Thinking about listing your home for sale? Read me!

The most common question I hear upon viewing a property going up for sale is: "What should we do to get it ready?". Of course each home is going to have unique needs to become "showing ready", yet there are a few tips I have that can apply to nearly every home. The first and most important place to start is looking at your home from the curb to assess the curb appeal! A first impression is very important in the selling process, as it will set the tone for the rest of the showing. If a home has a beautiful interior, but the exterior was a bit of a mess, the buyer may overlook the interior as they still have the poor curb appeal in mind. Some specific items you can look for are landscaping and lawn maintenance, exterior cleanliness, presence of personal items, among others. Getting the grass mowed, edged, & trimmed is a great place to start. Pulling any weeds and freshening up the mulch/rock in planting beds is very helpful. Also examine the exterior of your home to see how clean it is, a good power washing may work wonders for your curb appeal. Try to make sure any extra personal items are neatly stored & just laying around the yard.  Another thing to look for is peeling paint, many times a buyer is going to be using a type of financing that will not allow this. It is helpful to address it from the get go, not worrying about it in the future, and the home will show better too! As far as the interior goes try to declutter, and depersonalize as much as possible. Another common question I get is about family pictures hanging on the wall. While a few are okay, too many will distract the buyer from focusing on the home, which is the main goal of the showing. If there are any drywall patches or paint work that is needed, try to get that done. Try to keep the home odor neutral by burning one, maybe one maybe two candles (same scent) before a showing.  A good strategy to get ready for showings is to put everything you need on a daily basis in crates so you can quickly "stash" them in a closet or under a bed before a showing. Please feel free to call me at 309-208-9900 or email me at christine@christineschauble.com for more tips on getting your home ready to sell!