Before putting your home on the market, Rubloff Residential Properties’ brokers advise sellers to enhance the resale value of their home’s interior by making the following improvements:
Give every room a thorough cleaning and remove all clutter. This alone will make your house appear bigger and brighter. Some homeowners with crowded rooms have rented storage garages and moved some of their furniture out, creating a sleeker, more spacious look.
Hire a professional cleaning service once every few weeks while the house is on the market.
Remove items from kitchen counters, closets and attics, making those areas much more inviting. Since you’re anticipating a move anyway, holding a garage sale at this point is a great idea.
If necessary, repaint soiled or strongly colored walls with a neutral shade such as off-white or beige. Apply the same colors to carpets and flooring. Check for cracks, leaks and signs of dampness in the attic and basement.
Repair cracks, holes or damage to plaster, wallboard, wallpaper, paint and tiles.
Replace broken or cracked windowpanes, molding and other woodwork.
Inspect and repair plumbing, heating, cooling and alarm systems.
Repair dripping faucets and showerheads.
Buy showy new towels for the bathroom, to be displayed only when prospective buyers are on the way.
Spruce up a kitchen in need of more major remodeling by investing in new cabinet knobs, new curtains or a coat of neutral paint.
Rubloff suggests sellers boost their home’s exterior and curb appeal by making the following improvements:
Keep the lawn edged, cut and watered regularly.
Trim hedges, weeding lawns and flowerbeds and pruning trees regularly.
Check the foundation, steps, walkways, walls and patios for cracks and crumbling.
Inspect doors and windows for peeling paint.
Clean and align gutters.
Inspect and clean the chimney.
Repair and replace loose or damaged roof shingles.
Repair and repaint loose siding and caulking.
In winter, keep walks neatly cleared of snow and ice.
During spring and summer, consider adding a few showy annuals, perhaps in pots, near your front entrance.
Reseal an asphalt driveway.
Keep your garage door closed.
Apply a fresh coat of paint to the front door.
When showing your home to a prospective buyer, there are several key steps sellers should follow.
Before prospective buyers arrive, open drapes and curtains. Make certain the temperature is comfortable.
Avoid having too many people present. Potential buyers may feel like intruders and hurry through your home.
Unless pets are quiet and well behaved, keep them out of the way temporarily.
Soft background music is acceptable, but blaring stereos, radios and TVs will impede discussions.
Never apologize for the appearance of your home. After all, it’s been lived in. Let your Realtor react to comments.
It’s a good idea to stay in the background or better yet, leave the house.
For more information, call (312) 368-5300 or visit the Rubloff Residential Properties Internet site at: www.rubloff.com.
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