Thinking of selling your home this year? Maybe you are ready to upsize or downsize, move to a new neighborhood, or take advantage of a sellers’ market. In any case, there are some smart moves you can make before you list to ease the process of selling your home.

• Bring in a handyman. Have repairs made to leaky faucets, torn screens, broken door or window locks and handles, faulty electrical outlets, drywall damage, missing grout or caulking, broken sprinkler heads, rotten wood and anything else that would give a buyer reason to wonder, “What else is wrong with this house?”

• Clean out storage spaces. Closet by closet, cabinet by cabinet, and drawer by drawer, get rid of items you no longer use. Your goal should be to show that the home has plenty of storage space, not spaces bursting with clutter.

• Put away excess décor. Go for a minimalist look so that buyers can see the bones of the house and not have to move or look around decorative items to see the home.

• Ditto on the Family Photographs. Humans are naturally drawn to people’s faces. If your home has family photos on every wall and shelf, buyers will be distracted by all the pretty faces.

• Have the exterior pressure-cleaned. Make sure to include the roof, patios, porches,  driveway and walkways.

• Spruce up the landscaping. First impressions are everything. You want buyers to want to come inside and not drive on by. Increase your curb appeal by trimming shrubbery and trees, putting down fresh mulch and planting some annuals.

• Perform a deep cleaning. Consider hiring professional cleaners to tackle everything from the ceiling fans to the baseboards, including cleaning inside and behind kitchen appliances, the dryer vent, and inside cabinets and drawers.

• Put on a fresh coat of paint. At least touch up scuff marks, but if your home is painted in bold or dark colors, consider repainting to neutral shades.

• Check for smells. We become immune to smells we are around every day. Consider having someone come in to check for odors from pets, mildew, mold or smoke.

• Have a WDO inspection performed. This is usually a part of the buyer’s inspection process, but if you can identify and past or present termite activity and have it corrected ahead of time, you can breathe easier come inspection time.

• Ditto for mold testing. If you have any reason to believe there may be mold or water damage lurking behind walls, under flooring or in the attic, go ahead and address it now.

• Consider staging. If you have a rooms that are sparsely furnished or were used for a purpose other than what they were built for, consider refurnishing or staging to show how furniture lays out in the room.

• Contact me! For more information on selling your home, please request my Home Seller’s Guide. I would love the opportunity to talk with you about your plans.