2. Staging Your Home

The first step for your REALTOR is to recommend improvements that may need to be taken before you list your home for sale. Your REALTOR is going to give you an objective view of what potential buyers are looking for and make suggestions to help improve the show quality of your home. Most improvements are most likely cosmetic and will be relatively inexpensive however you might need major improvements that require time and money.

Your REALTOR will tell you how important curb appeal is. A Buyer's first impression of your home when they pull up is critical. Are the Lawn and Shrubs neatly trimmed? Are there visible crack in the d riveway, sidewalks, patio? Does your home need fresh paint? Is the roof missing shingles or moldy? Is there visible trash in the yard? If you address these problems up front, you have a greater chance that a Buyer will want to see the inside of your home. A home that is well maintained will also sell faster and at a higher price.

Now you need to address the inside of your home. There are several critical areas that potential Buyers will look at very closely (Your Kitchen and Bathrooms). It is very important that these 2 areas are as clean as possible. A Buyer will look over both these areas very thorough as they inspect the rest of your home. You will want to remove unwanted clutter throughout your home, Fix cracks or caulk tile, use neutral colors when painting, Shampoo rugs or carpets and clean tile floors, Clean all windows, Dust "everything" in the house. You should also remove all valuables and store them in a safe place. If you have any firearms, it is extremely important to store them in a locked or secure area or remove them from the premises entirely.

Always remember in any type of selling market, you want your home to stand out above the rest. This gives you an advantage above other listings in your area. Making improvements and proper staging will ensure that your home gets noticed above the rest and ultimately will sell faster.