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Once the decision
is made to sell your home, a few things should be done to give it more
"curb appeal". Buyers typically feel more comfortable buying
a home they feel has been well maintained.
Tips For Maximizing
Exterior "Curb Appeal"
- Maintain the lawn-
keep your lawn cut, weed, and trim hedges
- Clean and align
gutters
- Inspect doors and
windows for peeling paint, if needed apply a fresh coat of paint to
the front door
- Inspect steps,
walkways, etc for cracks, crumbling, or damage
- Clean up your yard-
toys, bicycles, gardening equipment, tools, trash, wood scraps, junk
cars, etc.
Tips for Maximizing
Interior Appeal
- Clean, Clean, Clean-
dust, mop, vacuum, make sure your home looks inviting.
- If you have an
appointment to show your home, make sure there are no dirty dishes in
the sink, no clothes lying around, and clean out your washer and dryer,
burn a candle to freshen up the home.
- Replace any burned
out light bulbs.
- Have carpets cleaned
professionally or if badly worn possibly replace them.
- Do whatever you
can to brighten up your home. Open the blinds and drapes, put your put
your nice bedspreads on the beds, clean towels in the bathroom, etc.
- Clear away clutter
- buyers won't purchase a home they can't see. If your home has too
much furniture, overflowing closets, crowded kitchen and bathroom countertops
or lots of family photos or collectibles on display, potential buyers
won't be able to see your home. Get rid of anything you don't need or
use. You don't want to take a prospective buyers focus off of the house
itself.
- Repair cracks,
holes, damage to walls, peeling wallpaper, paint, and tiles.
- If walls are in
need of repainting, consider painting them a neutral color.
- An inexpensive
way to spruce up an outdated kitchen is to replace knobs with new ones.
Go to the street and
approach your house as you are a buyer who has never seen the home before.
Walk up to your home. What do you notice? How do you feel about what you
see? Does the home seem inviting? Well-maintained? Would you want to buy
this home? Your answer should be an enthusiastic yes!
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