10 Tips to Prepare Your Home for Sale

Before you put your house on the market, here are 10 quick fixes you can do to greatly improve your home's presentation and value.

1. Welcome Buyers to Your Home. Make your front door visible and accessible to buyers and if required, paint it. Clean the door handle and replace it if old and rusty.   Clear clutter from the walkway and yard, mow the lawn and prune your hedges. A couple of planters with colourful annuals will attract attention from the street. Fix broken screens, doorbells, roof shingles and outdoor lighting if necessary. The exterior of your home should make a good first impression on buyers.

2. Make it Shine. Cleanliness implies a home has been well taken care of. Buyers scrutinize homes, especially the kitchen and bathrooms. Re-caulk and repaint where required to give a fresh and clean look. Clean rugs and carpets to eliminate stains and odors. Tidy each room, including cabinets, closets and the garage, before you start showings. If it seems daunting to do all that cleaning yourself, consider hiring a cleaning company to take care of it for you.

3. Start Packing. Rooms can look smaller than they are when the furniture is too large or there is too much furniture. Your personal belongings also make it difficult for others to envision living there so start by storing excess furniture, toys and personal decorations & photos. Pack up items you don't use on a daily basis, and put them in storage. Ensure there is ample room for buyers and their agent to walk through your home unimpeded. Decluttering also gives you a head start on your move.

4. Paint Wisely. Put a fresh coat of paint on walls if they have lots of scuff marks and repaint walls that have outdated or unconventional colours. Neutral colours, such as off-white, taupe and light gray are currently the best choices. A fresh paint job on outdated cabinetry can make them look more up-to-date.

5. Fix the Small Stuff. We can often overlook the small repairs our homes need but potential buyers may not. You can install new door handles, faucets, towel bars and curtain rods rather inexpensively.

6. Update Lighting. Replace light fixtures that are dated or no longer fit your home's style. Install new bulbs with the appropriate lighting for specific areas of your home. While its good to have energy saving bulbs, higher wattage bulbs will help make your home look brighter.

7. Enhance your Windows. Most buyers want homes with lots of natural light. Ensure you have the right window treatments, which enhance natural brightness and boost the appearance of a home. Adjust window treatments appropriately when showing your home in the mornings, afternoon and evenings.

8. Set the Table.  Keep place settings and a nice centrepiece handy for your tables so you can quickly set them before showings.

9. Hide Unsightly Items. Buyers don’t want to see litter boxes or your dirty laundry during showings. Move litter boxes, pet dishes, toys, animal crates to less conspicuous areas of the home before showings. Also think about where you can store things like dirty laundry, kitchen sponges, dish-towels, etc.

10. Don't forget the Back. Keep your backyard, deck, patio, etc. looking spacious and functional. Setup your deck and patio so buyers can imagine having BBQs & parties there. Remove old, unused or broken furniture. Keep the landscaping trimmed and neat. Consistently pick up after your pets so buyers feel comfortable touring the yard.