How to Get Top Dollar for Your Home

I'm sure you've watched those T.V. shows on home staging and flipping houses and were surprised by how much a few changes impacted the sales price of the home. It can be hard to look at our own home through the eyes of a buyer or a Realtor and try to determine what items might impact our sales price. Of course, we want to make changes with as little time, effort and cost as possible, while increasing our sales price as much as possible. So where does a homeowner begin?

The first thing we need to do is get a buyer to agree to come inside and look at your home. Buyers will base their decision on whether to look at the inside of your home on one thing, curb appeal. Most buyers and realtors are searching online for homes. They will search on location and price and then begin to narrow down which homes they want to investigate further. Unless your home is under priced, a buyer will always look for what they consider the best deal - the best house with the best features at the lowest cost.

So how do you make your home more appealing from curbside? Let’s begin with the following checklist:

• Keep your lawn cut and edged. Trim trees and shrubs, removing all dead limbs and debris.
• Add color to your yard and front porch with flowers and/or hanging plants.
• Repair any broken areas of your fence, deck, patio, etc. Make sure these areas are clean and in good shape.
• Check the exterior of items like siding, window sashes, trim and shutters. Clean these areas and/or paint as needed. Give special attention to the front door area.
• Make sure your gutters are clean of debris. Wash or paint as needed. Re-align the gutters if they look crooked.
• Check the roof for shingles or flashing that need replacing or repair.
• Replace broken windows, doors and screens. Make sure each looks clean and in good condition.
• Wash driveways and sidewalks. Patch holes and try to remove stains.
• Touch up the “little things” …house numbers, mail box, door bell, etc.

You may have noticed this list doesn’t include high cost upgrades. Most of your increase in sales price can be obtained by simply cleaning, organizing and repairing as much as possible. People want to buy a home that appears to be well maintained. A well-maintained home translates to a trouble-free home in a buyers mind.

Once we have gotten our buyer to agree to come inside for a look, we don’t want to scare them away at the front door. Stand outside your front door as if you were a visitor and look inside. What do you see? Is the home inviting? Does the home have any unpleasant or unusual odors? Is the home clutter-free? Lighting and a sense of spaciousness are critical. Open drapes, replace light bulbs with higher wattage bulbs and get rid of all clutter. Use the checklist below to insure each room in your home is at its best.

• Remove all clutter from the house.
• Are countertops free and clear?
• Have you removed unnecessary furniture throughout the house?
• Remove the art gallery and coupon collection from the refrigerator.

Check the bathrooms.

• Are the surfaces clean and clear?
• Are shower curtains and doors hung properly?
• Is the flooring clean and fresh?

Are towels neatly hung?

Check the walls.

• Is paint and wallpaper fresh and clean?
• Are the walls free from holes?
• Are there any colors or objects on the walls that need to be removed?

Check the floors.

• Is the carpet clean and free from stains?
• Are hard surface floors clean and free from stains?

Check windows and window coverings.

• Are all the windows clean?
• Are draperies and blinds clean?

Pet check.

• Are there any signs that this is a pet's home? Be sure to clean and remove kitty litter, pet toys and bedding.

How's the aroma?

• Try to air out the home prior to showings.
• If air freshener is necessary, use well before showings as a consideration to those with allergies.

Set the mood prior to showings.

• Open draperies and blinds.
• Turn on the radio to a classical music station, set the volume on low.
• If you have time, cook a batch of cookies to have the warm, welcoming aroma permeating the home.

Other things to consider:

• Have walls and ceiling in top shape.
• Repair any damages that may have caused ceiling or wall stains and repaint.
• If repainting, stay with neutral off-white colors.
• Replace any burned out light bulbs.
• Add lighter wattage light bulbs if rooms are dark.
• Be sure all light switches are in working order.
• Wash floors.
• Remove stains from carpeting.
• Clean and organize closet space…remove out of season clothing to make closets appear larger.
• Consider adding fresh or silk flower arrangements throughout the house.
• Sweep and clean fireplace.
• Make sure all doors and windows open and close easily.

Kitchen and baths are the most important areas of a home to a buyer. In addition to the lists below there are small projects in your kitchen or bath that can really increase the value of your home for a small investment of time and/or money. Replacing fixtures, countertops or cabinet hardware and painting walls are a few examples of small projects that can pay off big.

Kitchen

• Clean and organize all storage space.
• Avoid clutter, store small appliances.
• Clean ventilating hood and exhaust fan.
• Sink, cabinets, appliances and counter tops should be clean and fresh.

Baths

• Check all faucets. Repair any dripping faucets.
• All surfaces should be spotless. Clear off vanity and countertops.
• Replace worn shower curtain(s).
• Remove all personal care items from sight and neatly store.
• Clean and organize drawers and linen closets.
• Clean and repair caulking.

Two often overlooked areas in our homes, when it comes to cleaning and organizing, are the garage and attic. Take an afternoon or two to sort through these areas. Donate or sell unused or unwanted items and organize and pack up the rest. You will need to pack these items before you move so why not do it early and reap the benefits by making your home more appealing to buyers. Here are a few things to keep in mind when cleaning these areas.

• Dispose of everything you are not going to move. 
• Pack all items you won’t need until the move and arrange neatly so the exterior walls can be inspected.
• Attic stairways should be well-lighted and free from clutter.
• Increase bulb wattage on stairways, attic and garage.
• Attic handrails must be secure.
• Sweep floor of garage; remove any stains and dirt.
• Organize tools and garden equipment.
• Wipe off any dust and dirt from water heater and furnace.

Increasing the value of your home can be simple. Clean, organize and repair. Pay attention to small details and you can increase your home's value more than you realize. Completing a few or most of these items will help you sell your home for top dollar and will give you a competitive edge over other similar homes for sale in your community.