So You Want to Sell Your Home---What Next?

So you are ready for your next home--something bigger for the new baby or something smaller to make life simpler.  What do you do to get your home in top notch shape?

Here are a few ideas:

1.  Take a walk around the outside of your home.  Look for any peeling paint, mortar chipping between bricks, leaks, cobwebs, hornet's nests, foggy or dirty windows.  Pay special attention to the front door.  Is the hardware in good shape?  Does it work properly?  Could the front door use a fresh coat of paint?  The front door will be one of the first focal points that the buyer will see.  While the Realtor unlocks the home, the buyer will have a few minutes to study the care your entry has received.

2.  Next walk through the interior of your home looking at it through fresh eyes as if you have never seen it before.  Does it look spacious?  Uncluttered?  Organized?  Luxurious?  Now walk through it again with pen and paper in hand.  Room by room note what is not essential.  What items can be removed to create more space.  In areas like the laundry room where detergent, softener sheets, spray cleanser, etc need to be close at hand, add decorative baskets where you can store these items in an attractive way.  Are children's rooms neat and organized?  Pack up as many things as possible that are not currently being used, or rotate toys every few weeks.  Children will have renewed interest in their things if they are not always in sight.

3.  Add some luxury to your home.  Put out new towels in the bathrooms.  (Or keep them close at hand just for showings.)   Roll additional towels spa style and stack them close to your tub or place in a basket next to the shower.  Add fresh flowers in a pretty vase in your kitchen.  Can't afford new bedding?  Consider adding new accent pillows to your existing bedspread.  Three or four rows of pillows create a luxurious look.

4.  Update where you can.  Some less expensive updates include new lighting and  replacing older mirrors in baths with framed mirrors.  Those small touches can make a huge difference in a buyer's eyes causing your home to receive the offer over another.

5.  Consider hiring a professional stager.  In Indy, a 2 -2.5 hour staging consultation runs $100-150.  It is well worth the money.   The stager will go through the home and make suggestions, many using the furniture and accessories that you already own.  Creating a stage for your home is important to help the buyer envision themselves in it.

These ideas are just a start.  If you are able to get these 5 things done, you are well on your way to creating a strong first impression and speeding your way to a favorable offer.