Thinking About Selling? A Few Tips for Prepping Your House

Are you thinking about selling your house? Maybe you're looking to downsize and move to a single-floor home. Maybe the grandkids moved to another state and you want to follow them. Or maybe Virginia's getting a little cold and you want to head to Florida. Whatever your reason, selling your home is a big to-do. Here are just a couple things to keep in mind as you're preparing.

Schedule a deep clean -- including the carpet

Even those of us who like to keep things tidy don't often give our homes a deep clean, and one of the most neglected things is the carpet. Giving the carpet a deep clean usually requires moving furniture, renting a steam cleaner, or hiring professionals. That's a lot of work! Nevertheless, when it comes to selling your house, a clean carpet is crucial.

If you've had pets in your house, there may be years of accumulated allergens in your carpet. If you're a smoker, the smell will linger even after all your possessions are gone. Prospective buyers may not not notice an ordinary carpet, but they will definitely notice a dirty or smelly one. Conversely, they will also notice and appreciate it if you have a clean carpet!

Update your appliances -- and if you can't do that, deep clean those too

Redoing a kitchen is a tedious, long, and expensive job. If you have newer appliances than the open house down the block, you have an advantage, and may even get a better value appraisal. Home buyers will look favorably on modern appliances, especially if your prospective buyer is a family with children who will use it a lot.

But if replacing appliances is going to cost you too much, get a professional company to deep-clean everything instead. A sparkling oven and clean fridge that look as good as new will be attractive to buyers, even if they're several years old.

Tidy up -- especially if you're holding an open house

Even if your home is structurally sound and has a great floor plan, buyers will be unable to see it if your rooms are loaded with clutter. For buyers, half of the decision-making process is imagining what their own furniture and possessions will look like in your space. If your things are strewn everywhere, they simply won't be able to see past them. Having a clean, uncluttered space is crucial when you're holding an open house.

For extra resources and tips on decluttering, see this new post from The Eric Stewart Group, Why "Stink Up" Your Chances of Selling your House?

Good luck! Remember, a little cleanliness goes a long way.