Christmas is over,
New Year's is near,
If you are thinking about listing your home in 2014,
You better listen here!
 
It is NEVER too soon to start prepping your home for sale, even if you are just casually looking to make a move.  We have a phrase in real estate- "looking at homes without a mortgage preapproval is like shopping without money".  Doesn't get you very far does it?  Same thing goes for looking for a new home when your current home needs some love before it goes on the market.
 
If you are even feeling lukewarm about selling your home in 2014, now is the time to get ready!  What if your dream home comes on the market?  Perfect location, perfect price, perfect layout, perfect size, etc., but your current home is not even close to sale ready.  The perfect home does not come along every day and if your current home is not ready, you can kiss the thought of that dream home good bye!

Here are some of my tips-

Declutter!!!-  I can't say it enough, this is always the 1st step for prepping to sell your home!  Between donating and throwing out unwanted things or moving things to a storage unit, the stuff has to get out of the house.  Less clutter=home showing better and appearing larger. It's just that simple!
 
Painting! Now I am not talking about a whole house paint job (which is always preferred, but might not be in the budget).  I am talking about paint touch up and taking care of the rooms that might not have the most neutral paint color.  You know that bright pink bedroom that your daughter HAD to have?  Maybe you can talk her into having it repainted to a more neutral color.
 
Repairing deferred maintenance items!  That loud noise the exhaust fan makes when you hit the switch, the way you have to jiggle the key just right to make the door unlock, the kitchen faucet with the slow drip, I could go on and on...these are all things that you have probably learned to live with over the years, but it might be a turn off to a prospective buyer.  They can think "if the seller couldn't fix something so simple, what else is there that hasn't been taken care of?" 
 
Updating items in the home!  I could talk for days on this topic, but there are some low cost ways to brighten, lighten and modernize your home without emptying your wallet.  Some quick ideas are- change out cabinet knobs and drawer pulls in kitchen and bathrooms, replace older kitchen and bath faucets, update light fixtures and ceiling fans and even change out old or damaged flooring, if that is in the budget.  
 

Now, this is just a simple list of a few items to put you in a great starting position, but when you are ready to put the sign in the yard, check out my list for making your home photo (and market) ready!

-Annie

Hello there!  Welcome!

I am going to start this whole blogging thing on a festive note- Decorating your home for the Holidays while it's listed for sale.  There are different schools of thought, but here is my professional opinion-practice minimalism.  Can you decorate for the Holidays…absolutely, but there are a few common sense rules! 

-No decorations for professional photos, if at all possible!  No one wants to see a home still listed in March with a Christmas tree in a photo- that is the telltale sign of how long a home has been on the market.  Not a good thing!  Now, the house very well could sell before the Holiday season is over or new interior photos can be taken when the decorations come down, but doesn’t it make sense to get it right the first time?  I think so!

-Once the home is photographed and you do decorate, keep it classy.  If you are usually a decorator that could go up against Clark Griswold’s lighting masterpieces, scale it back.  A wreath on the door, a tree (or two) in the home and some simple lights would be perfect!  While decorations can give a home a cozy and festive feeling, too many decorations can be distracting to some buyers.  (See photo above, ouch!)

 -Finally, take the decorations down in a timely fashion.  By timely fashion, I am talking about no later than a few days into January!  This is a must!

Now please don’t think I am a Grinch during the Holiday Season, I love decorations as much as the next gal!  BUT- the last thing any seller wants to do is to turn off a prospective buyer because of decorations that are only up for a few weeks!

Happy selling!!!

-Annie