It is springtime everything is new and beautiful. This is often the time when we think about change in our lives, desiring a new home. For most, acquiring a new home means selling the current one and this task can seem overwhelming. No one desires their home to be on the market forever and no one desires to have a loss on the sale. Occasionally this is the case but it doesn't have to be if the homeowner will take the time to prepare their home for sale.
Making a great first impression is so important when it comes to selling a home. Most people are looking for homes that they can move right into without having to do a lot of work and many times they are able to determine if a house will become their home in a matter of minutes.
The hardest part of preparing your home for sale will be realizing that it is no longer your home; it is now a product. It can no longer reflect you; it must be arranged and decorated so that the potential homebuyer can see himself or herself living there.
Preparing a house for sale starts from the curb and goes all the way through the house to the back yard. Today's homebuyer lives a very busy life and he/she can be very selective in deciding which houses he/she will take the time to see. With the availability of Internet, people will often rule out houses by looking at pictures of the outside or they may choose to drive by several before deciding which houses they will visit.
Here are a few helpful suggestions, if you are considering placing your house on the market:
· Start with the outside of the home. Pick up all trash and remove clutter. Mow, trim hedges and pull weeds.
· Is your front door dated or old? Consider hanging a new door or at least give your front door a new coat of paint. Add a few potted plants or flowers to the steps or porch.
· Edit, Edit, Edit! Since you are planning on Ann Arbor Homes for Sale, go ahead and begin packing up some of your belongings. It is important to remove all the obstacles that might distract the potential homebuyer from "seeing" the home.
1. Remove all personal family photos. This is important for two reasons. First of all you want the potential homebuyer to envision this home as their own and not your home. Second, you never know who might be looking through your home, they are strangers to you and it is safer for you that they do not know who lives in the home.
2. Remove all collections and personal mementos like trophies and plaques. You do not want people to get distracted by looking at all your beautiful things.
3. Clean out all closets, cabinets and pantries. Do not use these spaces as places to stash all your "stuff". Remember those visiting your home are free to look in all your closets. By cleaning out at least half of the contents and packing them away for your move, you will make your storage areas seem more spacious. If your closets are bulging with clutter, then the potential homebuyer might be left with the impression that if your stuff doesn't fit in the closet then their stuff probably wouldn't either.
· Clean all windows inside and out. You want to allow as much light into your home as possible. Also, if your curtains or valance is mounted even with the top of the window, move them up 6-8 inches. This will again allow more light into the room and will cause your windows to appear larger.
· Clean, Clean, Clean! Make those bathrooms and kitchens shine. Any signs of neglect can deter a potential homebuyer.
· Remove busy wallpaper. Repaint walls with neutral colors such as warm off-white, tans, taupe and/or soft gold.
Preparing a home for sale is a lot of work but it is well worth it. Owning a home is a great investment and it is up to you to decide what type of return you will receive on your investment through how you prepare it for sale.
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