10 Tips to Getting Your Champlin Home Ready to Sell!

 10 Tips to Getting Your Champlin Home Ready to Sell

Heidi Herda Real Estate Blog ~ Champlin Resident & Realtor ~ 612-807-4858

 Deciding to sell your home is always a big decision. As you you weigh your options and decide that now 10 Tips to Getting Your Champlin Home Ready to Sell! These handy tips can make your home sellable and hopefully eliminate the long market time and endless showing appointments! Now let's get started....

is the right time to sell your home you may be searching the internet on how to help your home become more sellable. Everyone knows having your home show ready at a moments notice is not easy, so I have developed

1. One of the most significant things you can do to get your home ready to sell is the most obvious, but not always done well. Cleaning! The cleaner the better! When you become a buyer and you’re walking into a home for the first time the five senses take over. Is there an odor about the house? Keeping the home white glove clean with a fresh lemon scent is a nice touch to a prospective home buyer. Always make sure you go through closets, organize them, don’t over clutter or “jam” things into the closets or cupboards because they will look in them! Overcrowding a closet or cupboard may suggest that you don’t have enough closet space, or you don’t have enough cabinets space. It’s best to clean them and box up what you will likely not use in between now and when you move. Also eliminate any clutter. When it comes to viewing properties less is always more. If you have hardwood floors, new fresh carpet or special features in your home, don’t cover them up with rugs, bulky furniture or a lot of clutter so they are not easily seen. Don’t overcrowd book shelves or entertainment centers. Movies, CD’s, or books are things that can be boxed until the move. A small book or two, a nice plant or a candle is a much better look. Don’t forget about any Nick knack collections as they should also be boxed and put in a safe place free from possibly being broken accidentally.

2.    Take a walk through your home and check for the small things that you may have neglected over the years. Are you missing any trim boards, do your door handles function, are the cupboard door and drawer handles secure and in working order? Check your faucets for slow leaks, running toilets. Check that your railing or banisters are secure, deck railings and stairway handrails. Do the doors need WD-40. These are all very small things that can make a difference in the overall perspective of your home to a potential buyer.

3.     Check the home for any water stains, leaks, or discoloration in the walls, peeling paint or ceiling and wall cracks. If you do find anything that may be leaking or has been leaking make the necessary repairs, replace any Sheetrock that may have been wet or damp and paint as needed. If you do have to make a fix or two don’t forget to add the repair to your sellers disclosure at the time of listing. Water stains and ceiling or wall discoloration can some time scare a potential buyer. If the repair has been made and no additional damage has not occurred since the fix painting and patching can alleviate a nervous buyer if the issues has already been taken care of. When looking for peeling paint, don’t forget to check your window sills and trim and even any exterior doors, sheds or decks. Many buyers will consider using FHA financing and peeling paint is usually an issue for financing. Getting some of these little odd projects done prior to listing will give a prospective buyer a good well kept impression of your home and will eliminate needed work to be done should a financing issue arise.

4.     Check your windows, make sure the screens are on, they’re the correct size for the window and that they’re free of tears or holes. Make sure the windows are clean, sills are free of bugs, make sure the windows are in working order and there’s no cracks. Windows are a huge expense to a home seller or home buyer, ensuring they’re clean and functional will be important to a prospective buyer and also could be another required repair if the buyer is planning to use FHA financing.

5.     Wall dings, dents, holes and black marks happen especially if you’re in the midst of trying to get your furniture moved out of the house. Touch-ups and patches can go a long way with sprucing up the presentation of the home. If you have very dark walls or anything but neutral colors you may want to consider a fresh coat of paint. Painting is very impactful and one of the lesser costs when thinking about making a cosmetic change to your home. Double check your doors, hallway doors, trim boards and front door. The interior doors and trim boards may need a once over paint touch-up, the front door probably could use a fresh coat of paint and double check the locks and handles are working well, if not, replace them.

6.    Check your front entryway. Does your home feel clean and welcoming as you enter or is there shoes piled up, mangled dirty rugs and clutter? Put shoes and coats in the coat closet that’s clean and organized. Make sure the rugs are free of holes and dirt. Give the floor a good cleaning and sweeping and maybe add a decorative plant or season appropriate wreath.

7.    Take a walk outside to check the landscaping. Mow the grass, keep it watered and don’t cut it to short. Make sure your hedges are neatly trimmed, remove any weeds and sweep the walk way or rake leaves as needed to give your exterior a finished look as well. Remember curb appeal is a crucial piece for a prospective home buyer. A new welcome mat or blooming flowers adds a nice touch. Don’t forget to check your gutters, clean if necessary. Standing water or very soggy yards can give a false impression that there could be issues, keeping the gutters working properly and free of debris can eliminate an unnecessary worry from the buyers mind.

8.    Check the kitchen! A kitchen can never have too much cupboard space or counter top space, make sure before you leave in the morning for work that you remove coffee makers, electric can openers, canisters or small kitchen appliances from the counter tops especially if they’re granite. Let the high-end finishings show through, show your prospective buyer there’s plenty of space for baking or cooking their favorite dinner. Also check the refrigerator door, remove magnets, pictures, calendars and coupons and put them in a drawer temporarily. Less clutter and the cleaner the better.

9.   Check the garage. As most home sellers anticipate their move or begin packing away some of their items the garage is typically the first place that gets overcrowded with miscellaneous boxes, goodwill items and garbage. Remember garage space or workshop space is usually a great selling point. Make sure a prospective buyer sees a clean and organized garage or work bench. If you're planning to take a garage refrigerator, storage shelf or work bench with you when you move, make sure to mention that to your agent so they can be upfront with prospective buyers about what will go and stay. Double check your garage door opener works, your outlets are working and up to code (grounded). Sweep and possibly wash the garage floor and if you have boxes or items that must be in the garage, stacking them neatly in one area is usually the best.

10.  Last but not least and also very important. Your pets. As a pet owner you love your pet, but not everyone is a pet lover. Double check the rugs are free of hair, the floors are free of hair and try to deodorize and possible pet odors (do not get a million plug-ins and put then on high!) instead check your local hardware store for an odor deodorizer, something that will absorb the odor versus masking it. Double check that your pets bowls are clean and of course the litter boxes. If it’s possible for your pet to stay with a friend removing the pet and/or their litter box all together can be in your best interest.

As you consider a sale of your home, think about these 10 tips. For the most part, these fixes will not cost you an arm and a leg as a remodel would, but putting a little elbow grease into your home can have a great  return. Remember first impressions are everything when it comes to Real Estate, so make sure your home looks it’s best for every potential buyer. Creating that urgency when a home is first listed and going that extra mile in the first 11 days of market time is crucial to getting an offer right away and typically puts a couple extra bucks in your pocket.

I hope you enjoyed these 10 Tips to Getting Your Champlin Home Ready to Sell!

Thank you for reading Heidi Herda’s Real Estate blog, “10 Tips to Getting Your Champlin Home Ready to Sell!” Real Estate question? Click or call 612.807.4858 ~ Herda Home Team YOUR Champlin Realtor & Resident! Don't forget to "Like" my Champlin Real Estate page!