Mark Slade - MoreMoney

• Pet odors/smells: This is one thing all home buyers definitely don’t want in their new home. Living in a house with pets makes you immune to the smell, but when an outsider pays a visit, they can instantly whiff those pesky pet smells. Use a professional cleaning solution to make these odors go away — but don’t try to mask the smells with air fresheners. These only provide a temporary solution.

Signs of a pet: You don’t want your visitors to sense that a pet has been living in the house. Remove serving bowls, pet toys, pet beds, litter boxes, and other items that belong to your pets to give a good first impression. Be sure you remove all pet-related items from all rooms. Don’t put up photos of your pets. When it comes to kids, decluttering is one thing that helps achieve a big part of their cleanup. Start at least a week earlier than the date you want to put the house on the market. Some sellers with kids allow at least a two-hour notice period for showing. This is to clean the house, clear the clutter, and remove or hide any freshly made stains or scratches. If there aren’t any hidden cabinets in your home where you can dump the entire clutter when somebody wants to see your home in 10 minutes, be prepared to use the car trunk to throw the debris and clean up the place quickly. Pay special attention to the children’s bedrooms when decluttering your entire house. Organize the cupboards, pack away offseason clothes, put away some unused or broken toys, and get rid of gear that’s no longer needed. When you’re done staging, take excellent photos of their bedroom as well as the lawn or front yard, to put them with an ad. Repainting is another important step when you decide to sell off your home that has

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