Preparing Your Home to Show Potential Buyers

FIRST IMPRESSIONS MATTER!

• House exterior in good repair
• House number easy to see
• Eaves troughs and downspouts painted and in good repair
• Garage clean and tidy
• Cracked or broken window panes replaced
• Litter picked up
• Lawn cut and raked; hedges and shrubs trimmed; garden weeded and edged
• Leaves raked; walk swept; deck and patio cleared of leaves and debris
• Snow and ice cleared; walkway sanded or salted

AT THE FRONT DOOR

• Doorbell and door hardware in working order
• Porch and foyer clean and tidy

INTERIOR MAINTENANCE

• Chipped and paint touched-up and repaired
• Doors and cupboards properly closed
• Door knobs and cupboard latches tight
• Furnace wiped down and cleaned
• Burned out light bulbs replaced
• Squeaky doors oiled

BATHROOMS

• Mirrors, fixtures and taps cleaned and polished
• Leaky taps and toilets repaired
• Seals around tubs and basins in good repair
• Floors cleaned, waste paper baskets emptied
• Inside of cupboards and cabinets clean and tidy
• Towels clean and matching
• Clutter put away
• Fresh flowers displayed

KITCHEN

• Sink and taps cleaned and polished
• Appliances cleaned and organized
• Countertops neat and polished
• Inside of cupboards, cabinets, pantry clean and tidy
• Floors cleaned, garbage containers emptied
• Small appliances put away
• Clutter put away
• Fresh basket of fruits and vegetables

CREATING AN OVERALL WARM ATMOSPHERE

• All lights turned on
• Air conditioner turned on in warm weather; heating at the right level in cold weather
• Fireplace lit in cooler weather
• Closets neat and tidy
• Halls and stairs cleared of clutter
• Drapes opened during daylight
• Carpets freshly vacuumed
• Background music played softly
• Fresh flowers throughout the house
• Personal objects such as photos out of sight
• Jewellery and valuables locked away
• Pets absent where possible or contained and litter boxes clean