Real Estate Tips - Getting your house ready to sell

Before you get ready to put your home on the market you need to make sure that your house looks like a house that someone wants to live in. It should be very clean at all times because there may be last minute showings. A good place to begin when making your house presentable is the outside inwards.

The first thing to work on is the yard and outside appearance of the house. The lawn should be cut and weeds removed and it is always nice to plant some flowers and make it look presentable. If the driveway needs re-covering or the front door needs re-painting, do it! because it could add to the price of your house. If your home does not have landscaping either in the front or back it is a good idea to get that done before you put your home on the market.

With your home looking attractive on the outside, it’s now time to focus on the inside. Clean all the windows, dust all the furniture, dust blinds and ceiling fans. The most important thing to do is remove all clutter because most people do not want to look at other people's stuff. If necessary paint or touch up the walls. Make an effort to thoroughly clean all over the house, including the kitchen and especially the bathroom.

After you’ve spent hours cleaning your house and making it presentable to potential buyers the next step is to try and get rid of any bad smells that you may have around the house. This may include a shampoo to the carpet if you have animals.

KITCHEN & BATHROOMS -Wash all cabinets inside and out. Fix any leaks in sinks or bathtubs. Replace worn-out faucets, this will give a new look to the room. Counter space is very important. Clear off counter tops. Leave only a few necessary items out. Less items gives the impression of more counter space! Clean the stove, microwave, refrigerator and all other appliances.

PRIMARY STORAGE AREA - Like the garage, less means more space. Pack all the clutter away in boxes and put in storage or have a garage sale and get rid of everything you don't need any more. Remember, everything you do before the "For Sale by Owner" Sign goes up will benefit you with a more attractive house on the market, and possibly a higher selling price.

BAD SMELLS - Get rid of any bad smells in your house. Pay attention to pet or cigarette odors. Place scented potpourri around the house. Light scented candles to absorb some of the bad smells. Open all windows to air out house.

Once all the cleaning is done its also important to look at some legal requirements before you get your house sold. Check out the tax implications and if necessary hire a Title company to sort out finalizing the contract.