Preparing Your Home For Sale & Showings:

The term turnkey in real estate refers to a property that is considered move-in-ready.

Even with furniture and personal belongings in the property the following home selling tips will ensure a higher value and a shorter time on the market.

Clean:

Clean everything: carpets, walls, windows, bathrooms, the kitchen and more. An unkept property overwhelms buyers with a feeling of having to clean/work in order to move in; don't give a potential buyer an easy reason to disregard your property. Dust and wash windows, mirrors, and surfaces so they sparkle. Clean the oven and all appliances. Organize your yard, basement, attic and garage. Ask family or friends to assess your efforts, especially sensitive issues such as pet odor or dander.

Did you know: WD-40 is a great way to clean stainless steal appliances?

Check your curb appeal:

Does your home make a great first impression? A home with great curb appeal will attract potential buyers. Mow your lawn, weed the yard, blow or wash the driveway, and clean your roof and gutters. Make the front inviting by planting a few flowers to liven up the entrance.

Brighten rooms:

Replace any burnt out light bulbs. Consider painting the walls, ceilings and windowsills white in each room. It is clean, peaceful and all furnishings look good with white. Paint is an inexpensive do it yourself fix. This strategy works and will make the room appear larger. It's easier for buyers to start with white walls rather then painting over any existing dark colors that may not suite their taste.

Did you know: Shades of white account for half of all paint sales?

Organize:

People buy homes that appear clean, spacious and solid. Many buyers will look in your closets and pantry. To make these areas appear more spacious, organize your closets by putting away out of season coats and fold your clothes neatly. Consider purchasing shoe organizers and sweater racks to give your closets a face-lift and help them appear larger.

Re-evaluate room use:

The less furniture you have in a room the better. It will make rooms appear larger and give buyers the ability to visualize their belongings in that space. For example, by removing an unused bed set, buyers may visualize your guest bedroom as a den or office space.

Refurbish cabinets:

A quick and affordable way to give your kitchen and bathroom cabinets an instant face-lift is to replace the hardware. You can also repaint the cabinets a lighter color to brighten them up.

Re-grout and reseal the sink and the tub:

If the tile and tub are from a different era or look dated, re-caulk, glaze, re-grout, or use grout paint as an inexpensive way to give the room a new look. Add new towels and/or hang new shower curtains. Remove soap scum or hard water stains with tile cleaner to give bathrooms new life.

Lighten up your home:

Remove heavy drapes that block out light. Replace with fabrics that blend with the surrounding walls. Add tiebacks on each side to light lots of natural light. Clean the windowsills and skylights. Blinds add value but pull them up three quarters of the way to allow the sun to shine in.

Replace worn and dated bedspreads:

It never hurts to buy new linens or bedspreads plus they'll be yours to keep. New crisp linens or a comforter with matching pillows will liven up any bedroom. Tone down colors to soft neutrals that appeal to everyone.

These home preparations tips will make a huge difference in the value you provide to the buyer by making your home move in or turnkey ready. Some are easy and others will cost money and time, but they will pay for themselves by maximize your asking price. Sellers who prepare there home properly have a much higher success rate and will sell sooner then those who don't.