What to do before selling your home

What you should know before selling your home

Planning to sell your home this year? Here are some sale preparation activities you can do yourself.

Set aside a few weekends to do the work and follow these three steps. Then get ready to make a great impression on potential buyers and close the deal.

Step 1: Clean and tidy
It may seem obvious, but the importance of cleaning and tidying up cannot be overstated. Here are some ideas to make this process almost painless.

Eliminate clutter before cleaning: This is the time to clear your home of unwanted and unnecessary items. Your local recycling company or municipality may be willing to pick up and haul away large metal items for free or provide drop-off locations.
Thoroughly clean the house: this step will probably require the biggest investment of time. Involve the whole family if you can! Think of it as a pumped-up spring clean. Pay particular attention to kitchens and bathrooms, and wash windows inside and out - a striking improvement to the overall appearance of your home.
Organise your cupboards, cabinets and drawers: in this case, out of sight doesn't mean out of mind. Many potential buyers will want to see the inside of cupboards and wardrobes to assess the amount of storage space, and these are often the most cluttered areas of your home.
Step 2: Make minor repairs
Take care of these issues before you take your listing photos or prepare for shows, either in person or on video tours. These are all fixes you can make yourself.

Repair any leaking taps and running toilets.
Replace the seals around baths, showers and basins.
Refresh or repair the grout if necessary.
Repair the walls and repaint them in a neutral, generally pleasing colour that suits your home.
Replace burnt-out light bulbs.

Step 3: Take care of the external appearance

You want potential buyers to be enthralled by the exterior of your home, to look forward to the interior. Extend your pumped-up spring cleaning to the outside of your home too.

Trim bushes, shrubs and trees.
Clean and repair concrete areas such as driveways and pavements. Eliminate any oil or grease stains and clean any weeds protruding through cracks.
If seasonally appropriate, display some annual pots that will retain their colour throughout the season. Make sure your house numbers are clearly visible.
With a little effort you can make your home beautiful and cosy, both inside and out.