Pat L Layton
Broker
Direct #: 502-875-1600
pat@patlayton.com

Getting Your House Ready To Sell

Can you sell a house by its cover?  First impressions count, big time.  

How does the house look from the curb?
Mow the lawn.  Clean up the flower bed; if there is no flower bed, consider putting one in, or  some hanging baskets with colorful flowers.   

Fix that broken slat in the left shutter, and then paint them all; and if you'll take a look at the garage door, as if you were seeing it for the first time, you'll clearly see that it has also needed some fresh paint for quite some time.  

Clear off the back deck.  Take the kids' bikes and basketballs off of the front lawn.  Okay, okay; you get the idea.  Oh, yes, don't forget to clean up the garage and the basement.

Now take a fresh look at what you see when you walk in the front door.  
Does it look cluttered?  Would it look more spacious if you took out some of the extra furniture and objects you have acquired over time?  When it comes to a living room, sometimes less is more.  It is often worth it to put excess furniture in a rented storage locker for a month.   

A fresh paint job indoors could do wonders.  

I know; you've been thinking about new drapes for the past two years, and it doesn't seem fair to buy them just before you'll be moving.  Well, I never told you that life is fair.  You don't have to replace that carpeting (but it could benefit from a steam cleaning; they rent the machine at the hardware store).  

Make the stove and the kitchen sink shine, and remove the clutter from the counter tops.

As much as possible, remove the cigarette and pet odors.  Everybody has heard the "trite" advice of having the smell of freshly baked bread lingering in the air, but it's a good idea.

Those potential buyers are going to look in your closets.  Make them look spacious, roomy, and neat.

As well as the cosmetic features, if there is a more major repair needed, fixing it will turn a liability into an asset.  The fact that the potential buyer knows that the house has a new roof or a new hot water heater may result in a faster sale and a better price.