Preparing Your Home for Sale

It is possible to significantly influence the selling price of your house by preparing it and your property before putting it on the market! Here are suggestions to improve a buyer's first impression of your home. Review the checklist with your Realtor®, who can help you in more detail. Before taking pictures, check to see exactly what the camera will "see". By all means, look carefully at walls, floors and ceilings for signs of wear, marks or need for repainting. It may pay to have a professional cleaning service come and perform a thorough cleaning.

View From Across The Street

Healthy, trimmed lawn
Shrubs trimmed neatly
Trees, shrubs trimmed to not touch the house

Fix broken driveway asphalt
Edge all walkways and driveway
Remove any loose items/clutter from grounds

House Exterior

Powerwash/Clean siding
Touch up all exterior trim
Repair any gates or fence

Clean and align gutters and downspouts
Wash shutters
Wash all windows, storms, and screens

Front Door Entrance Area - Exterior

Clean front steps, porch as needed
Clean exterior light fixtures
Put welcome mat at entrance

Wash or paint front door
Polish doorknobs, exterior hardware

Front Door Entrance Area - Interior

Clear interior entry area of all clutter
Wash, polish and replace bulbs in light fixture
Paint to lighten and refresh entrance area

Reduce volume, clutter in the front hall closet
Clean and polish the front entry floor
Remove fingerprints, scuff marks on trim, walls

Main Rooms

Repaint or touch up walls, ceiling and trim
Repair or replace damaged molding and trim

Shampoo carpeting
Refinish, clean, wax floor

Bedrooms

Repaint, re-paper, touch up walls, trim, ceiling
Replace or clean drapes
Shampoo carpet or clean, polish floors

Organize and neaten all closets
Clear off top surfaces of all bedroom furniture
Put all clothing away

Kitchen

Paint walls, ceiling, trim white or light color
Scrub, Re-polish or refinish floors if necessary
Wash, wipe down, wax cabinets/appliances
Thoroughly clean range, ovens
Reorganize and clean out cabinets and drawer
Clear all clutter from counter tops
Check to see that drawers/doors open easily

Clean out refrigerator and wash interior
Empty dishwasher, clean around controls
Check operation of all appliances
Neatly arrange and display dishes in cabinets
Wash or replace curtains
Clean or put away pet feeding, watering dishes

Bathrooms

Paint using light colors
Scrub tile, bleach, repair grout
Check to see that drawers/doors open easily
Clean, polish floor as appropriate

Replace old toilet seats
Clean out medicine cabinet, wash inside and out
Replace shower window curtains
Buy a set of new, color coordinated bath linens

Laundry Room

Check operation of appliances and clean them
Clean and clear clutter

Provide adequate (bright) light to area

General

Remove clutter, papers, unnecessary items
Replace burned-out bulbs throughout the house
Clean out, sweep, organize garage
Organize basement and attic storage
Remove cobwebs from ceilings, corners

Place colorful plants around the house
Remove paint splash on tile, floor, cabinets
Wash, polish all door hardware, handrails
Reorganize, clean-out all closets

	Moving Date:
8 Weeks Before the Move.	Week of:
Call for estimates from at least 3 insured professional movers. Draw a floor plan of your new home using graph paper. Layout out your furniture on the floor plan and determine which will fit and what you will need to purchase. Ask your Realtor® to have a "residential information packet" sent to you on your new town.
6 Weeks Before the Move.	Week of:
Inventory all possessions now. Decide what to move, sell, replace or donate to charity. Take care of all change of address forms, mail to media, stores, organizations. If you have children, make arrangements for record transfers between schools and doctors on both ends of the move. Itemize moving related costs with mover including packing, loading, special charges, insurance, etc.
4 Weeks Before the Move.	Week of:
Repair, send out for re-upholstery, or clean furniture, drapes, carpeting as necessary. Having a garage/yard sale to dispose of unneeded items can greatly help your move. If a professional mover is packing your goods, schedule packing days 1 or 2 days before the move. If you move yourself, order adequate boxes, packing materials, tape now. Arrange for short-term or long-term storage if you will need it. Make travel arrangements for pets, including necessary medical records, immunizations, etc.
3 Weeks Before the Move.	Week of:
Assemble sufficient supply of packing materials, equipment. Pack items you won't use immediately or that will go into storage and LABEL THEM. Contact utilities on both ends of the move, order termination or turn-on for occupancy date. Confirm all travel arrangements.
2 Weeks Before the Move.	Week of:
Prepare auto for trip to new home. Check tires, oil, and have car serviced before the move. Cancel/transfer newspaper and other delivery services. Confirm new bank accounts by phone and in writing. If you are purchasing or moving appliances, schedule a service firm for moving day to prepare major appliances for the move.
1 Week Before the Move.	Week of:
Gather important papers, records, valuables for protected shipment to new home or safe deposit box. Notify friends and neighbors of new address, (and phone number if possible). Make plans for young children to be cared for on moving day. You will need every minute for the move. Fill any necessary prescriptions, medications needed for the next several weeks.
Day Before the Move and MOVING DAY!	Moving Date:
Defrost refrigerator and freezer. Give away all food in both units. Plan simple meals for moving day (or take out food) to avoid using the refrigerator. Pick up cash for your trip and for the mover's invoice (if required). Pack items you need to take with you including valuables, financial records, personal papers. Pack signed bill of lading and inventory where they can be easily reached at your destination. Give the mover a telephone number and address where you can be reached in your new town