Prepare Your Home For Sale Checklist
Part 1 – Curb Appeal Basics
Marketing your house involves a complex but orderly series of steps, and they all must take place to lead to a successful transaction. It is also a team effort. We handle the ‘realtor stuff.’ And you do the ‘seller stuff.’
What does that mean? in this post, we’ll start with the changes you can make on the outside. In our next post, we’ll have a checklist for the inside of the house.
FOUR COMPONENTS OF CURB APPEAL: The outside of your home should show ‘pride of ownership.’ Buyers make at least 50% of their decision about your home before they ever come inside, so first impressions are crucial!
1) The Yard
- It’s more than mowing. Make sure your lawn is manicured.
- Trim shrubbery, bushes & trees removing all dead limbs & debris.
- Add fertilizer or greening agent to lawn & plants.
- Use an edger along the sidewalks and driveways
- Remove all weeds from flowerbeds, rocks & cracks in concrete.
- Install and Inspect decorative borders between lawn & planting beds.
- Clean up rock and mulch beds making sure the the ground is covered, add more if needed.
2) Front Porch: Make it very welcoming!
- Paint door & trim.
- Sweep and clean porch area.
- Put out a new doormat.
- Install potted or hanging plants if possible.
- Install high wattage bulbs to make porch area brighter.
3) Decks, Patios, Driveways, Porches, & Fences
- Power Wash driveways & sidewalks.
- Repair holes & cracks.
- Remove stains.
- Replace or repair broken areas.
- Paint and/or stain fences & decks.
- Arrange outdoor furniture & firewood neatly.
- Put away all lawn equipment, bikes, & toys.
4) House
- Inspect all gutters, downspouts, siding, windows sashes, trim & shutters.
- Clean & Paint.
- Repair or replace as needed.
- Replace any broken windows, doors & screens.
- Inspect the roof for missing or damaged shingles & flashing. Repair as needed.
- Clean & touch up paint on the little things: House numbers, mailboxes, doorbells, etc…
- Clean glass on porch lights and remove bug remains.
Once you have completed the list above, take a look at the house from a street view. Do you see anything that could be changed or fixed that would help sell this home? If not, then you are ready to move to the inside.
Check back next week for Part Two of our Prepare Your Home For Sale Checklist, which will include The Seven Steps to Shape Up Your Inside Spaces.
Ready to list now? Contact us today. In-person or virtual appointments available.