1. No Clutter. Throw out old newspapers and magazines. Pack away most of your small items like figurines and other trinkets. Store clothing that won't be used in the near future to make closets seem roomier. Clean out the garage. Buyers like to visualize their possessions in the house and that is hard to do when the ocean home is full of clutter.
2. Wash your windows and screens, especially on the oceanfront side. This lets more light into the interior and dirty windows are a turn off.
3. Keep everything really clean. Wash fingerprints and dirt from light switch plates. Clean the floors, appliances, dust any furniture. A clean house makes a better first impression and tells buyers that the home has been well cared for.
4. Make room brighter by replacing blown and dim light bulbs to make rooms brighter. Before buyers arrive, turn on the lights and open the curtains to let as much light as possible in.
5. Make all minor repairs that you can find. Everything you don't repair now will be revealed in the home inspection and can create a bad impression. Small problems such as sticky doors, torn screens, cracked caulking, cracked receptacle covers or a dripping faucet may seem trivial, but they'll give buyers the impression that the house isn't well maintained. You can also go a step further and get a sellers home inspection to see for yourself what the home inspector will see. You can also market the home as being pre-inspected.
6. Spruce up the landscape. Cut the grass, trim back the brushes and trees, put new straw or mulch in the flower beds, and edge the driveway and walkways. Plant a few colorful seasonal flowers and place a few potted plants around the entrance to liven up the landscaping.
7. Fill cracks and holes in the driveway. Apply a sealant if needed.
8. Clean out any debris in the gutters.
9. Change the front door hardware and house numbers.
10. Eliminate odors in the home. Clean carpeting and curtains to get rid of unpleasant odors in the home. If the carpet is old, consider replacing it. The added value to the home will likely far outweigh the cost of replacing it. Open the windows. The number one turn off to a potential buyer is an unpleasant odor. - 31515
2. Wash your windows and screens, especially on the oceanfront side. This lets more light into the interior and dirty windows are a turn off.
3. Keep everything really clean. Wash fingerprints and dirt from light switch plates. Clean the floors, appliances, dust any furniture. A clean house makes a better first impression and tells buyers that the home has been well cared for.
4. Make room brighter by replacing blown and dim light bulbs to make rooms brighter. Before buyers arrive, turn on the lights and open the curtains to let as much light as possible in.
5. Make all minor repairs that you can find. Everything you don't repair now will be revealed in the home inspection and can create a bad impression. Small problems such as sticky doors, torn screens, cracked caulking, cracked receptacle covers or a dripping faucet may seem trivial, but they'll give buyers the impression that the house isn't well maintained. You can also go a step further and get a sellers home inspection to see for yourself what the home inspector will see. You can also market the home as being pre-inspected.
6. Spruce up the landscape. Cut the grass, trim back the brushes and trees, put new straw or mulch in the flower beds, and edge the driveway and walkways. Plant a few colorful seasonal flowers and place a few potted plants around the entrance to liven up the landscaping.
7. Fill cracks and holes in the driveway. Apply a sealant if needed.
8. Clean out any debris in the gutters.
9. Change the front door hardware and house numbers.
10. Eliminate odors in the home. Clean carpeting and curtains to get rid of unpleasant odors in the home. If the carpet is old, consider replacing it. The added value to the home will likely far outweigh the cost of replacing it. Open the windows. The number one turn off to a potential buyer is an unpleasant odor. - 31515
About the Author:
Hubert Miles is the founder of Waterfront Houses USA, an internet marketing service that provides Oceanfront Home and Ocean Home available in the US and Canada.
