Getting Your Home Ready For The Spring Selling Season

Are you planning on putting your home on the market in the Spring?  It’s not too early to get started on getting your home ready.  Spring is normally one of the best times for selling, and some experts are suggesting that some real estate markets are reaching the top of a normal market cycle.

Even in the best of markets, homes that present well sell for more than similar homes that have one or more glaring negatives.  Check out these valuable tips on getting your home ready for the Spring selling season, and you’ll be much more likely to get the top dollar you’ve been hoping for.

The value of great curb appeal cannot be overstated.  That all-important first impression can either set the stage for an excited buyer, or sour them before they ever get inside.  Here’s what’s most important.

Lawn and Yard

If you keep your yard up as a matter of course, great.  Take it up another level with a good manicure.  That can mean –

• Pruning mature shrubs and bushes to give them a more youthful look.
• Trimming existing trees of unhealthy or dead limbs, or planting new ones if you don’t have any.
• Planting seasonal flowers that brighten the overall look.
• Edging and weed control for the lawn.  Thatching and re-seeding if the lawn is old and drab looking.
• Hiring professional lawn and yard maintenance until the home is sold.

Front Door

The front door is often overlooked when homeowners prepare to sell.  But what’s the very first thing a visitor (buyer!) touches on your home?  Plus, they’re going to be standing there for a few moments waiting for the door to open and be invited inside.  And staring at the door.  The paint on it.  The dust on the trim.  And those dog scratches you tried to erase.

While replacing a front door can be costly, a good cleaning and even painting is inexpensive even if you hire it done.  Avoid odd colors.   If you want to find out what’s in vogue right now, take a cruise through a new neighborhood.

Lastly, consider putting a tasteful “Welcome Home” piece of decor on or near the door.  Creating a feeling that this could be home for your new buyer is part of good staging.

 

Windows

Obviously, you’ll want to replace any cracked glass.  But check out the condition of your window screens, too.  Are they old and dirty?   Are they sagging or otherwise ill-fitting?  Clean them properly, or replace them as needed.  If you’re handy, do-it-yourself kits are available.  Otherwise, you’ll find local companies that specialize in nothing but screens.

If you have screens that reduce the sunlight coming into the house and you’re selling in the cooler seasons, consider leaving the screens off.  More light to the inside is always a plus.  Just place them in storage and tell the buyers or their inspector that they’re off for the season.

Lastly, clean those windows, both inside and out.  Hint:  I’ve found that plain water and a good supply of paper towels cleans as well as any specialized window cleaner.

Ready . . . Set . . . Sell!

Once the outside is under control, head to the inside.  De-clutter, update, and stage to make your house tops on the buyers list, and you’re on your way to a great offer!

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