27 Free & Easy Fix-ups To Sell Your Home For The Best Price

Your home will sell. There’s no question about that – in today’s market or tomorrow’s, good or bad. However, if you put your home on the market without preparing it for sale, you may have a long wait for an offer. You also may not realize your home’s greatest return on investment.

You don’t have to turn your pockets inside out to get it ready to sell. Some outlay may be necessary for painting, for replacing worn woodwork, carpeting, cabinet doors, or for repairing broken fixtures or appliances.

There are, however, many fix-ups that cost absolutely nothing -except a little time and elbow grease. These fix-ups will make all the difference in whether or not your home makes the most of itself. Here are a few tips for getting your home ready to show itself off to your pocketbook’s best advantage:

1. Spruce up all around the house. Keep lawn and shrubbery trimmed and free of bicycles and other clutter. Keep the garden beds weeded and mulched.

2. Put a flowering pot on the front step and keep it watered and trimmed.

3. Fill pot holes in your driveway and tidy up walkways.

4. Clean off your outdoor furniture; remove any dust (or toss out the rusted item).

5. Clear out the garage of everything but cars. If yours has become a two car attic, throw out the excess.

6. 6 Straighten gutters, the TV antenna, the fence and other things that sag. 7

7. Fix doorbells, tighten loose doorknobs, and oil squeaking hinges. 8

8. Repair broken windows and shutters.

9. Clean everything in and out of sight. Shampoo rugs and wax floors.  Wash or brush walls.  Wash windows and clean blinds    and draperies.

10. Weed clutter out of closets and cupboards.

11. Create space by storing some of the extra furniture you’ve found    useful (bureaus, bookcases, storage chests, oversized chairs) but which makes a crowed impression.

12. Place the remaining furniture so that traffic can flow easily from room to room.

13. Unless you’re a skilled artist, scale down your personal art work (portraits, landscapes), posters, signs, and family photos, especially in teen-agers rooms. Create a feeling of spaciousness.

14. Keep shades and draperies open, to admit as much light as possible, but screen out unappealing views.

15. Let your kitchen look warm and welcoming, not a hectic work place. Keep your sink shining and free of dirty dishes at all    times.

16. Organize cupboards.

17. Clean the refrigerator.

18. Keep counter tops clear, but not empty (as if not used); adorn them with your most attractive canister.

19. Completely degrease your oven. Let the kitchen smell fresh and fragrant (with cinnamon warming in the clean oven, if you have time).

20. Remove debris (dust, flies, moth, etc.) from all light fixtures.

21. Keep bathrooms scrubbed tidy and equipped with fresh soap and neatly hung towels (matching, if possible).

22. Get rid of all stains and install new washers on dripping faucets.

23. Feature (with lighting or furniture arrangement) your home’s best characteristics (a fireplace, a picture window, a balcony, ceiling beams, a kitchen eating area, etc.).

24. If you’ve repainted (preferably in safe natural tones), add bold splashes of color ( with your brightest throw pillows, crockery, pictures, etc.)

25. Place plants in strategic spots in any room – the bigger the more glamorous, if space permits.

26. Light the whole house, especially dark corners and hallways.

27. Hang mirrors where they will reflect outdoor light-as well as make a room larger.

Rosti and Martina Brankovsky specialize in staging homes for sale. Room by room they will point out what should be done to improve the sale ability of your home. They can also show you any house or condominium, even those for sale with other real estate companies, in metropolitan Toronto and surrounding areas, advise you about the activity in an area and at the negotiation represent only you to get you the best deal. Please feel free to call them with any of your real estate questions.