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Tips on Selling Your Home
Basement, Attic, Garage
Clean out attic, basement, and garage and dispose of everything you are not
going to move. Package everything you won't need until you're settled in your new home. Make sure there is plenty of light on the stairs to the basement. If your basement is dark and gloomy, paint ceilings and walls light color. Repair cracks in the basement floor with ready-mixed concrete. Vacuum garage floor and rafters. Stack items neatly against walls to look larger.
Kitchen
The kitchen is the most important room in the house. Make it bright and
attractive. If dull, plant cabinets, put up perky new curtains. Clean the ventilating hood in the kitchen. If the kitchen floor is badly worn, put down new flooring. If a single
tile is loose, apply heat to the tile with an iron covered with a soft cloth, to soften
the adhesive - then replace the tile. Remove any appliances that you keep on your counters, like a toaster,
coffee-maker, can opener. Clean counters make the room look larger. Leave a luscious smell in the kitchen. i.e., vanilla, cinnamon-apple tea, etc.
Bathroom
Repair dripping faucets. Keep fresh towels in the bathroom. Use special cleaning products to remove stains from toilets, bathtubs and sinks; keep sinks and mirrors shining. If sink and bathtub drain too slowly, unclog them. Keep a solid deodorizer in the bathroom area. Replace old caulking around bathtubs.
Living Areas
Have all plaster in top shape. Cracks (or nail-pops, visible seams in dry walls) are easy to fix. Check ceilings for leak stains. Fix the cause of the damage, repair the ceiling and repaint. In painting and re-decorating, stick to conventional white and easy-to-work-with neutrals. If you have a fireplace, clean it out and lay some logs in it to make it look inviting. Wash windows and replace any broken glass; make sure all windows will open and close. Replace burned-out light bulbs. Use brighter bulbs. Be sure every light switch works. Make the floors shine - clean any creaking boards or stair treads (drive two long finishing nails at opposing angles through the floor and sub-floor into the joist) Straighten up the closets - get rid of excess - store out of season clothes so closets look larger. Use room deodorant to eliminate musty odors. Lubricate any sticky or squeaking doors. For doors that stick slightly, rub a block of paraffin against the surface that shows signs of wear. For sliding doors that stick in their tracks, rub the tracks with paraffin or candle wax.
Outside
Invest in landscaping where it can be seen at first sight. A well-manicured lawn, neatly clipped shrubbery, cleanly swept walks create a good first impression. Cut back over-grown shrubbery that looks scraggly or keeps light out of the house. Paint your house if necessary. This can do more for sales appeal than any other factor. If you decide against painting, at least consider painting front shutters and window frames. In winter, walks should be free of snow and ice. Inspect the roof and gutters. Any missing shingles to replace? Consider putting flowers outside the front door. Repaint the front door Repair broken outdoor steps. Keep lawn closely cut and edged.
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