7 Things a Seller Needs to do before Listing! ( After reaching out to Sarah of course!)

                                       7 home maintenance tasks sellers must do before listing

Proactive is the buzzword when addressing both cosmetic and mechanical components of a listing. If you are thinking of listing your home now is the time to tackle these practical and “listing imperative” home maintenance projects!  I’ve been meeting with several clients thinking of listing their homes all around RI the past few weeks and would love to meet with you to come up with a game plan! Please reach out to me at 401 255 2578 and I will be happy to come do a consultation. With sales in Newport, Barrington, Rumford and Providence I truly love engaging in real estate ALL around this spectacular state! Give me a call and we can put together a game plan!

Spruce up the exterior

Curb appeal…it’s more than just a buzz word as the exterior is the first thing a buyer will see whether online or driving by. Now is the time to make sure it looks its best.

Walk around the entire exterior of the home, and conduct an assessment.

Consider pressure washing, painting, having the windows cleaned, cleaning out gutters, trimming back any overgrown or dead landscaping, cleaning the front door and changing out any worn door hardware that may look old and corroded. And make sure the front doorbell actually works!

Service the heating/cooling system

A home inspector is going to check this anyway, so be ahead of the game  by having the system serviced and cleaned. It’s better to take care of any repairs that may need addressing now versus waiting until a buyer decides to make an offer.

Do a light bulb check

Make sure all of the lightbulbs are working and free of dirt and debris. Don’t forget to check the outdoor lights as well.

Check the smoke detectors

Now is the time to make sure that all smoke detectors are working and have new batteries. Replace any old ones as an inspector is likely to flag those during a home inspection and recommend that they be replaced.

Blue tape it

Conduct a thorough walk through of the interior of the home. If there are any nicks, dents or scratches on the walls and moldings, blue tape them so sellers can go through and have each area repaired.

The more wear and tear a home appears to have, the more the buyer is going to chip away at the asking price.

Deep clean, declutter and depersonalize.

Now is the time to give the home that deep clean it needs. Consider hiring a cleaning crew to tackle this; the more hands, the better.

Deep cleaning means wiping down all of the baseboards and moldings and cleaning cabinets, appliances (including the oven) and every corner from top to bottom including light fixtures and ceiling fans.

It’s also a good time to gather all those unwanted closet items together to donate as well as any unused furniture and decor. The less stuff in the house, the less there is to organize and keep clean. Similarly the less personlized the home the better as far as a potential sale goes.  Once our outstanding photographs have captured our online viewers ( 90 % of buyers begin online) and they step foot into your home we desire a space in which they can envision themeselves living.  A living room where the buyer can see his or herself sitting down to read a book, or watch a Patriots game….a kitchen where the spacious, clutter free island invites thoughts of homework acitivities and family meals….. We want to present to the buyers a clean, tidy, distraction free ” canvas” from which a buyer can envision writing his or her own story….

Clear out the garage

Often overlooked when preparing a home for sale, don’t forget this space. Make sure the garage is clean, in good repair, organized and that you can actually walk through it.

Consider painting the floor or having an epoxy finish put down. Take a look up at the ceiling as well because also look up when touring this space, so make sure any drywall cracks or loose seams are repaired.

Buyers recognize and appreciate homes that have been taken care of. Taking some time to invest in home maintenance before selling will likely yield a big payoff when it becomes offer time.

As I took this photo below this morning the feel , smell and excitement of spring is truly in the air! I’m excited , motivated and enthusiastic about the potential stellar sales in the spring market forecast here in RI for all of my clients! Reach out to me so that we can come up with a game plan for your beloved home should a listing be on your spring or summer ” to do ” list!  All the best, Sarah