A complete checklist to help you sell your house for the best price in the least amount of time.

Getting Started

Now that you have decided to sell your home, you’ll want to look at it differently. It’s not a house for sale and its time to package or stage the home. Your goal is to appeal to a large pool of buyers to help your home sell faster.

By the time someone comes to view your home, your house already meets their primary criteria for price, location, and style. That’s all rationale factors, but in purchasing home buyers also make a decision based on emotional factors such as can they imagine themselves living in your home?

Staging/Prepping your home does not have to be expensive or time-consuming. Consider purchasing items that you can use in your next home. You must have “buyers eyes” when looking at how to stage your home. Think about how model homes stage their homes and how they make most people feel ready to move in. Buyers want a move-in ready condition.

Start with curb appeal — the first glimpse at your home is the most important. What can you do to improve their first impression of your home?

Next, walk through the home and ask yourself are there any areas where a buyer would say, “There’s work to be done in this home?” If a buyer thinks there is too much work they may pass on your house.

UNCLUTTERING

When in doubt, throw it out or sell it. If a house is cluttered, it will make it feel smaller no matter the size of the home.

• Lawn and garden –fertilize, mow, trim, weed, water; re-sod any bare spots
• Walks, steps, and driveways –clear away all items; remove weeds
• Remove lawn ornaments
• Pet areas
• Decks, patios, and backyards — remove furniture or excess ornaments
• Interior
• Closets – remove and pack extra items, pack off-season clothing, and organize linens.
• Bookshelves — remove half of the books and pack them and organize them
• Kitchen
• Clear counters, put away appliances
• Remove and pack extra dishes
• Consolidate duplicate food items
• Remove magnets and notes from the refrigerator
• Organize flatware and junk drawers
• Organize and clean items under the sink
• Bathroom vanities and medicine cabinets
• Remove extra items; pack and organize
• Remove stained or torn shelf liners
• Living Areas
• Remove papers and magazines from tables
• Remove extra furniture and arrange it to have it openness
• Remove additional or unhealthy plants
• Children’s play area
• Pack, store and organize toys and games
• Tool, shop and laundry areas need to be organized.
• Garage – trash any unwanted items and declutter garage.

CLEANING

• Cleaning to sell means cleaner than ever before.
• Exterior
• Windows
• Walks, steps, and driveways; consider power washing
• Siding, brick, and stucco
• Gutters and downspouts
• Decks, patios, and backyards
• Interior
• Floors – remove old wax; scrub and wax to a shine
• Carpet – clean and stain free
• Walls – remove fingerprints, marks, and cobwebs
• Woodwork – clean and polish
• Window Treatments – launder them or have them drycleaned
• Windows, mirrors, glass cabinets – clean to shine
• Lighting fixtures – clean and polish; wash and replace bulbs
• Doorknobs – clean and polish
• Closets – clean and paint interior
• Kitchen
• Clean & polish cupboards (inside and out)
• Clean vents and exhaust hoods
• Clean appliances (inside and out)
• Clean and deodorize garbage areas; use a garbage disposal freshener
• Clean flooring under the sink
• Bathrooms
• Clean and polish vanities (inside and out)
• Remove stains and mold from skinks, tubs, and showers.
• Clean grout
• Polish mirrors and chrome
• Garage and Attic
• Sweep or vacuum floors and ceilings
• Wipe down water heaters, furnace, and washer and dryer
• Pet areas – clean and deodorize

Odors

• Scrub all hard surfaces
• Use an odor neutralizer on upholstery, carpeting, and draperies

REPAIRS

Making repairs before putting it on the market can save you money and negotiation stress down the road. You may consider a home warranty to protect you and the buyer. The home warranty will protect you from mechanical systems. Make sure all repairs are done before listing the home

EXTERIOR

• Doors and windows – repair screens, glass, and door hardware; lubricate all hinges
• Sidewalks, steps, and driveways — repair cracks
• Siding – repair, replace or paint as needed
• Doorbells – make sure they are in working order

INTERIOR

• Plumbing – repair leaks
• Mechanical systems – have them inspected and certified
• Appliances – check bulbs; replace broken parts
• Walls and ceilings – patch cracks; paint as needed
• Windows – replaced cracked glass
• Grout and caulking – patch or replace as needed
• Hinges and knobs – tighten or replace as needed
• Flooring – repair or replace as needed
• Light fixtures – repair or replace
• Switch plates and outlet covers – replace mismatched or cracked plates

NEUTRALIZING

Create a home for any style and taste. Choose neutral paint, decor, and carpeting to help buyers mentally buy into your home. Replace bold artwork and displays of family photos with a few carefully chosen accessories. It’s best to kennel your pets or take them with you when your home is being shown.

EXTERIOR

Siding and trim – touch up or paint

Lawn area – remove bold decorations

INTERIOR

• Remove dated wallpaper
• Paint warm, neutral color; avoid cold whites
• Use the same color in rooms that flow together
• Floors – replace worn or dated vinyl or carpeting
• Artwork – remove the distracting or bold artwork
• Family photos and collections – remove extensive displays
• Basement – paint floors and walls

EMOTIONAL BUYER

Lastly, create an atmosphere for buyers to have an emotional connection with your home.

CURB APPEAL

• Choose ideas that add to curb appeal
• Keep lawn mowed, shrubs trimmed and gardens weeded
• Set a potted shrub or topiary tree with annuals on a stoop of flank the door with matching pots
• Add new house numbers and a cushioned doormat
• Polish or paint the front door
• Add a fresh layer of rock or bark
• Replace or paint the mailbox

ENTRYWAY

• Add dramatic new lighting fixture
• Showcase a unique piece of furniture or artwork
• Brighten entry with a mirror
• Add warmth and texture with an area rug

KITCHEN

• Open a colorful cookbook on a stand
• Create a neat, clean look with new burner covers
• Add a new throw rug
• Fill a decorative serving bowl with fresh fruit
• Add a plant
• Replace worn curtains with mini blinds or a valance
• Paint worn or dated cabinets and add new hardware

BATHROOMS

• Add new plush towels and rugs to soften hard surfaces
• Tri-fold towels and rugs to soften hard surfaces
• Stack guest or hand towels neatly on vanity
• Add a new fabric shower curtain
• Highlight tubs or vanities with colorful bath oils or salts
• Use a new bar of unscented guest soap for showings

BEDROOMS

• Roll back a plush comforter to show layers of blankets and sheets; top with decorative pillows.
• Add curtains or valances
• Add artwork
• Stack a few books on the nightstand
• Arrange toys in children’s rooms to show a quiet place to play

LIVING, FAMILY & DINING ROOMS

• Drape an afghan over a chair or sofa
• Add decorative pillows to sofas and chairs
• Add fresh flowers to a coffee table
• Showcase a fireplace
• Place unscented candles on boughs, or pots of blooming plants on the grate
• Add artwork or a mirror above the mantle
• Place a basket of birch logs on the hearth

DINING ROOMS

• Add a bouquet of fresh flowers
• Display a serving piece or candles on the table

BACKYARD,DECKS & PATIOS

• Arrange a grill and lawn furniture
• Group colorful pots of annuals on a deck or patio

SHOWTIME!

Keeping a home show ready can be easy if you get everyone in the family to participate. Remember if you stay ready you won’t have to get prepared.

EXTERIOR

• Pick up lawn tools and toys
• Pick up after pets
• Remove obstructions from curb view
• Clear driveways and walk areas

INTERIOR

• Do a once-over cleaning
• Vacuum, sweep, and dust
• Empty wastebaskets; pick up dirty clothes
• Put away personal care items in bathrooms
• Clean all sinks and faucets with glass cleaner
• Make sure all rugs are clean and straight
• Freshen carpets, draperies, and upholstery with an odor neutralizer
• Adjust shades and drapes to filter natural light
• Set a comfortable temperature
• Turn on lamps and directional lighting
• Open windows to freshen rooms
• Arrange flowers in key areas
• Play soft music and turn off the television
• Do a final walkthrough in every room