Getting Your Home Ready to Sell

People often buy a home based on their feeling about it. If you're intending to sell your home, it's important to keep this in mind: Regardless of your location and price. If something about your home "feels" wrong, buyers will look elsewhere. Get the competitive edge by making sure all areas of your home are shipshape before putting it on the market.

• Keep your lawn well-trimmed and edged. Trim shrubs. Remove all dead limbs and debris.
• Plant some extra flowers for color or just put pots of flowers beside the front door.
  
• Put away lawn equipment. Arrange outdoor items, such as firewood or out door furniture neatly.
  
• Check surfaces such as siding, windows sashes, trim, and shutters. Touch up with paint or clean.
  
• Make sure the entry light and doorbell work. Paint, stain, or clean the door if needed.
  
• Clean out debris in gutters. Touch up with paint if needed: realign if crooked.
  
• Fix broken windows and screens. Wash them.
  
• Arrange the furniture and discard unused items so each room appears as spacious as possible.
  
• Consider it Spring and do your "Spring cleaning" - make sure all surfaces are clean and neat - this includes closets, attics, basements and garages.
  
• Buy higher-intensity light bulbs and put them in every lamp in the house. They'll make the rooms seem warmer and brighter.
  
• Brighten things with fresh paint. It costs very little and white, off-white, or beige walls make a room look bigger and lighter. They're also more likely to go with the new buyer's furnishings.
  
• Clean the oven and all appliances. Polish the chrome on the sink. Polish the chrome on tub, toilet, and bathroom sink.
  
• Launder draperies and curtains if needed.
  
• Shampoo carpets and wax floors. Consider replacing your carpet if it really looks worn. You may not recover all the costs, but your home should sell faster.
  
• Get out your tool kit: Tighten loose doorknobs, pulls on drawers and cabinets, towel racks, switch plates, and outlet covers. Fix sticking or squeaky doors and windows, loose stair banisters, and the like. Repair and clean caulking around tubs and sinks. Fix leaky faucets; remove water stains.