1. Before Listing
You should look at your home through the eyes of a prospective buyer and determine what needs to be cleaned, painted, repaired and tossed out. In a buyer’s market such as we are currently experiencing in Central Oregon, it is imperative that you make your home stand out from others in the same price range.Unless you specify otherwise, you may be asked to make your home available for showing on short notice. This is a bothersome but necessary part of the process, and yielding to it can make the difference between a prospective buyer viewing your home or not. Here is a checklist of things to do before your home is listed for sale:
Curb appeal.
Keep the lawn watered, mowed and edged.
Trim trees and overgrowth.
Plant some blooming flowers.
Store toys, bicycles, skates, gardening equipment etc. out of sight.
Paint front exterior and trim if necessary.
Sweep the porch and walkway.
Turn on porch light and other exterior lighting.
Interior clutter.
Remove superfluous furniture. Create a spacious look.
Clean out overflowing closets.
Clear off kitchen and bath countertops.
Don’t display too many photos or collectibles.
Clean the garage
Consider renting off-site storage for the duration, and/or hold a garage sale.
Odors can kill a deal.
If anyone in your family smokes, do whatever is necessary to remove smoking odors.
Bathe your pets.
Keep cat litter boxes clean.
Shampoo carpets.
Dry clean drapes.
Empty wastebaskets and trash cans.
Refrain from cooking fish or other strong-smelling foods.
Did we mention: do away with smoking odors.
Make necessary repairs:
Fix leaky faucets.
Replace burned-out light bulbs.
Repair any broken appliances.
Repair any loose siding and caulking.
Paint as necessary. Use neutral colors.
Attend to these points and your home will be presentable, even if it is shown on short notice. Take staging to another level when you have time to prepare for a showing or open house.
Go to next page, Showing Your Home.
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