How To Prepare Your House For Sale - Part 1

Prepping your property.

Every seller wants their home to sell fast and bring in the highest price. If that sounds good to you, then here are some valuable tips - it's not luck that will make that sale happen. It's careful planning and knowing how to professionally spruce up your home that will send home buyers scurrying for their cheque books.

Here is the first of 2 blogs on how to prep a house and turn it into an irresistible and marketable home.

1. Disassociate Yourself With Your Home.

Say to yourself, "This is not my home; it is just a house - a product to be sold much like a box of cereal on a supermarket shelf. Make the mental decision to "let go" of your emotions and focus on the fact that soon this house will no longer be yours. Picture yourself handing over the keys and envelopes containing appliance warranties to the new owners! Say goodbye to every room. Don't look backwards - look toward the future.

2. De-Personalize.

Pack up those personal photographs and family heirlooms. Buyers can't see past personal artifacts, and you don't want them to be distracted. You want buyers to imagine their own photos on the walls, and they can't do that if yours are there! You don't want to make any buyer ask, "I wonder what kind of people live in this home?" You want buyers to say, "I can see myself living here."

3. De-Clutter!

People collect an amazing quantity of junk. Consider this: if you haven't used it in over a year, you probably don't need it. If you don't need it, why not donate it or throw it away? Remove all books from bookcases. Pack up those knickknacks. 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. Rearrange Bedroom Cupboards and Kitchen Cabinets.

Buyers love to snoop and will open cupboard and cabinet doors. Think of the message it sends if items fall out! Imagine what a buyer believes about you if they see everything organised. It says you probably take good care of the rest of the house as well. This means: Organise spice jars. Neatly stack dishes. Turn coffee cup handles facing the same way. Hang shirts together, buttoned and facing the same direction. Line up shoes.

5. Rent a Storage Unit.

Almost every home shows better with less furniture. Remove pieces of furniture that block or hamper paths and walkways and put them in storage. Since your bookcases are now empty, store them. Remove extensions from your dining room table to make the room appear larger. Leave just enough furniture in each room to showcase the room's purpose and plenty of room to move around. You don't want buyers scratching their heads and saying, "What is this room used for?"

End Part 1 - By Elizabeth Weintraub, About.com.