSizemoreTeam.com. (Or email Connie Suehiro, your local full-service Moses Lake REALTOR at 509-431-5804 or email at homes@iglide.net.)

You may want to check out my Web site’s 29 FREE reports for additional information on Buying, Selling, or Investing or borrow and view my DVD on Selling Your Home For Top Dollar."

Regards,
John Sizemore, REALTOR
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The Sizemore Team services residential Real Estate needs in the Texas communities of Spring, The Woodlands, Oak Ridge North, Shenandoah, Conroe, Magnolia, and all of surrounding S.W. Montgomery County, TX.

(reproduced by written permission, John Sizemore, copyright 2008)