Home Seller’s Checklist: Get prepared for selling your home

A first impression is extremely important when selling your home! Working with both buyers and sellers since 2009 gave us a clear picture how buyers see and sometimes “judge” you and your home. That one broken light bulb? A buyer thinks something is wrong with the electrical.

As a seller, you can’t miss a thing. Follow the list to get the most out of your sale.

 

In General

• Clean the entire house including windows, window sills, carpets and draperies. Don’t forget your front door.
• Take down, reduce, or rearrange pictures and objects on walls. Clean, patch and paint all walls, if necessary.
• You may put anything in boxes. Bring the boxes preferably out of direct sight, perhaps in the garage or a storage unit. If you decide to keep the boxes in your home, stack them nicely.
• Fix broken light bulbs. The buyer’s mind will say there is ‘something wrong with the electrical’ if one bulb is broken.
• Fix anything loose or broken. (taps, leaks, nail holes etc.)
• Make sure all doors, including back door (un)lock easily. And have no sticky keys.
• Check for smells. Smoke smell is an absolute no-go. Also smells from pets, like urine are detrimental to the sale of your home. Paying for a professional cleaning may be very worth your dollar when it comes to smells.
• Pets: try to put pet bowls etc. away during showings.
• During winter, keep your home warm. Even with only one known showing a day, keep the thermostat steady.

Kitchen

• Remove everything from the counters. Items such as toasters can be stored in a cabinet and brought out when needed.
• Clean out all the cabinets and drawers. If anything appears cluttered and crowded, it gives buyers the impression there is not enough space for their items.
• Put aside all the dishes, pots and pans that you rarely use. Box them and put them in storage.
• Don’t forget to clear out your “junk drawer”.
• Get rid of the food items in the pantry that you don’t use. Begin to use up existing food. Stack cans and boxes nicely.
• Remove all extra cleaning supplies from beneath the sink.  Make sure this area is as empty as possible. Clean this spot thoroughly and check for any water stains that might indicate leaking pipes. Many buyers look under the sink and will notice any telltale signs of damage.
• Remove everything from the refrigerator door, including magnets and photos.
• Clean the fridge inside, and use or discard excess food.

Closets

• Closets should look like they have enough room to hold additional items. Buyers open closets and need to see that you are tidy and you care.
• Check every closet in every room and clean and order everything in them. Weed out everything you don’t absolutely need.
• Go through all clothes and shoes. Fold and hang everything nicely. If you don’t wear something anymore, removing it is preferred.
• Preferably, if possible, get everything off the floor in closets. This will indicate more room.

Living Room and Furniture

• Look at living rooms in a magazine or an Ikea catalogue. Stand back and look at each of your rooms.  What will you need to remove?  Most homes contain too much furniture for showings.  Each room should offer a sense of spaciousness, so some furniture may need to be placed in storage.
• Remove unnecessary objects and keep decorative objects to a minimum, especially personal items such as diplomas and (family) photos.

Bathrooms

• In the bathroom, remove any unnecessary items from the countertops, tub, shower stall and commode top.
• Try to remove cosmetics, brushes, perfumes, etc.
• Keep the toilet clean, flushed and always close the lid.
• Coordinate towels in one or two colors only.
• Take away prescription pills and all medicines.

Bedrooms

• Clean the nightstand; just leave one book, for example.
• Take away any valuable jewelry and personal items.
• Clean and organize the children’s rooms as much as possible.
• Make up the bed(s) every day.
• Try not to show if you are selling due to a divorce. Make sure male and female clothing items are visible in the closet.

TIP: Realize that potential buyers can ‘google’ you. Social media makes it easy to give away your motivation for selling. Refrain from posting, if you have lost your job, if you have already moved homes, if you are recently divorced etc.

Office

• Remove diplomas and replace them with something general.
• Ensure you have a safe password on your computer, and remove or hide any personal papers.
• If possible, tuck away cables. Can you use cable or zip ties for the time being?

Basement

• Clean up the basement as much as possible.
• Stack boxes with excess items nicely.
• Leave all the basement windows visible. Buyers love basement windows.
• Check for a smell in the basement. Musty or moldy smells send many buyers into a panic mode.
• Tidy up and clean the laundry area.
• Check the furnace filter. Make sure the furnace filter looks clean; otherwise replace it. Show buyers you have maintained your furnace. If necessary, have a professional clean it.
• Check that the humidifier doesn’t leak.

Outside the Home

• Go around the house and move all garbage cans, extra building materials, etc., to the garage or take them to the dump.
• Remove Christmas lights.
• Hose down the siding if it looks dirty.
• Remove dog waste from the yard and do a regular cleanup before any showings.
• Check gutters and roof for dry rot and moss and make sure gutters are clean.
• Prune bushes and trees if needed. Keep plants from blocking windows, both main level windows and basement windows.
• Remove any dead plants, weed all the planting areas and put down fresh mulching material.
• Keep your lawn freshly cut, edged and fertilized during the growing season.
• Clear patios or decks of any items such as empty planters, toys, etc.
• Check the condition of the paint on your home, especially the trims and the front door. Do touch ups where necessary.
• Selling your home during the winter? Include some summer photographs!

Photos of your Home Listing

Good photos are particularly important because they give buyers the first impression of a home. Before the photographer comes:

• Clean up as much as possible.
• Open all window coverings for the most natural light.
• Turn on all the lights.
• Remove all garbage bins.
• Remove pet dishes etc.
• Remove bathmats in the bathroom and large mats at the entrance.
• Close toilet lids.
• Remove car(s) from the driveway.

During Showings

• Leave window coverings open. Show as much light as you can!
• Don’t decline any showings. The MLS rule states that showings must be allowed withing 24 hours. The CREB has the right to terminate your listing if complaints about refusing showings are submitted.
• Remove yourself (and pets if possible) during showings. Sellers want to talk freely during the showing and discuss your home without anyone around.
• We strongly advise you not to use cameras or listening devices. Potential buyers want to talk and walk freely and discuss your home during their viewing. Feeling spied on or bugged is a very big turn off for potential buyers. If cameras or listening devices are in the home, let buyers know with a sign upon entry.
• Be prepared for potential short notice showings. There is always that short notice argument of ‘we are in the area’ or ‘we just drove by’.
• If, for whatever reason, showings must be limited, discuss this upfront.