When you sell your home, you are not merely selling a building on anonymous acreage. Home buyers are looking for more than statistics and size. When people buy homes, they are heavily influenced by emotion; by what they see both outside and inside the home. Before you show your home, be sure to take a few extra steps to ensure that you’ve maximized your value.

1. Curb appeal is the first thing any prospective buyer will notice. From the lawn to the walkways to the home itself, you need to make a good impression from the road. Make sure your lawn in in good condition, the grass remains mowed, and all vegetation is in presentable condition. Remove dead shrubs and trees. Merely keeping the edges around your walks, driveways, and terraces neat and tidy can have a powerful aesthetic effect. Fixing and improving anything immediately in a buyer’s path is sure to earn a great return.

2. Patios and other outdoor features can get overgrown quickly. Weed and manicure any outdoor area, especially those directly around the patio.

3. Minor details in the exterior of your home can be important. Keep trims in order, make sure the house has been painted recently, and keep all exterior elements well maintained. The condition of your gutters, exterior lights, and even the doorbell can subtly change a buyer’s opinion.

4. Inside, minor details become important. In every room, keep the following ideas in mind. Any cracks in ceilings, walls, or windows should be fixed before showing the home. All wallpaper, woodwork, and paint should be in great condition. Floors should be clean or recently refinished. Carpets should be secured to the ground. To accentuate your home’s best features, arrange furniture in ways that show off the shape and size of the room to add to a buyer’s impression of the house. You may even want to considering staging to help with this. Very large pieces that can be visually disruptive should be stored elsewhere. Your home should invite potential buyers to imagine how they might change the home, while still showcasing it as it is.

5. Clutter or uncleanliness in any form can also dissuade potential buyers. Even the insides of cabinets should be neatly arranged. For cabinets, also replaced old or outdated hardware, remove grease stains, and be sure that everything is aligned neatly. Beds should be made, couch pillows arranged, and counter-top appliances should be neat. Consider buying storage baskets for office paper supplies, bathroom commodities and closet storage.

6. It’s also important to be aware of problems that may come up during the closing. If you have an unused buried oil tank, your buyer is likely to request that you remove the tank before the sale goes through. Similarly, anticipate issues that may come up during the final home inspection. Asbestos, lead, mold, roof issues, and other health or structural problems are best resolved at the earliest possible time.

There are a number of homes in Ridgefield and the neighboring towns of Redding, Wilton, Westport and Weston, that I’ve helped prep for the market. If you want more advice about what you should do to get your Fairfield County home ready for sale, contact me directly. I would be happy to take a tour of your home, provide you with a complimentary market analysis for your home, and help you determine what measures you can take to maximize your home’s value.

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