Ten Tips for Preparing Your Bradenton Home For Sale
Before you think of putting your Bradenton, Florida home on the market, please give us a call and ask for a brutally honest evaluation of what ought to be done around your house to prepare it for showing. We are experts at looking at your home through the eyes of the buyer.
Here are a 10 tips to help you get your Manatee County home in tip-top selling shape:
1. The Exterior
Begin by looking at the exterior. Inviting curb appeal insures a desire to see the interior. Keep your lawn trimmed and edged, flowerbeds neat, and the yard free and clear of trash and debris.
2. Declutter
Remove the clutter in and around the home. Visually simplify each room. Let the buyer imagine their decor in your home. You limit your market if your home is too strongly decorated and personalized. Clothes properly hung, shoes, coats and other articles neatly placed, will make your closets appear more roomy. Consider boxing up unused items.
3. Do Minor Fix-ups Now
Check your home for obvious issues like water spots on the ceiling and get them fixed. They will focus purchasers or inspectors on a problem that may no longer exist. Repair stucco cracks, broken ceramic tile, wood rot, and any other items that indicate the home needs some cosmetic help.
4. Make Repairs Now Rather Than Later
Repair everything that needs to be repaired - now. Try to use nuetral paint to pain any major areas to brighten your home. Remember that most buyers will want to see your home during the day and light is an issue. Fix loose doorknobs, sticking drawers and warped cabinet doors. If the home needs too much work, most buyers will pass it by. Clean or replace dirty and worn carpets.
5. Check All The Appliances
Make sure that all your appliances are in good working order. Contracts will require that all of the appliances work in the order in which they were designed. A four-burner stove must have four burners that work. Keep the oven clean - it often gets looked at.
6. Clean, Clean, Clean
Clean the house from top to bottom and keep it that way. Wash all windows inside and out. Make it sparkle. Most agents and buyers will move the bath curtain to see whether you have a clean bathtub. Bright and clean bathrooms sell many homes.
7. Create Appeal
Do everything to make your house inviting. Check your lighting. Make sure all your light bulbs are working and make sure their levels set higher than normal. Remember, you are not preparing for a romantic evening but a showing. Also turn on lights in the daytime for rooms that are not so bright. Leave the curtains and blinds open as well. Make sure that all hallways are well lit and very easy to navigate. You may walk those halls in the dark, don't expect buyers and their agents to.
8. Get Rid of Pet Odors
Eliminate pet odors. Clean the litter box everyday and make sure that there are no surprises in the backyard for anyone to step in. If possible, remove all pets while the home is shown. People will linger in a fresh, pleasant smelling home. Stale air, or bad odors will turn them off.
9. Service the Air Conditioner
Have the air conditioner serviced and a new filter installed. It will bring down the dust and show you as a owner that performs general maintenance on a regular basis. Wipe down the air handler and the water heater, it shows attention to detail.
10. Consider Having Your House Pre-Inspected
You may want to have your house pre-inspected. This will reveal any hidden defects that can be corrected up front. Offer to show the inspection report to interested buyers. We can help you find a good home inspector in our Bradenton real estate market area.
If you follow these ten tips to get your home ready for our Bradenton Florida real estate market you will be way ahead of much of the competition. Not only that, but your home will faster and for money than your neighbors.
Before you think of putting your Bradenton, Florida home on the market, please give us a call and ask for a brutally honest evaluation of what ought to be done around your house to prepare it for showing. We are experts at looking at your home through the eyes of the buyer.
Here are a 10 tips to help you get your Manatee County home in tip-top selling shape:
1. The Exterior
Begin by looking at the exterior. Inviting curb appeal insures a desire to see the interior. Keep your lawn trimmed and edged, flowerbeds neat, and the yard free and clear of trash and debris.
2. Declutter
Remove the clutter in and around the home. Visually simplify each room. Let the buyer imagine their decor in your home. You limit your market if your home is too strongly decorated and personalized. Clothes properly hung, shoes, coats and other articles neatly placed, will make your closets appear more roomy. Consider boxing up unused items.
3. Do Minor Fix-ups Now
Check your home for obvious issues like water spots on the ceiling and get them fixed. They will focus purchasers or inspectors on a problem that may no longer exist. Repair stucco cracks, broken ceramic tile, wood rot, and any other items that indicate the home needs some cosmetic help.
4. Make Repairs Now Rather Than Later
Repair everything that needs to be repaired - now. Try to use nuetral paint to pain any major areas to brighten your home. Remember that most buyers will want to see your home during the day and light is an issue. Fix loose doorknobs, sticking drawers and warped cabinet doors. If the home needs too much work, most buyers will pass it by. Clean or replace dirty and worn carpets.
5. Check All The Appliances
Make sure that all your appliances are in good working order. Contracts will require that all of the appliances work in the order in which they were designed. A four-burner stove must have four burners that work. Keep the oven clean - it often gets looked at.
6. Clean, Clean, Clean
Clean the house from top to bottom and keep it that way. Wash all windows inside and out. Make it sparkle. Most agents and buyers will move the bath curtain to see whether you have a clean bathtub. Bright and clean bathrooms sell many homes.
7. Create Appeal
Do everything to make your house inviting. Check your lighting. Make sure all your light bulbs are working and make sure their levels set higher than normal. Remember, you are not preparing for a romantic evening but a showing. Also turn on lights in the daytime for rooms that are not so bright. Leave the curtains and blinds open as well. Make sure that all hallways are well lit and very easy to navigate. You may walk those halls in the dark, don't expect buyers and their agents to.
8. Get Rid of Pet Odors
Eliminate pet odors. Clean the litter box everyday and make sure that there are no surprises in the backyard for anyone to step in. If possible, remove all pets while the home is shown. People will linger in a fresh, pleasant smelling home. Stale air, or bad odors will turn them off.
9. Service the Air Conditioner
Have the air conditioner serviced and a new filter installed. It will bring down the dust and show you as a owner that performs general maintenance on a regular basis. Wipe down the air handler and the water heater, it shows attention to detail.
10. Consider Having Your House Pre-Inspected
You may want to have your house pre-inspected. This will reveal any hidden defects that can be corrected up front. Offer to show the inspection report to interested buyers. We can help you find a good home inspector in our Bradenton real estate market area.
If you follow these ten tips to get your home ready for our Bradenton Florida real estate market you will be way ahead of much of the competition. Not only that, but your home will faster and for money than your neighbors.