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At PropertyDesigns.com, we make it our personal goal to provide real estate agents and brokers with all the right tools to thrive in the new millennium, and to help them compete with larger, more established firms by increasing their exposure, providing them the means to promote their services effectively across diverse mediums, assisting them with maximizing their time and efficiency, and ultimately by building their profits through increased sales as a result of
these efforts.

We intend to achieve this goal by offering cutting edge, constantly growing set of products and services that are affordably priced, and that can be implemented and managed with ease.

Moreover, we will create our own success by fostering the success of our members in an environment that is professional, fun, and geared
toward personal service.
Preparing Your Home For Sale
This is perhaps the most important aspect of getting the value of your home translated into dollars and cents when it comes time to sell it. Before you call place your first ad, it’s important that your home is ready to be sold. This informative guide is intended to assist you with that process, getting your most prized possession looking its best for potential buyers.

Make A List
Being as objective as you can, take a tour through your home and property (including all outbuildings) with a pen and paper in hand. Write down everything that catches your eye that may need to be repaired or replaced. Be detailed in your inventory. Check everywhere, and everything. Look at your home from every angle, and use all of your senses.

Do smells (any smells, even if you like them) linger in closets, hallways, or small rooms? Does your yard have a few sinkholes you forgot to fill in, or could it use a reseeding/weed treatment? Do cabinet doors stick, or are some of their handles/knobs missing or mismatched? Is last year’s paint job a bit too bold for the average Joe? Look at your home through the eyes of your potential buyers, and make your list accordingly.

Check It Thrice
Once you’re list is made, separate the items on it into two columns: Column A) Simple/Inexpensive, and Column B) Difficult/Expensive. Address everything in Column A immediately. Replace switch plates, doorknobs, fix the toilet, add new towel racks to the downstairs bath, and repaint the woodwork in the entry hall. All of it.

Now look at Column B. Put a check mark next to each item that relates to bringing your house up to “code”, meaning anything that needs to be done to make it livable. This would include things like calling an electrician to redo the botched wiring job Cousin Mac did out in the garage, calling a plumber to fix a sewer seepage problem, etc. These items absolutely must be done before putting your home on the market or seeking an appraisal.

Go through Column B a second time, and put a star next to each item on the list that will substantially improve the value of your home. If the linoleum in the kitchen is aged and should be replaced, if the driveway needs resurfaced, if eaves and trim could stand to be sided or resided, give it a mark. Use your best judgment. Now that you’ve done the simple stuff, and the required stuff, you have the opportunity to decide how you will increase the potential value of your home. Often, an expense of $800 - $1,500 can nudge a buyer’s offer up $2,500-$3,500 overall. A good realtor can assist you in your evaluation of these remaining items, helping you choose where you spend your money based on the most potential for return on investment, so you may want to set this part of your list aside until you’ve selected your real estate agent and had the chance to talk it over with him/her.

Clean It Up
No matter how clean you are, your home will require an absolutely THOROUGH cleaning prior to being put on the market and, depending on how long your home stays on the market, it might require touchup cleanings along the way. Now is the time to clean things you’ve never cleaned before. Go out of your way to find new places where dirt and odors might linger. Touchup paint and stains that show wear, unscrew vents and vacuum out the cat hair, clean the tile under your refrigerator and stove (and the wall behind them!)

Most of this you can do yourself pretty effectively, but many home sellers opt to call a cleaning service for a one-time “top to bottom” scrub.

Nothing Personal
Research shows that the more “personal to you” your home seems, the less likely it is that a potential buyer will be able to see themselves as its owner. While it may seem like ripping apart the home you’ve grown to love, taking the “your” out of “your home” is just what you need to do. This allows it to be a “home” others might see themselves actually living in, and so—buying.

Remove all permanent reminders or mementos of you/your family from your home. The doorframe with the kids’ heights marked on it. The baby’s room mural with “Ray-Ann” painted underneath. The kid’s swing set in the backyard. Remove, and store out of sight personal pictures and photos, family memorabilia, trophies, knick-knacks, etc. Box up and store that coke bottle or magazine collection. Neaten up closet. Dismantle baby gates and pet areas for the interim.

Paint and/or paper in neutral tones, eliminate custom murals or wallpaper borders wherever possible, and especially if they might not suit everyone’s taste. When choosing replacement carpets, tile or linoleum, go for understated and elegant patterns in neutral, complimentary colors.

Create Atmosphere
While you’ve taken the YOUR out of your home, you don’t have to take the style out of it. Personal items and brick-a-brack can be distracting, but the occasional well-placed bowl of fruit, flowers, or potpourri can add charm and appeal to your home.

Consider putting a small basket of folded hand towels and decorative soaps and/or candles in your bath(s). Display guest towels with rich colors and distinctive patterns on the towel racks. Artfully arrange colorful magazines or coffee table books on coffee and end tables. Pop neutral or subtle air fresheners into hidden sockets to please the noses of your prospective buyers as they tour the rooms of your inviting home. The right finishing touches can prompt emotional responses that tie the buyer to your home and make a memorable and lasting first impression. As with most things, the first impression is always the most important.

Now that you’re ready—go sell your home!
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