SELLER CHECKLIST – 30 Interior Tasks to Prepare for Your Charlotte Home for Sale
Those who have never had a Charlotte home for sale before often think that selling is as simple as hiring a real estate agent and putting a sign in the yard. Believe me, it’s not that simple, as you’ll soon discover!
The Interior of Your Home
You’ve taken care of the exterior of your Charlotte home for sale-the first up-close impression buyers get. So, when buyers make it inside, they’re one step closer to actually buying your home. However, if the interior is a mess, this could blow the entire plan to get your home SOLD.
Here’s a checklist to make your home’s interior buyer-ready:
- Make sure the front door doesn’t stick
- Test windows to ensure they open and close easily
- Wash windows inside and out
- Move pets and pet supplies to a temporary home
- Fix leaky faucets
- Update fixtures on your cabinet hardware and door knobs
- De-clutter closets and cabinets (yes, buyers WILL open them!)
- Replace or repair cabinet doors
- Clean or replace dirty or worn grout
- Wash the walls if you’re not repainting
- Repair cracks or holes in the wall
- Paint walls a neutral color
- Remove personal items, such as knick-knacks and personal mementos
- Clean the fireplace
- Have the chimney professionally cleaned
- Remove clutter from countertops, tables and shelves
- Steam clean the carpets
- Scrub all appliances
- Clean cobwebs and dead bugs from light fixtures and ceiling fans
- Make sure every light has a working bulb
- Degrease the stove and oven
- De-clutter and clean the attic and the basement
- Clean out your garage – do not fill the garage with moving boxes-buyers tend to think that you don’t have enough storage space when the garage is filled to the brim. Rent a storage unit!
- Make sure crawl spaces have crawl space waterproofing
- Remove excess furniture
- Rearrange remaining furniture in good proportion (Or hire a home stager)
- Clean the window treatments
- Replace broken panels for electrical switches and outlets
- Wipe down baseboards
- Clean and wax linoleum floors
While each of the Charlotte homes for sale is unique, with different selling points and selling problems, this list is a good start for any home.
If you’re ready to sell your Charlotte home, I can help. Call me or email me for more information.
For more seller checklists to prepare your Charlotte home for sale, visit our seller page at www.iCharlotteRealEstate.com.
(THE best Charlotte home search available - no kidding!)
Debe Maxwell, CRS/Realtor®/Broker
Broker@TheCharlotteScoop.com
Phone (704) 491-3310
Debe,
Excellent tips for any homeowner getting ready to sell their home. Very important things for them to pay attention to if they want top dollar for their home.
Debbie this is a great list, I can't tell you how many homes I have shown when my buyers look in the oven and its gross even in a 2-3 yr old home, doors sticking is also top on the list if the door is hard to open when you put the key in and you have to push its not a good sign. You have included many things sellers forget
Great tips for sellers I thank you for sharing. Good luck!
Its amazing how many people do not do #20 ...."Make sure every light has a working bulb"
Its so easy and makes such a big difference! pippa
#20 is a big bug-a-boo with me. There's nothing that buyers notice more. I'm reblogging this post. Great tips!
I just have to move out. I need to get a couple of my sellers to do that too.
dear debe,
great ideas. love to read your thoughts. if the sellers went one by one through your list, they would probably do even more as they went along.
have a happy day, lynn
Hi Debe --- buyers love to "touch" "smell" and "feel" --- so home sellers need to make sure the tactile experience of their home(yes, think ALL of those senses) need to be as perfect as can be. Great post.
Great advice Debe as usual. If you want to maximize your return put a little "elbow grease" in the preparation. It might take some time and effort but usually does not cost a lot of dough.
Great and complete list of to dos. I need to make a list of must dos for sellers.
Great list for anyone thinking of placing their home on the market. And especially important with market conditions as they are today.
Great list Debe, I was going to make a list as well, but now I think I'll just steal yours...LOL
Debe.. What a great checklist to prepare your home for sale ..:0)
Hannah
This is a great list Debe - and so very important since buyers just really aren't wild about thinking they will have to do cleaning and maintenance that the seller has neglected (and they start mentally deducting money from the price they will pay for the house too).
Yes yes yes yes yes .............
"This post is BritishAgentApproved" !! ;o)
Very nicely done Big Sis - terrific guide for sellers !!!
Cheers !!!
Hi Debe- this is pecisely why you are so good at what you do. Informative and pro active. All of these repairs/maintenance should be done prior to listing to ensure a quick sale. Great blog post!
Nice gold star.....even though you don't have one at the point of me suggesting this.....You will! A lot of great points. I'd be happy wiht 10, but 30????? Hey, you take the cake!
Hi Debe - this is excellent information for someone preparing their home to sell. I am sure that your Charlotte, NC home sellers appreciate this very detailed list.
Great list but it only scratches the surface. There's a limitless list of things sellers can do to enhance their home. I think it would help if the tasks were organized a bit better by interior/exterior and perhaps by room.
Hi Everyone! I just happened to check over here and see all these wonderful comments! Thank you so much! ANYthing that I can do to help my sellers prepare their home, I DO. Home sellers need each and every advantage in this market and our team goes that extra mile to see that they have every opportunity to achieve their goals and move on.
From the front door to the floors, this seller checklist will get them well on their way to a successful sale.
Thanks again for your comments. Have a fabulous Friday everyone!
Hello Debe and I agree with John, like the article and great checklist and thanks for the read!
VB ;o)
Good morning Debe,
Excellent post and these 30 tips every seller needs to heed when getting their home ready to go to market if they want a successful sale :).
Most of this list is paid for with sweat equity. Every seller should take on these tasks.
Debe-This is a great list indeed, Thanks for posting it!
21 is a good one. Most sellers don't realize the buyers will open the oven and if it is gross inside, it says a lot to them. Great list!
Good tips, Debe. When a Seller looks at a list like this, they sometimes get so overwhelmed. To me it's very similar to the saying "Every body wants to go to heaven , but nobody wants to die." Every Seller wants to sell their house, but almost nobody wants to do all that it takes to get it sold.
Hi Debbie, I am adding this list to my Seller's Presentation Package. These are just things that they may take for granted, but following your list will help get their home sold quicker.
I suggested!!
And clean out those medicine cabinets. Once you do that, you might find that the metal bottom is all rusty and will need a little work.
Funny, Jim! I've actually seen that happen too! Pulling up the old lining to clean prior to moving, they're always surprised at what they will find, including cash!!