Here are 10 top priority pre listing tips for Home Sellers:

1.     The Front Door:  Many of us pull into our garages, rarely ever even using our front door, except for greeting guests from the inside, never seeing what our guests see as they’re standing at the door waiting for us to greet them. A clean, freshly painted front door with a new welcome mat and shiny doorknob or handle is the best way to give your buyers a truly positive first impression. Fresh seasonal flowers also make your buyers feel at home before they even enter the front door!

 

2.     Address any deferred maintenance:  A homeowner pre inspection is always a great idea -even newer homes can have hidden repairs that will be discovered by the buyers’ inspector. These items tend to elongate the list of repairs that the buyers find and put fear into them as to how well the home has been maintained in general. Simple but noticeable items are important to address before listing such as; caulking, broken seals on windows, ripped screens, dripping faucets, broken gates etc. These minor but noticeable things also give buyers pause, wondering if there are more serious and hidden issues since the obvious ones have not been maintained.

 

3.     Use neutral colors: Buyers have a hard time with loud, dark or bold colors. The orange color in your bedroom might have been your favorite, but changing that to a neutral color can have a huge difference to buyers’ opinions of your home. It’s an inexpensive investment that can have a large impact on getting your home to SELL!!

 

4.     Un-Clutter: Organizing and cleaning closets and junk drawers can be just as important as new paint and carpet cleaning. Buyers are going to look in your closets, drawers, and cabinets and you don’t want them to get the impression that there is not a lot of space for storage for them for the future. Even having too much furniture in rooms can make a bad impression. Removing extra chairs, tables, large lamps and dressers can help improve the flow and look of a room without doing much to it. A storage unit may be a helpful tool for the sale process if you have excess furniture you want to keep. Make a decision on what you won’t need or don’t want. Remember you will be moving soon, why not start the purging/packing process now.

 

5.     Personal items must go: Photos of your family and friends are great for reminding you of them and the times you’ve had. Unfortunately buyers love to look at them too and you don’t want them guessing on the status of your family and trying to figure out why you are moving and if the house will get to small for them in the future. You don’t want buyers looking at your photos, you want them to concentrate on seeing their family and future in your house.

 

6.     Floors: Does your carpet need to be cleaned or replaced? Do your hardwood floors need to be refinished? Does your tile have dirty or discolored grout? Buyers today are looking for fresh, move-in ready homes with no future cleaning. They don’t want flooring “allowances” for future replacement. Floors are just as important as walls and they will be looking at them closely as well.

 

7.     Garages: Most buyers that are looking for homes with a garage, are not looking for a place for extra storage. They are looking to park their cars or trucks in there. While it may be storage for you, the buyer will not be able to see his or her vehicle parked in there. If you have boxes, furniture or other stored items in there blocking the view of the space make sure you rent a storage space and CLEAN it out!

 

8.     Kitchens and baths: These are the most important parts of the home to most buyers and usually get the biggest return on investment if updated or refreshed. If your kitchen needs updating and you want to get top dollar for your home…DO IT NOW !  If you want to get full market price from a buyer, you must know a buyer does not want to have to do any updating after they buy. Today’s families are so much busier and so much more involved in kids activities and social events than ever before. Buyers in the past 5-10 years are skipping homes that need even minor updates. It is a common occurrence, home is beautiful and well maintained, but sits longer than expected. The buyers now want updated and move in ready.

 

9.     Windows and doors: Believe it or not dirty windows, dusty, cob web laced, creaky doors can have a bad first impression on buyers. Make sure screens and seals on windows and doors are repaired and in good working order. Windows that are cloudy or have even small cracks should be replaced now. Bad seals and cracks on doors will be found by inspectors.  Replace them now while you have time and are not trying to beat a contract deadline or after losing a buyer who doesn’t even want to ask and just moves on.

 

10.Landscaping and yard space: Outdoor living is becoming a bigger fad in recent years. Home shows are accentuating outdoor living spaces and design. Buyers want a well manicured, low maintenance, beautiful yard. Be sure that you trim hedges, pull weeds and most of all keep that yard mowed! If you have a flower bed make sure to have fresh flowers in there and remove dead or dying ones. Store bicycles, children’s toys, and gardening tools away properly. If you have a deck or patio, make sure to have it stained or pressure cleaned to show off the area. If the patio furniture is in disrepair or majorly discolored from the sun you may want to either get covers, get rid of it, or put it in storage.

 

 Insiders final advice today for selling your home- When you have done everything to get your home ready to market and you are happy with your final personal inspection of your home… the best thing to do when potential buyers and their Realtors come to view your home is to VACATE your home. Find a place to go and be gone for a while. Don’t be the distraction to the buyers. Unfortunately if you are home, buyers feel awkward viewing the spaces, will rush through them and will feel like they cannot discuss features and their thoughts and feeling with their partner or agent. Therefore, your property might not get the proper viewing it deserves.

To find out what your home is worth and to get a free market report, or if you would just like some answers about your Real Estate questions 
click HERE or email me at Todd@OrlandoRealty123.com.

Orlando Homes For Sale- Todd Mowry Realtor. Specializing in Real Estate in Orlando, Winter Park, Maitland, Casselberry, Waterford Lakes and surrounding communities. I have over nine years of experience in advising buyers and sellers on how to make the most well informed decisions for themselves. Call or text me at 407-435-5220 even if you just need to ask a question from an experienced and dependable Realtor.