Prepping for Sale of Your Home

With spring in the air, your thoughts may be turning to refreshing your living space whether you intend to sell your home or just finish some of those "to do" list projects that have been waiting in the background far too long.

If you are looking to list your home for sale, spring is the ideal time to begin the process. Your Realtor probably will ask you to do a few things to make your home more marketable. Perhaps you have been making a mental list for some time, but now is the time to get into action.

While some home owners have a good idea of what to do and in what order, others may be intimidated by what they fear will be a huge and/or expensive undertaking. In all honesty, for some it will be a lot of work; but like any new project, if it is managed properly it can be far less stressful.

People selling their homes can have a difficult time being objective about the appearance of their dwelling. I frequently coach sellers about furniture arrangement, what to use and what to store, and even what to move out during the sale process. It may be difficult for some homeowners to understand what "clutter" is to potential buyers; for these homeowners, clutter simply may be necessary because of children or pets, or they suffer from what I call "critical mass syndrome": too much stuff in too little space.

When you walk into a room not your own, you may immediately see someone else's clutter; but with your own rooms, you may need some professional help to guide you through the clutter removal process and provide you with good suggestions to solve some of your storage issues.

You also need to be mindful of is how your home appears from the curb to the back fence; being objective is the key. As you know, first impressions are important to get someone interested in your home; then you need to get them inside.

Once you have made the decision to sell, you need to separate yourself from your home in order to be objective. It is a good idea to begin the thinning process early and stay with it. Involve everyone in the family; begin with tossing broken items, selecting things for charities and storing out of season clothing and sports equipment. You may need to rent a storage locker; and when you have to pay to store your things, you will become much more careful in choosing what you want to save and what you want to give up.

It almost goes, almost without saying that cleaning up clutter and planting pretty borders of colorful flowers will not be enough to cover insufficient maintenance. Make sure your leaky faucets are fixed and cabinet doors are in good working order. Potential buyers will open cabinets, drawers and try your faucets. Yes, they will.

Your best defense is a good offense, so if you need guidance, get it. If you need help with unfinished projects, call a professional electrician, plumber or painter, but do it now. You will save in the long run - not to mention saving your sanity. Of course, you can make repairs yourself if you are experienced with some of the professional trades, but know your limitations and hire the help you need.