Seven Must-Do Home Selling Prep Tips

1. PAINT OAK CABINETS AND TRIM

Those oak kitchen cabinets need a new look if you’re planning to sell your home. They date a home more than anything else. Sure, you can reface them; however, painting the oak cabinets can give them new life at a lower cost, and buyers love the look. Sherwin Williams paint technology has come along way since I started selling real estate. Old oak trim and cabinets can be easily painted to a fresh white color that does not show the grain. Make sure you tell the employee at the paint store you are painting oak trim and cabinets and ask for their expert recommendations on which primer and paint to use or hire a professional. (Your real estate agent should have good recommendations for you.)

3. COUNTER TOPS

New counter tops, preferably in white quartz or Silestone, can give your kitchen and baths an updated look without having to make major renovations. Painting old cabinets and replacing worn, outdated surfaces can make a bathroom or kitchen look brand new. The return on investment is measurable. Outdated finishes cost sellers plenty in price reductions to accommodate buyers’ growing appetites for improved homes. The first reduction in the home price market of $500,000 and above is close to $50,000, and reductions in the home price marketing below $500,000 is $25,000. Consider how much paint and new surfaces $25,000 to $50,000 buys.

5. CARPETING

Replace all your old carpeting just before you list your home. It can be inexpensive (again, compared to a price reduction) to replace old carpeting, and it gives your home the feeling of newness. Select neutral carpeting only: beige, white, and light gray. No color. Remember, you are going for seamless flooring surfaces that make each room flow. If you have a finished basement area, replacing the old carpeting is a fabulous way to achieve your pricing goals. The Metro MLS now counts lower-level square footage in the overall square footage of a home. This will help you get to the optimal price-per-square-foot in your area.

7. SOUND

Don’t forget about Alexa (or Google Home)…my favorite new home-selling tool. Having beautiful music softly playing in the background can help create a calming atmosphere for buyers. This is important as buying a home is as stressful as selling one, and anything that relieves stress and lightens the mood is a good thing. For this year’s home-selling season, I recommend George Winston’s Winter into Spring. Something soothing to the ear makes your home memorable among all the rest. People remember how they “feel” more than what they saw. The whole experience needs to be memorable in a good way.