Preparing Your Home For Sale with Jeddie Busch

All homes must be prepared for sale.  There is always something that must be repaired or painted before the home is ready to hit the market in proper retail shape.  Sellers sometimes do not want to do anything to their homes but I always discuss the possibility of spending money now in order to make even more money at closing.  At the end of the day the choice is really the sellers to make.  I can only speak from experience and let them know a nicely decorated and well kept home sells much faster and for a higher price.  Of course there are exceptions to the rule but the majority is common sense. 

For example if you want to get top dollar for your home and do not have granite counters and or stainless steel appliances we really need to have a serious conversation.  I work with buyers all the time and go all the way through the selling process regularly.  Check out my Zillow reviews they prove I do know what I am talking about.  We live in a very high demand area but every buyer wants the same deals that you do when buying a home.  Everyone wants to buy low and sell high.  The market truly sets the price.  I can only hope that you have a great Realtor that works hard selling Northern Virginia homes.

Selling your home can be a very emotional thing.  The majority of people have strong sentimental attachment to their homes and for good reason.  Babies were brought home, children were raised and left for college.  Life was lived there.  Memories were made.  I totally get it.  My job is to help you sell your home quickly, for a great price and with the least amount of inconvenience to you and your family.  I can promise selling your home is not convenient but my goal is to minimize that as much as possible.  I encourage sellers to prepare for the next chapter of their lives and concentrate on the future.  Cherish the past but work towards the future.

Simple Repairs or Maintenance to Consider

• Clean your home thoroughly or hire a professional to do it for you.  No buyers want to see a dirty home
• Remove all of the clutter that you can.  Moving is always a good time to purge things that really need to go or serve no purpose.  Cluttered homes always look smaller. 
• Consider having the windows professionally cleaned.  The difference is substantial.
• Check all of the wood moldings outside of your home.  If there is rot or flaking paint consider hiring a contractor to paint and/or make repairs before going to market.  You truly never get a second chance to make a first impression.
• If your home has builder white paint in every room please consider having at least a few rooms painted.  This makes a huge difference to todays home buyers.
• Check your bathrooms for signs of old stained and dirty.  I am talking about toilet seats, toilet paper holder and towel racks.  These are quick and inexpensive touches that really matters to buyers these days.  Do the right thing and replace dingy ones.
• Remember that buyers are picky.  Just as picky as you can be most of the time.
• Check all outlets and light switches.  They all must work as intended in order to pass home inspections.
• Make sure all faucets in the house do not leak – AT ALL.  It is not OK to have to kitchen faucet leak but only if you open it all of the way.  Buyers do not want to see that.  They will start looking deeper at everything else.  Trust me I have seen it happen.  This is something that will be flagged on the home inspection report so it makes sense to have it fixed prior to going on the market.

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Preparing Your Home For Sale

• Home Sellers Guide
• Home Selling Process
• Home Inspections