Interior and Exterior Imporvements....

You've made the decision to make some improvements, congraulations! Your home will show better and sell quicker!

Let's talk exterior first. The buyers have likely seen photos of the property inside and out online, but this will be the first time seeing it in person. This is what will leave them with their first impression. Have you ever heard someone say that they wouldn't even go in the house because they didn't like the outside or it's surroundings. As a Real Estate Agent, I have had this happen several time on both the buying and selling side. So, make that first impression a good one!

Exterior:

• Remove clutter. People want to feel like they have a good size yard and too much stuff it in will make it feel smaller.
• Repair any cumbling stairs, decks etc...that are an eyesore but also pose a safety issue.
• Freshen up the outside of the house (wash windows and siding, paint the front door, shutters, or wood trim if needed)
• clean eves and downspouts
• Do your exterior lights work and all bulbs are working
• Replace old calking where needed
• Mow the lawn. If you ahve pets, make sure that a buyer can walk around the property without needing to find your outdoor water supply to clean their shoes.

Interior:

• Space is important. If you have too much furntiure, wall or floor clutter it makes it hard to manuver around the house and to imagine where their stuff will go in the house.
• Clean cobwebs from corner, light fixtures etc...
• make sure that your flooring, and railings are not loose
• PAINT...a fresh coat of neutral paint will do wonders for resale.
• Kitchens, and bathrooms should be clean. These rooms are very important to make look their best.
• Take a sniff...what do you smell? Pets, teenage bedrooms? While I wouldn't recommend a candle (it's too strong)..air out the house, use a nice but not harsh cleanser when cleaning.
• If you need a humidifier in the basement put one there! Musty smeeling basements send off bad signals to buyers.
• Try not to put all your storage against the walls. Buyers want to see of there is or could be potential damage or leakage.

SHOW TIME!!!!

• Open drapes, and put on lights in the darker rooms. Bright and airy is what the goal is.
• Air out the house. opena window for a while
• Empty the garbage or anything that could contribute to smell.
• make sure the temperautre is comfortable.
• Ask your agent to provide an information package with lots of photos, info on well/septic, inspection report (if you have these items), heating/power costs. Put it out so that the buyer feels well informed about your property.

This may seem tideous, or common sense. Some things you may not have considered. One thing these sugesstions are is helpful in getting your house SOLD!!!!!