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How can I Prepare to Sell my House?

Diana Bocco
Diana Bocco

If you are getting ready to sell your house, you will be surprised to learn that now is the perfect time to do some decorating. While the idea of spending time and money redesigning a home you need to part with may not sound so appealing, it certainly will help you drive up the price and make the property more appealing to viewers and real estate agents alike. If you need to sell your house quickly, here are some tips on turning the property into a hot commodity.

The outside of your home is the first thing visitors see, and it should be as appealing as possible. You can sell your house faster by polishing up your front lawn, fixing chipping paint, replacing the mail box, and making sure the light in your front porch works. While these details may sound insignificant to you, they mean a big difference to potential buyers.

Fixing cosmetic problems like chipping paint is important for selling a house.
Fixing cosmetic problems like chipping paint is important for selling a house.

Clean and organize. Clutter not only makes a room unappealing, it also makes it look smaller. Get rid of empty boxes, unidentified stuff, and intimate items. One or two family photos are fine, and it may inspire the visitors, but a mantle full of photos, souvenirs, and knickknacks may look untidy. Another important thing you can do to sell your house is clean. Besides the obvious general cleaning, concentrate on the little details. Make sure the bathroom sink is extra white, the faucets shine, and the rooms smell fresh. Open the windows and use a soft room deodorizer.

Dead spots on a lawn should be reseeded.
Dead spots on a lawn should be reseeded.

Redecorating can sell your house faster than anything else. Rooms that are too bright or too extreme may spell out disaster for a prospective new owner, as their first thought may be on how much they will have to work to change the decor. If you have a chance, repaint the room on a soft color. Rearrange furniture so the room it's shown at its full potential. If you have to, borrow furniture from friends and family for a few days.

Finally, remember that nothing will help sell your house faster than a positive attitude. Even if you hate the place, concentrate on the good points and the good memories, and visitors will feel it.

Discussion Comments

uzumba2

Another tip when you are selling a house is to make sure all windows are sparkling clean inside and out. Then let your eye rest on the window treatments...are they clean or can you see dust bunnies?

Once you've cleaned all the windows and their treatments, then it's time to check your plant shelves and any items you have that you need a ladder to reach. Dusting off these decorative places in a home for sale is just as important as dusting inside cabinets.

A clean house is much easier to sell!

sobeit

Another tip for selling your house includes deep cleaning. When I look at a house, I notice if the owners have taken good care of their house by looking closely at all the floors.

If you're selling your house, spend the money and have the carpets professionally cleaned. Or if you have a lot of tile, make sure the grout in your tile floors is as clean and spotless as possible. And if your wood floors look worn and dusty, that's really an easy fix. But so important.

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    • Fixing cosmetic problems like chipping paint is important for selling a house.
      By: PaulPaladin
      Fixing cosmetic problems like chipping paint is important for selling a house.
    • Dead spots on a lawn should be reseeded.
      Dead spots on a lawn should be reseeded.
    • It's important to make sure that all of the faucets in a home are clean and working correctly when preparing to sell.
      By: Elenathewise
      It's important to make sure that all of the faucets in a home are clean and working correctly when preparing to sell.
    • The outside of the house is the first thing seen by potential buyers.
      By: Horticulture
      The outside of the house is the first thing seen by potential buyers.
    • Make sure your house is clean and organized.
      By: Anton Maltsev
      Make sure your house is clean and organized.
    • Staging can help sell a home.
      By: Anne Kitzman
      Staging can help sell a home.
    • When you try to sell a house, you should make it look as appealing as possible.
      By: Christian Kieffer
      When you try to sell a house, you should make it look as appealing as possible.
    • A fresh coat of paint can improve the chances of a sale.
      By: Wendy Kaveney
      A fresh coat of paint can improve the chances of a sale.