The Twin Cities is a large market and generally, there are lots of properties from which a buyer can make a choice. A seller has only one home to sell and one chance to make a first impression. It has been my experience that the effort put into preparing a home for market will pay huge dividends in terms of shortening the time the home will be on the market and the eventual price received for the home.

Having your home on the market is NOT fun; its stressful. You may feel you are walking on pins and needles trying to keep your home looking show ready perfect. Your home is being opened up to public scrutiny and there is a certain loss of privacy in the process. To make matters worse, your life is being interrupted as you run out of your home to accommodate showing requests. Its a tiring process for even the heartiest of souls. The best way to stay in control of the process is to get ahead of the ball and get your preparations done up front, not weeks into the listing.

There are four basic rules of thumb in preparing a home for market to achieve top dollar in the shortest amount of time:

If its broken, fix it.


If its soiled, clean it.


If its out of style, update it.


Everyone is part of the process.

Its important to be able to view your home objectively through the eyes of a potential buyer. Sometimes, its helpful to get out and look at homes youll be competing against. Your real estate agent can help to show you the competition. There are five steps to the process that can be applied in each area of your home: UNCLUTTERING, CLEANING, REPAIRING, DEPERSONALIZING and STAGING. Below are suggestions that real estate agents commonly make in advising their clients in preparing for market. Few homes will need to apply all of these suggestions, but you know who you are. . . if you see your home in the comments below, you may have some work ahead of you if you want to achieve top dollar in the sale of your home.

To begin your preparations, start on the outside and work your way in. Youll want to assess your homes curb appeal. It is estimated that as many as half of all homes are sold before the buyers even get out of the car. Heres a checklist of outside maintenance tasks:

EXTERIOR CURB APPEAL

What is the age and condition of the roof? Is it due for a replacement or a cleaning to eliminate stains? If you replace the roof, would a different color or style of shingle give your home more curb appeal?

Mow, water, fertilize and weed the lawn and landscape. Shrubbery should be trimmed away from the house and overhanging tree limbs should not rub on the house or the roof. If tree limbs drape over power lines, call your utility company to see if they will do the trimming for you. Make sure you have operational extensions on all downspouts and the gutters are free of leaves and debris. Clean up pet areas and restore any damaged sod.

Walks and driveways should be free of ice, snow, weeds and anthills. Sweep, plow, shovel, resurface or repair as needed. Siding and fences should be painted if needed or hosed off to remove dirt and cobwebs. If your home was built before 1978, scraping, sanding and disposal of paint chips should be done following guidelines for lead paint. (Call me; Ill be happy to send you an informational pamphlet.) If you paint, would a different color give your home a more updated look? Generally, a home will have more curb appeal if the front door is painted a color that is different than any other color on the house.

Remove extra vehicles from driveway and curb view. Decorations should be done with a light touch and kept seasonally appropriate. Pots of bright flowers, a wreath or a doormat can add charm. Fresh rock or mulch around landscaping will brighten an entryway.

Agents will be looking for your house number, make sure it is bright and visible. A new lock set at the front door that operates smoothly will ensure a pleasant entry into the home.

If your home has a private well or septic system, having water quality test results, sealed well records and a septic certification up front will eliminate surprises before closing.

Check your windowsills, lower panels of siding and trim areas at the bottom of doorways for wood rot or deterioration. Make certain all windows and doors operate freely. A repair now will save an inspection issue later.

KITCHEN
Clear excess appliances and decorations from the counter tops to make them look larger. Take all the magnets and memos off of the refrigerator. If your counter tops are damaged, stained or in poor condition, replace them and give serious consideration to upgrading laminate countertops to a solid surface material such as granite, quartz or acrylic. In kitchens today, its all about the counter top, and for any home priced from the $200s-$300s, an upgraded countertop will give you an edge against the competition. From the $400s on up, laminate is a serious disadvantage. Similarly, if your appliances are harvest gold, avocado green or in poor condition, new appliances or an upgrade to stainless steel appliances will add attraction to your kitchen.

Clean cupboards both inside and out. If your cabinet hardware is dated or worn, fresh hardware is easy to install and most kitchens can be updated for $100-200.

Vents and exhaust hoods should be grease free and deodorized as needed. Appliances should shine inside and out. Replace any broken parts or burnt out light bulbs and add new drip pans to the range top if needed. Sinks should be stain free and the faucet should not leak. Garbage areas should be cleaned and deodorized. Floors, walls and light fixtures should be clean and bug free. Check the switch plates for fingerprints. Add GFI outlets near the kitchen sink if there are none currently in place to avoid an inspection finding in the future.

The all white kitchen was hot in the 90s, give your walls a coat of paint in a color that coordinates with the rest of your home to give the whole kitchen a crisp and updated look. Ceiling grids were popular in the 80s but no more, take them out to enhance the airiness of the kitchen and add height to the ceiling.

BATHROOMS
Mirrors with condensation damage can be re-silvered or replaced. Replace cracked or stained vanity tops. Loose tiles and water damaged walls in tub surrounds should be repaired or covered with a new surround. Grout and caulking should be in good condition and mildew free. Toilets should be securely fastened to the floor, be stain free and flush properly. Clean dust and cobwebs from the ceiling fan. If the fan is excessively loud or rattles, replace it. Make sure all the light bulbs are working and are matched styles and wattage.

Keep shower areas fresh between showings with daily shower spray cleaners and use a squeegee on glass shower doors to keep water spots at bay. Remove hard water or rust stains with Lime-a-Way or CLR.

If your bath does not have a GFI outlet, replace the current outlet to eliminate an inspection finding down the road.

Add a fresh shower curtain and towels, scented soaps or candle to add appeal. A new light fixture and/or faucet can give a bathroom a quick update.

OTHER ROOMS
Take out newspapers or old magazines and remove excess or unhealthy plants.

Posted by Mary Leizinger on December 22, 2008 at 11:31 AM

About Mary Leizinger
Mary began her real estate career in 1992, after 13 years in the banking industry in various technology related roles. She was born, raised and educated in the Twin Cities. Chances are she's sold or shown a home in your Minneapolis area neighborhood or community as well. In addition to a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) Degree in Marketing, Mary has earned the major designations and certifications offered through the National Association of REALTORS by pursuing advanced training for buyer representation, residential real estate specialization, relocation service, computer proficiency and real estate investment. Her web sites have received top honors for excellence in design, content and consumer experience. She has been recognized for sales performance throughout her real estate career. Mary has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal Online, REALTOR Magazine, Realty Times and in the Southwest Journal. She has been a contributor to Drexel Burnam Lambert's real estate market analysis for the Minneapolis-St. Paul market and she has been a real estate columnist for the Victoria Gazette, her home town newspaper. She has been named a "Super Real Estate Agent" by Minneapolis-St. Paul Magazine and Twin Cities Business for 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2008. She has ranked in the top 100 individual agents in sales production in the RE/MAX North Central Region. Mary provides referrals worldwide through the RE/MAX family of companies; as well as the Residential Sales Council, the Real Estate Buyer's Agency Council and the e-PRO graduate networks of the National Associaition of REALTORS. Mary lives with husband Patrick in the Deer Run golf community of Victoria, where she enjoys swimming, and her neighborhood book club, card club, garden crawl and golf league. She has one adult son and eight nieces and nephews with family in Tonka Bay, Minnetonka, Hopkins, Chaska, Edina, Plymouth, Crystal, Corcoran and Austin, MN as well as Naples and Ft. Myers, FL and Tuscon, AZ. As a life-long resident of the Twin Cities, she has also lived in Minneapolis, Robbinsdale, Golden Valley, Orono, St. Paul, Crystal, and Plymouth.




As of 02/04/12 the Mary Leizinger RePage is ranked at 34 with 31,135 points.