1. Detach Yourself from Your Home

• Your home is a commodity, it is no longer a place to live in, it is a product to be sold
• Let go of your emotions and focus on the fact that this home will no longer be yours
• Mentally say goodbye to every room
• Look forward to the next chapter in your life

2. De-Personalize

• Pack up those personal photographs and family heirlooms
• Buyers can’t see past personal artifacts and they become distracted
• Prospective buyers need to picture themselves living there

3. De-Clutter

• If you don’t need it, why not donate it or throw it away?
• Pack up those knickknacks and collectibles
• Clean off everything on kitchen counters
• Put essential items used daily in a small box that can be stored in a closet when not in use
• Think of this process as a head-start on the packing you will eventually need to do anyway

4. Reorganize all Closets and Cabinets

• Buyers look in every nook and cranny of your home
• A disorganized home overwhelms buyers
  
  

5. Use Garage or Temporary Storage

• Almost every home shows better with less furniture
• Remove pieces of furniture that block or restrict paths and walkways
• Leave just enough furniture in each room to showcase the room’s purpose or add staging items
• Rooms need to be furnished for todays trends
  
  

6. Light and Bright

• Want to have as much light as possible in every room
• Remove all screens since they darken the home
• Make sure shades and blinds are up
• Replace low watt bulbs with high watt bulbs
  
  

7. Make Repairs

• Patch holes and cracks in walls, inside and out
• Caulk and seal where needed
• Repair any items that are not functioning, i.e. leaky faucets, squeaky doors, etc.
• Have property inspection performed, fix necessary repairs at Realtor and homeowner’s discretion
  
  

8. Paint

• Paint is by far the best money you can spend on preparing your home
• Use a neutral to warm color palette for interior walls with a low sheen
• Use a shade of white for trim and moulding to accent architectural details
• Exterior paint should be in keeping with your neighborhood as well as architectural style
  
  

9. Make the house Sparkle

• Clean home thoroughly
• Wash windows inside and out
• Use pressure washer and spray down walkways and exterior
• Polish chrome faucets and mirrors
• Clean out the refrigerator, oven, stove, fireplace, etc.
• Bleach dingy grout
  
  

10. Curb Appeal, Curb Appeal, Curb Appeal

• Make sure your home is appealing from the outside to entice buyers inside
• Keep the landscaping fresh, add mulch/bark, color, as well as larger plantings to fill the yard
• Trim your bushes` and manicure trees, “If you can’t see it, you can’t sell it”
  
  

11. Scrutinize and Revitalize

• Stand outside your front door. Does the house welcome your target market?
• Linger in the doorway of every single room and imagine how your house will look to a buyer
• Does it look like nobody lives in this house? You’re almost finished