Preparing Your Home
| Preparing the Inside of Your Home |
- Paint rooms that are dirty, worn or faded.
A freshly painted home is usually well worth the cost.
- Have wall-to-wall carpeting and draperies
cleaned.
- Fix any dripping faucets. Often, only a
washer is needed.
- Clean bathrooms until they sparkle!
Replace old caulking around the bathtubs.
- Spray lubricant on any squeaking doors,
windows, closets and cabinets.
- Place a deodorizer in each room and
closet.
- Store out of season clothes so the closets
do not look cluttered.
- Remove items from the floors of walk-in
closets so prospects can have easy access. Clean and organize closets (be sure
clothes are hung neatly and other articles are neatly arranged).
- Stack all items in the garage, basement
and attic against the walls to show maximum floor space. Vacuum the garage and
basement floors and rafters.
- Put away excess appliances on the kitchen
counter to expose maximum counter space.
- Pre-pack items which may clutter your home
and make your rooms appear smaller.
- Rearrange furniture, if necessary, to make
each room appear spacious.
- Tighten loose banisters and clear
staircases of everything.
- Replace broken or cracked switch plates.
- Repair sticking doors, windows and loose
door knobs. Wash windows, sills, light fixtures, ceiling fans and range hoods.
Clean and polish floors. Remove stains from toilets, tubs and sinks.
- Clean your home top to bottom.
|
| Preparing the Outside of Your Home |
- Keep the lawn neat and trim during the marketing period. Keep it watered
in the summer and leaves raked in the fall. Also, fertilize and kill weeds
to make your grass look lush.
- Edge the lawn along the sidewalks and driveway for a finished appearance. Remove any grass or weeds between cracks in
sidewalks or driveway.
- Check foundation, steps, walkways, walls, and patios for cracks and crumbling.
- Trim all shrubbery and remove any low lying or dead tree limbs.
- Clean, repair or replace gutters, downspouts and window shutters.
- Repair and replace loose or damaged roof shingles.
- Paint any trim that is blistering.
- Plant flowers in the front yard.
- Repaint or restain the front door to create a pleasant first impression.
- Replace any cracked windows and torn screens from windows and doors, particularly those on the front of the house.
- Repair and repaint loose siding and caulking.
- Inspect and clean the chimney.
- Make sure any gates swing properly and fences are in good repair. Repaint, if necessary.
- Be sure that the doorbell works properly and that exterior doors, particularly the front door open, close and lock
properly.
|
| Preparing Your Home For Showings |
- Open drapes and blinds to let the sun
shine in and give every room an open-airy feeling.
- Turn on all lights to make rooms look
larger and more cheerful.
- Turn on soft, soothing music to give your
home a more comfortable feel.
- Put away all kitchen dishes, towels and
aprons. Also, clear small appliances off counters to increase the amount of work
space available.
- Place the "Home Information Book" in a
spot where Realtors and buyers will see it.
- Stay out of the way. Take your children
and pets outside to allow the prospective purchaser to keep their attention
focused on your home.
- Let all discussions, particularly those
concerning price, terms, and possession, be handled by the Realtor. Never
apologize for the condition of your home or suggest discounting the
price.
- A professional sales person does not tell
a prospective purchaser everything about a home. They allow the purchaser to
discover the home and will not say much when showing your home.
|
About our real estate services
We offer complete start-to-finish assistance with every facet of the real estate and home
buying or selling process to make it as fast, convenient and easy as possible. We offer so much more than the standard REALTOR© services, because
we have your best interests in mind. It's not about us, it's about you and helping you get the best deal possible for your hard-earned dollars. We
offer home buying information, home selling information, relocation services, information on mortgage services, regional information, and Galesburg
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