Top 10 Ideas to Get Your Home Ready to SELL!

Get ready! With the spring sale season just around the corner, now is the time to get your home ready to put on the market. As a Minnesota Realtor, I have seen many homes go on the market that simply are not ready. This decreases the amount a buyer is willing to pay buy thousands of dollars.
These are my Top 10 ideas for sellers to get their homes in top condition for a quick sale.

1. Make the Front Entrance SPARKLE!
You need to make a great first impression! A coat of paint and a new brass kick plate or doorknocker says "welcome home". Remove any personalized doorknockers or signs from the front of the home. Remember to trim bushes and shrubs and keep walkways clear. A blooming plant or festive wreath is a nice touch.

2. Organize the Kitchen
Kitchens sell homes—make yours appear more large and inviting! Clean off counters and organize cupboards and drawers. Store or pack seldom used appliances and large pans. Consider replacing the counter if it is worn or has an unusual color. Repair or replace leaky kitchen faucets and dated florescent light fixtures.

3. Reduce Clutter Inside and Out
Sort out E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G! Throw away anything you do not need and organize the rest. Too much stuff? Consider an off-site storage facility during the move. Donate unwanted items to a local charity. Campers, boats and old cars should be parked at a different location.

4. Clean
Your home should be spotless and smell clean too! Remember to give attention to the yard and garage too. Buyers want to see the size of your garage not where you dumped all the stuff from the house. If you have a dog, make certain that the yard has been picked up before every showing and it is completely free of debris.


5. Paint
Light neutral colors make small rooms appear larger. That cute personalization you painstakingly painted on your child’s wall is a paint-over project to a new buyer. Do them a favor and paint over before the first showing. Remove dated wallpaper and borders and paint walls. Use premium quality paint and remember to patch holes properly and tape woodwork prior to starting. A sloppy paint job can be more detrimental to your bottom line than no paint job at all.


6. Update Bath
If cleaning and painting cannot help a dingy bath, consider replacing vanity, counter and sink. Look at the faucets and light fixtures. If they are vintage, consider replacing. Also consider installing new flooring or buy nice plush floor mats to make the bathroom cozy. If the tub is nasty and stained, look into having it resurfaced.


7. Make Minor Repairs

Tighten knobs, fix leaky faucets, oil squeaking hinges, replace dirty filters, repair cracked windows and holes in screens. If it can be fixed, fix it! Buyers do not pay top dollar for a “project house”.


8. Fix Roof Leaks
One tiny water stain on the ceiling will cause a buyer to question the entire roof. Find and fix the leak at the source. This may be the time to call in an expert. Repair any ceiling damage. Disclose any information on repairs made to potential buyers.



9. Explain a Wet Basement
Do what you can to make repairs but be prepared to explain all existing and repaired problems to the potential buyers. Never try to cover signs of a wet basement.

10. Exterminate
Call a professional to get rid of the pests, repair any damage, and allow time for any pesticide smells to dissipate before showing. One bug, dead or alive, can make a bad impression on a buyer. If you have periodic mice, remove the traps and bait before showings. Again, disclose any pest infestations to potential buyers before the sale.


If you are relocating to Minnesota, are looking for Homes for Sale in Forest Lake and need help from a professional Realtor, give me a call. Serving Anoka, Chisago, Ramsey and Washington Counties real estate in Minnesota.


Copyright 2007 terieckholm.com

Something Smells Funny! Is YOUR Pet Destroying Your Home?

We Americans LOVE our Pets. Dogs, Cats, Bunnies, Monkeys, Rats…you name it. We let them sleep in our beds and eat in our kitchens. We buy and cook them special foods. We dress them up and treat them like the members of the family that they are. But have you ever considered the damage pets can do to your most important investment, your home?

As a real estate agent working in Minnesota, I have seen some strange pets inside of some homes…everything from pot-bellied pigs to monkeys and bunnies with the run of the house. Oh, yeah and then there are the people who have dogs and cats too. Many homeowners take great measures to protected their homes and property but some do not.

I have walked into vacant homes and had potential buyers pick out the exact location of where the previous owner had the litter box. I have seen puppy’s teeth marks on the sides of oak cupboards and cedar decking and claw marks on wood floors. I have walked through extensively landscaped yards destroyed by holes dug by chained dogs. I have witnessed a family whose cat jumps up and hangs on screens to notify their owner that they want to come inside. One seller had a sign posted in the furnace room on a terrarium full of large, noisy crickets announcing that it was food for the lizards and snakes that were kept in the bedrooms and family rooms of the home. And then there was the family that let the horse wander in the front yard and let the bunny have the entire house to roam…you can just imagine the damage left behind on that one.


While amusing to read about, pets can be hard on your home. When you go to sell, you could have to make extensive repairs or discount your selling price to reflect the condition.

The smells are the worst. People who keep pets in carpeted rooms even in cages or kennels can have serious problems. Often the odors will not be removed with a simple steam cleaning. In most cases, I recommend that the carpet be replaced. But homeowners with serious damage find that they are not only replacing the carpet, the padding and sometimes even the sub-flooring needs to be removed to eliminate the smell.

It is possible to have your beloved pet and to protect your home.

• Keep your pet well groomed to reduce odor, hair and nail damage.



• Get a pet bed for your dogs and cats. (Several are available at www.olddogpaws.com). Our dog loves the extra comfort and it keeps dirt and sweat from his coat from going into the carpet fibers. We will move his from room to room during the day so he can stay with us. If this is too much trouble, buy several. They are considerably cheaper than replacing carpet. Our cat uses his bed daily too. It is positioned for his easy access in front of his favorite window so he doesn’t jump and leave marks on the woodwork.



• Have a proper sized kennel or cage for exotic pets and clean often.



• Clear all accidents immediately. Use special pet cleaners to remove odors and stains.



• Cover all exposed woodwork especially around windows. Pets love to jump up and look out windows. Use gates to limit your pet’s access to soft wood floors like birch or cherry wood. Nail marks require the floor to be completely sanded down before refinishing. It can get very costly.



• Don’t chain your dog to the side of your house. Chains and bolts can cause both cosmetic and structural damage to your home.
  

If you are relocating to Minnesota, are looking for Homes for Sale in Forest Lake and need help from a professional Realtor, give me a call. Serving Anoka, Chisago, Ramsey and Washington Counties real estate in Minnesota.


Copyright 2007 terieckholm.com