Ten Useful Tips for Preparing Your House for Sale

By Robert Smith

If you are thinking of preparing your house for sale, there are a number of things you should take into consideration. Right from the entrance to the backyard, everything should look clean and neat. The better your house looks, the better the chances of a sale. So, here are some important tips to help you out.

Clean your house properly. This is probably the most basic and easily the most important tip anyone can ever give you when it comes to preparing your house for sale. You will be surprised to know that a lot of people ignore this simple advice. They try to 'make' their house clean as opposed to actually cleaning it properly. Never ever do that. Clean every square foot of your home.

Pay attention to your garage door, driveway, sidewalk, and exterior of your home. This is one of the first thing people see when they arrive. Make sure you clean the grease stains, oil spots, and other debris, and put a fresh coat of paint on your garage and front of your home.

If you are preparing your house for sale, you should make sure everything looks as good as it can – including your garden and backyard. So, trim the lawn, clear the weeds, and remove the stray litter and dead leaves. If you have a fence, replace the missing slats and paint it properly. Put some new plants in front to add to your exterior decor.

Clean the interior of your house thoroughly, or hire a professional service to do it – vacuum, wax the floor, wash the rugs and curtains, wash the windows, and dust your shelves. Once the buyer enters your house, he should be pleasantly surprised to see the squeaky clean interior, and everything should smell fresh.

Make sure you remove all your personal items like souvenirs, family photos, sports trophies, and more. These things can give a strong personal feel to your home and make the buyer feel that he is looking at someone else's personal property. By removing these items, you make your house look like more of a blank slate, and potential buyers can envision themselves living there. This is one of the most important things you should remember while preparing your house for sale.

Make your house look spacious by removing unnecessary items. Remove bulky furniture, big statues, and other items that make your rooms look smaller. By arranging your lighting properly and by placing the decorative mirrors strategically, you can make the rooms look a lot more spacious.

Concentrate on the kitchen and bathroom – these two areas can definitely make or break a sale. Make sure both the kitchen and the bathroom are spotless and odor-free and spray some good room freshener to make the whole place smell good. This is one of the must-do things while preparing your house for sale. You might even want to consider updating both rooms a tad if they have an antiquated feel.

Your pets are lovable, cute, and adorable – no doubt. However, they could make a mess of your house at times. However, some people might feel uncomfortable with animals roaming around the house. This could turn off a potential buyer. So, make sure you take your pets away when the buyers come to see your house, and get rid of any lingering odors.

Tip number eight applies to your kids as well. Kids can be a handful at times and make the buyer feel uncomfortable. So, make sure your kids stay with your friends or relatives when the buyers come though.

A fresh coat of paint will go a long way in making your home look new and neat. If necessary, paint the main rooms of the house, and use a neutral shade. As we mentioned in tip 5, you want the potential buyers to be able to see themselves in the home. Bright neon pink walls might prevent this from happening.

When you are done preparing your house for sale – come out, stand in front of your house, take a good look, and analyze it objectively. Then, ask yourself this question – If you were a buyer, would you buy this house? If you genuinely believe that the answer is yes, go ahead and seal the deal.

Houses Under Fifty Thousand | Preparing Your House for Sale