by Darlene Olafsen

A cluttered space. Clearing clutter and creating more open and well-organized spaces will make your home more visually appealing. © Sandra Heath | Dreamstime.com

So, you’re selling your home. One of the questions facing you is how much home improvement is necessary to present your home as competitive while not spending too much on improvements you’ll never enjoy. Let’s look at the most important areas that buyers see when they visit your home and ways to prioritize your money and time. Here’s a to-do list in order of importance:

1. De-clutter and clean, clean, clean.

2. Get a pest inspection and a home inspection.

3. Complete all top-priority repairs.

4. Paint.

5. Clean and plant the yard.

These are your top five must-do item. The cleaning and de-cluttering are the most important. What does it mean to clean and de-clutter your house for sale? It’s much different than cleaning for a visit from the family. Think of it as needing your home to look like a hotel room. First, remove extra furniture and tables, and any clutter. The more floor and surface space you can see, the more spacious and open and welcoming the rooms look. All surfaces and floors should be cleared, and closets should be nearly empty or very well organized. Now take a close look at things that the buyer will see: your stove top, window sills, baseboards and light switches. How does that grout look in the shower or tub? If it looks yellowed, scrape it out and apply new. If it will help, hire a housecleaner to help you. Don’t forget to clean the windows!

Now that you’ve got the house clean, what do you see? Oh yes, all those marks on the walls and floors. Suddenly the window coverings are showing their dust and the furniture might be showing its age, too. So get creative! Wash the window coverings, clean the carpets, put pretty throws over shabby chairs, add lots of fresh flowers and live plants. Get scented candles and light them before showings. But most importantly, you’ll need to do some painting. Whether you just need touch-ups or whole rooms painted, fresh paint brings new life to your home in a way that simply charms buyers. It looks bright and fresh now, ready for them to start their new life. Don’t forget to paint the front door and clean the door handle. The door handle is the first thing buyers will touch in your home; what does that handle look like? Is it corroded from the weather? Maybe that would be something to replace.

Let’s talk about repairs, and about replacing worn hardware and other items. When you get a home inspection and a pest inspection you will be surprised by all the little — and sometime big — things you never knew needed to be addressed. The inspectors will give you a detailed report and they itemize exactly what needs fixing. In a pest report the items are identified as section one or section two work, telling you which are more important. This list is best reviewed by you and your real estate agent to determine which are must-do items and which can be left unattended. Some items have legal ramifications, like the strapping of your water heater or the placement and functioning of smoke detectors.

If you’re not much of a gardener, your yard might not look like much. This is when you’ll want to stand in front of your home with a critical eye to see what looks unattractive and what you can highlight or improve. Most houses benefit from a good washing down. With the dust and cobwebs gone the paint looks brighter and fresher. Do you have scraggly old plants? Pull them out and put in some fresh ones. Add pots of color or hanging baskets near the front door.

Darlene Olafsen

For the most part, these are inexpensive fixes that will bring your home to life and make it competitive and attractive for buyers. Remember, they don’t want to buy your old stuff or dirt, they want to buy a new house. When you present your home at its best, you’ll get the best price!

Darlene Olafsen is a Realtor at Coldwell Banker. Call her at 650-712-2450 or visit her website at DarleneO.net.