In the last section you learned about how to increase the "curb appeal" of the exterior of your home attractive and inviting to prospective buyers.
Now the task is to make sure that your home is in the best possible condition on the inside as well. There are certain home improvements that can boost your potential to get the purchase price that you are asking for and if you are really lucky, you might even have more than one offer to consider.
At the top of the list of things that play a vital role in creating an outstanding impression when your buyer enters your property is cleanliness. The ideal scenario is for the buyer to see a house that is immaculately clean, full of light and spacious, smell fresh, be in good repair and easy to use.
The level of cleanliness you are aiming for is "brand new home." This is an extremely important part of the presentation of your property-and you will achieve the best results by first clearing your house of everything that is unnecessary and then hiring a professional cleaning firm to make your home spotless.
Clear the DecksIf you are like most homeowners over the period time you have lived in your house you have probably collected items that you do not use or do not want. The goal is to have every prospective buyer envision your property as the home where they live. Most buyers count maneuvering through a maze of furniture, toys and other personal items as a major annoyance. Removing clutter is a priority in order to be able to have your house cleaned professionally.
Get a head start on the moving process by sorting through the items of each room into donations and trash. This includes everything from books to kitchen items to clothing and furniture. Keep only the essential items that you need every day in a packing box that fits into a closet.
To make the display of your house easier, consider renting a storage unit for unnecessary furniture so that the furniture that remains gives buyers an idea of the function of the room. Clearing the room gives buyers the freedom to move around and view the room from different angles. The more open space you have in a room, the larger it appears which helps buyers to see how their furniture would fit in the room.
In addition to furniture, you have to also consider your closets and cabinets. Home buyers want to be able to investigate every aspect of the house, so save yourself embarrassment of things falling out of the closet when the door is opened by removing everything but the essentials in the kitchen, bathroom and bedrooms. The kitchen and bathroom are two of the most intensely scrutinized rooms in the house and also the two that you will use every day.
For every day that you will be showing your home to buyers, give it a "white glove" cleaning and organize everything that remains in these rooms neatly. The more organized and clean the house appears the more confidence the buyers will have in the sound condition of your property.
Removing items like photographs and personal keepsakes from the house will help keep your buyers focused on the property instead of you. Remember, the objective is to do everything possible to make it easy for the buyer to visualize their photos and personal items in the house.
WHERE BUYERS LOOK FIRST:The best place to start "clearing the deck" is your kitchen; this room is one of the most used in the house and as a result you will find a good amount of accumulated clutter.
The easiest way to get your kitchen clutter free in the shortest amount of time is to put everything in boxes according to category. Take everything out of the cabinets, drawers, closets and off the counters. Then sort everything according to use, get rid of everything that you do not use. Select the essential items that you need everyday and put this in a separate box. Non-essentials should go into packing boxes to take with you when you move to your new home. If you have a large amount of canned goods, use as many of them as possible before your move; they are heavy and will add weight to your moving bill.
Remember you want your homebuyers to see all the features of your home in their best light. In the kitchen they will open all your cabinets and drawers, look under the sink and inside the pantry. Beneath the sink? Yes, homebuyers will look under the sink to check for plumbing leaks. Removing all but the necessary cleaning supplies and thoroughly clean this area. Showing your kitchen with plenty of free space - clear of all but the essentials will give them a clear picture of the storage space that your kitchen has available.
The two most expensive features in a kitchen are the appliances and cabinets. You will save a lot of money if you don't have to replace them. If your cabinets are old but in good condition, consider having them refaced. This involves attaching a thin veneer to the surface of the cabinets and replacing the doors and hardware .If your cabinets are painted, add a fresh coat of paint and new hardware.
For cabinets that are in a state of disrepair, replacement may be less expensive then getting them repaired.If you decide to remodel your kitchen, focus on the essentials instead of the high-end improvements such as built-in chef-style stove, which are more personal choices. Of all of the improvements you can make in your home, investing kitchen and bathroom repairs or remodeling is one that will bring you a 100% return.
Make sure that your kitchen sink and faucets are in good working order; homebuyers love to see modern, sparkling sinks and features. A clean, well-maintained laminate countertop is sufficient.
BathroomsYou can expect prospective home buyers to check all of the fixtures in the bathroom; make sure that the sinks, bathtub, shower and toilet bowl are free from hard water and rust stains. Check the water pressure and flow of the toilet and be sure that it works efficiently and as quietly as possible. Ensure that there the showerhead is leak free and all of the tiles are properly grouted, especially around the tub. Fix or replace leaky faucets and water pipes.
Kitchen and bathroom floors are the two rooms where ceramic and vinyl tiles are used the most. If you have this type of flooring, inspect the tiles and replace those that are chipped or cracked tiles. Make sure that you clean or replace the grout between the tiles. Ceramic tiles are expensive, and installation of them to improve the appearance of your home works best in small areas such as the foyer.
Check Your Walls and CeilingsTake a walk through your house and look at the ceilings in each room because this is exactly what your prospective buyers will do. They spend time looking at your ceilings for signs of leaks from the roof as well as ceiling cracks, grease or smoke stains.
If you find problems on your ceilings or if it has been more than 6 months since you last painted the rooms in your house, now is the time to add the freshness of a new paint job, which is one of the most cost effective improvements you can make. If there are any large cracks in the ceilings or walls, start by covering them with fiberglass tape, then apply joint compound to cover the entire area and sand down to a smooth finish. Choose neutral color paint such as eggshell white or cream.
Some homes have textured ceilings, such as "popcorn" style. Unfortunately, many of the compounds used to create the sparkle affect contain asbestos and can present health hazards. You don't want to give your prospective buyer any reason to say goodbye to your house. Removing this material is time consuming, but not expensive to do and repaint.
If you have used wallpaper in any of the rooms in your house, you should be aware that this is one of things that prospective buyers do not like to see - it's too personal. Strip the wallpaper off the walls, remove the adhesive residue and then repaint the walls.
Wood paneling is another very personal decor treatment. If your wood paneling is real or composite, you can still apply primer and paint it. If the paneling in your rooms is very old, such as walnut, mahogany, cedar and pine, it's out of style and it would be best to remove it.
Fix Your FlooringNow inspect the flooring of your home. There are many homes that were built in the late '40s, which have hardwood oak floors and as the property aged developed squeaks. Floor squeaks are usually caused by temperature and humidity changes, which cause contraction and expansion of wood. The sub-flooring and joists dry out and warp causing a separation between the sub-floor and joist. The wood moving up and down on the pulled nail causes the squeak.
If you have wood floors, walk around the edges as well as the most trafficked areas and listen for sounds. Squeaky floors may be funny to you, but they will raise unnecessary questions in your buyer's mind that are easily avoided. Fixing squeaky floors can make a big difference when you put your home on the market. A squeaky floor can be fixed permanently with 4 easy steps. The only tools needed are a "Phillips" head style screwdriver, adjustable wrench and a squeak ender.
Wood floors are enjoying renewed popularity today, but carpet is another type of flooring found in many homes. Newly installed carpeting was used as an incentive in VA homes houses built after World War II because the cost for the carpeting was covered by the government. In the 60's, shag style carpeting became the home decorating rage and unfortunately there are many homes still adorned in the fashion although it out of style.
Check the flooring underneath your carpeting, if it is a hardwood floor, have the carpeting removed and the floors refinished, because today, most home buyers love beautifully finished hardwood floors. If the flooring is plywood, replace the old carpet with new carpeting in a neutral color.
The Big PictureGenerally, homebuyers prefer to buy a home that is ready to live in without any repairs required. Houses with newer appliances, modern conveniences, plumbing, electrical and heating/air conditioning are in high demand. Even if your house is older, you can use the key tips in mind that have been presented in this section to get your home ready with the best "curb appeal" exterior as well as the type of interior that encourages buyers.
The best way to think of the process is to imagine how you want your home to look in photographs that you will use for the online real estate listing sites for homebuyers. Keep in mind that when you are showing your house to home buyers, every nook and cranny will be open to investigation; even those spaces that you use for storage only. Storage space is very important to prospective homebuyers, so make sure that all of personal items that you have in your basement, attic and closets are free of everything.
In the next section we will look at how to create the perfect stage for presenting your home in a showing to prospective buyers.