need to be impeccable. Every room is important, but the kitchen and bathrooms will take you over the top. They need to be eat-off-the-floor clean. • Vacuum rugs and furniture, shampoo carpets, and mop
as if your life depends on it. A professional steam cleaning is a good idea for anything not new.
Avoid Clutter: Clutter makes you want to flee your own home, so imagine its impact on a buyer. The problem is, everybody has his own clutter threshold. You might think a refrigerator covered whit kids’ art adds a homey touch, while a buyer might think it makes your kitchen look messy. The trick is to look at your property through the eyes of a stranger. Don’t over-decorate, use excessive oversized furniture, or add photographs of people. The goal is to set it up so potential buyers can envision themselves living there. Repair and Repaint: You might not have the time or money to repaint every room, but you should devote a few hours to removing scuff marks from walls and baseboards and touching up wall cracks and dings. Disguise hardwood floor scratches with fill pens. (A Sharpie will do in a pinch.) Adjust kitchen cabinets so they don’t sag. Scrub dingy tile grout. Fresh paint provides a clean canvas. If the property hasn’t been painted in the last year, consider doing the entire inside of the home right now. When planning to repaint, include everything. Paint the ceilings, the trim and window casings, and the doors, and don’t forget the closets. Make sure you paint the right way. An artist creates a new painting on a plain, primed canvas. Through your efforts with painting, you’re giving your potential buyers a clean, primed canvas where they can imagine their family in your home.
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