Before You Sell: Turning Your Home into Theirs

It's funny, the things we become blind to when we live in a home for years. It's like the longer you look at the little cracks and stains the less you actually see them. However, when you're looking to put your house on the market it's important to remember that someone with a fresh eye will definitely notice all the little flaws, no matter how subtle they seem to you.

Before you list your house, make time to take a long hard look at your house with a stranger's perspective. Make a list of all the parts of a house that you will want to look at when you purchase your new house or ask a building inspector what they look for, and then check all those areas out for yourself.

Consider any major areas that you think might be a problem. Was your house built in the era of asbestos tiles, siding, or insulation? Does your roof leak? Deal with these big issues first.

After you take care of the major issues, turn your eye towards the less extreme but still detracting sorts of issues that might keep people from loving your house as much as you did when you purchased it. Look at your house from across the street. Does it look like somewhere you might want to live? Make sure that your yard looks like it is getting regular maintenance; few people want to move into a new house if they are immediately going to have to go to work landscaping.

Inside your house, look for ways that you can inexpensively make the place more inviting. A fresh coat of paint works wonders in any room, particularly in neutral colours. Some inexpensive laminate flooring can brighten up worn or stained areas with relative ease. New veneers on kitchen or bathroom cabinets can be a much cheaper alternative to replacing old outdated cabinets in your home and can really change the way that a potential buyer looks at these rooms.

After you've touched up your house, consider a bit of pre-packing to reduce the clutter and make the rooms in your house appear more open and easier to keep tidy. Take this time to pack up personal knick-knacks to de-personalize the house. Buyers are looking to see if they can see themselves living in this space; make it look like a show home instead of your home. Rent a storage facility for items you don't need to have at the house. Potential buyers will look in your garage or attic. The tidier these places are, the easier it is to see that your house is in good shape.

Remember, by looking at your house through the eyes of someone unfamiliar with it, you can potentially see areas that might cause you some problems. The more of these areas that you can take care of before you put the house on the market, the easier your selling experience will be.