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Pre-Sale Preparation
Preparing your home for sale is one of the most important things you can do to ensure that you will get top dollar. Here are some general ideas, without giving away all my secrets to successful selling!

You cannot sell what you cannot see. Simply telling a prospective buyer what could be done with your home isn't enough. Put yourself in your buyer's shoes when preparing your home for sale and make the very best first impression you can.

TOUCH IT UP
A paint brush can help you get top dollar when it's time to sell your home. Start with a close look at the walls and ceiling, the condition and the color of the paint. Cracked plaster and peeling paint are not only unsightly, but can be misleading. If your ceiling needs a touch up for example, this may lead a prospective buyer to be wary about the roof or structural integrity of your home.

Your prospective buyer will try to imagine their furniture in your rooms. If you have strong decorating tastes, such as bold colors or lots of printed wallpaper, it is best to think about neutralizing them.

MAKE IT SPARKLE
Make special spaces that exude the love and beauty your home has to offer. Buyers react emotionally to houses, and it is just hard to fall in love with dirty dishes, dust balls and bathtub rings. Before you allow agents to show your home, go through each room and make it shine! Along with cleaning, de-cluttering, touching up paint, and neutralizing color, the hardest part of living on the market, so to speak, is living so lightly that your home can be shown at any time. It may feel like you are living on a stage set and, in essence you are.

Cleanliness is very important, especially in the kitchen and baths. Items displayed should be organized and sparse, especially when it comes to everyday small appliances and toiletries. These are the first two rooms that come to mind when I begin to stage a home for sale. These should absolutely sparkle. Deciding what items you can live without for the duration of your listing period and storing them (or perhaps donating them) is the way to go. Along with cleaning, de-cluttering, touching up paint, neutralizing color and creating vignettes of what I call "loving living" to attract your Buyer, the hardest part of living "on the market", is living lightly so your home is ready to show at a moment's notice. It is a lot to ask, but the return on your home investment dollars can be substantially more if you make a commitment to your presentation and stick with it.