Getting a House Ready to Sell

With mortgage approval standards tightened and with the general tough state of the credit markets, it is hard enough already to find a qualified buyer. Sellers in many real estate markets across the country are having to wait longer and longer to get their property sold. It makes sense, then, to make every effort to avoid any potential issues in the selling process. The old saying, "you never get a second chance to make a first impression" is extremely important and relevant when it comes to real estate. When you put your house on the market, you need to make sure it is in a condition that "wows" the buyers and has "curb appeal". These highly technical real estate terms simply mean that when a potential buyer pulls up to your property, you want their first glance and first impression to be as favorable as possible. Here are some basic tips to help you get your property in shape to sell:

Curb Appeal: Again, the first impression starts when the potential buyer pulls up at the curb. The front of your house, your lawn, your flower beds, everything the buyer can see when they first pull up, should be immaculate and should stand out from houses around it. Would you be interested in a house that had an overgrown lawn, flower beds with lots of weeds, obvious signs of neglect at first glance?

Flower Beds and Landscaping: This goes back to curb appeal, but deserves specific mention. Cleaning up or adding tasteful and attractive flower beds and other landscaping features is a quick and effective way to enhance the look and feel of your property. In many cases, you can accomplish this for relatively little money especially if you do the work yourself.

Privacy Fences: If you don't have one for your back yard, you need one. Without question, privacy fences enhance the value and marketability of a property.

Kitchens and Bathrooms: These two areas of the house are where you get the most "bang for your buck". Money you spend enhancing kitchens and bathrooms is money well spent. Simple cosmetic upgrades like tiling the floors, or tiling the back splashes or upgrading the sinks or counter tops can greatly enhance the perceived value of your house. Almost every buyer will pay particular attention to the kitchens and bathrooms.

New Paint: Another simple cosmetic upgrade you should do is to re-paint the entire house. Avoid unusual colors and go with something that is neutral yet tasteful. This is another upgrade that is simple and relatively cheap to do.

Get a Home Inspection: Invest the $150 and get a home inspection done by a local reputable home inspector. The buyer will most likely end up doing his or her own inspection, but doing your own prior to putting the home on the market is a smart move. Your inspection will help you uncover, anticipate and eliminate any potential issues with the property and avoid having them come up as a surprise and slow down or sabotage the sale.

It should go without saying that when you or your Realtor shows the house that it should be clean and uncluttered. Again, put yourself in the buyer's shoes and understand that you are trying to present your property in the best possible manner and that appearances do matter when it comes to selling a house.

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