Reston Virginia Real Estate. Home Selling Tips for
Reston Home Sellers. Reston Virginia Home Sellers Tips
Ellen Crawford CRS RE/MAX Distinctive.
Reston Virginia Home Seller Tips - Reston real estate
listing agent Ellen Crawford offer home selling tips to sell your home quick.
Reston Virginia home seller tips to sell your home for the best price, shortest
time on market with proven home sales tips!
[BUY
A HOME] [SELL
A HOME] [
RELOCATION TO WASHINGTON DC]
Here's
Some More Tips When Selling Your Home in Reston Virginia!
Listing or selling your
home in Reston, Fairfax northern Virginia, and metro suburban
Washington D.C., Alexandria, Baileys Crossing, Burke, Chantilly,
Reston, Annandale, Warrenton, Fairfax City, Oakton, Reston, , Dunn Loring,
McLean, Vienna, Tyson's Corner, Great Falls, Herndon, Fair Oaks, Falls Church,
Springfield, Clifton, Centreville, Falls Church, Mt. Vernon, Fairfax Station,
Newington, Mt. Vernon, Merrifield, or Greenway? I also offer exceptional
real estate service for home sellers for northern Virginia homes for sale in: Prince William, Loudoun,
Fauquier, Clarke, Arlington counties, and suburban Washington D.C.! Of
course the best tip is to contact Ellen Crawford, but experience shows us that
the best thing to do when selling a home is to sell it quickly at the highest
possible price. Ellen Crawford CRS has prepared this time proven list based upon
our experience in the market. We’ve found that selling a home is a "TEAM
EFFORT," and together we can make your home sell quickly and help you reach
your goals. Contact us now! We'll make a great team.
Home
Seller's Checklist
How To Make
Your Home Look Great and Sell Quickly!
A Personal
Note From Ellen Let's face it ... most people don't live this
way! Many (if not most) of these tips may appear overstated or unrealistic to
you and your lifestyle. However, your home has now become a product offered
for sale. As such, we want to make the product appealing to the majority of
Buyers. The closer you can get your home to the "ideal" the more your goals of
a quick sale at a good price will be met. We'll be providing you with feedback
from the agents who show your home. Don't be offended. Let's work together to
reach your goals! Hang in there. Below are items that you can do to help your
home show well.
Maximize Your Space
-
Paint Rooms Light Neutral
Color.
-
Remove Drapes (Leave
Miniblinds). "Light & Bright!"
-
Remove Unnecessary Pieces of
Furniture.
-
Clean Out Coat Closet - Put
Items in Storage Unit.
-
Clean Out Garage. Clean Out
Attic. Clean Out Basement!
-
Rent a Storage Unit for Extra
Items - Have a Moving Sale.
-
Remove Small Pictures From the
Walls.
-
Remove Items From Countertops.
-
Put in Higher Wattage Light
bulbs.
-
Remove Some Toys to Storage
Unit.
-
Take Extra Leaf Out of Dining
Room Table.
-
Check Walk Flow to Make Sure
Potential Buyers Don't Have to Walk Around Furniture.
-
Your home will be compared to
Model Homes that are vacant and always clean and open!
Buyer's First Impressions
-
Repaint Exterior, if needed
(may need trim only).
-
Pressure Wash the Home and
Driveway. Sweep the Front Porch.
-
Keep Newspapers and Flyers
Picked Up.
-
Hang a Simple Grapevine Wreath
on the Front Door.
-
Replace Siding, as needed,
Replace Missing Shingles, as needed.
-
Clean / Paint /or Replace
Gutters, as needed.
-
Clean Windows Until They Shine
-- Scrape, if Necessary.
-
Clean / Paint / Shutters or
Replace Shutters, as needed.
-
Use Quick Greening Fertilizer
on the Lawn -- Ammonium Sulfate, Urea, or Ammonium Nitrate.
-
Cut and Edge the Lawn. Freshen
Mulched Areas
-
Remove Children's Toys and
Bikes Around Exterior, Seal Cracks in Driveway and Walkway.
-
Remove Leaves/Pine Needles
from Lawn and Roof.
Your home's
"Curb Appeal" (or first impression from the street as you approach the home)
will be the thing that entices the potential buyer to take a look inside.
Kitchen
-
Clean the Kitchen From Top to
Bottom.
-
Clean the Oven.
-
Clean the Refrigerator.
-
Remove all Refrigerator
Magnets and Items from the Front of the Refrigerator.
-
Put Away Most Small
Appliances.
-
Put Away Items off
Countertops.
-
Clean the Inside of the
Dishwasher -- Try Running it With the Soap Dishes Filled with Powdered Instant
Lemonade (like Countrytime). The Citric Acid Works Wonders!
-
Clean Out Drawers to Eliminate
Fears of Too Little Space.
-
Paint the Kitchen a Neutral
Color.
-
Light Wood is Best for Kitchen
Cabinets - Paint or Update.
-
Change Cabinet Hardware or
Clean Very Well.
-
Remove Pet Dishes, Toys and
Litter Boxes From Kitchen.
-
Remove Window Treatments in
Kitchen. Make it sunny!
-
If the Laundry Room is off the
Kitchen, Make Sure it's Uncluttered, Neat and Clean.
Entrance to Home
-
Replace Carpet Throughout the
Home with Neutral Color
-
Replace Front Door.
-
Paint Front Door.
-
Remove Storm Door.
-
Repair Storm Door.
-
Add Brass Kick plate to Front
Door.
-
Install New Mailbox and Post.
-
Create Distinct Entry with
Divider, Plants, Hallway Hutch.
-
New Floor mat at Entry.
-
Clean Cobwebs from the
Doorway.
Bathrooms
-
Clean Ceramic Tile and
Grout.
-
Repair Loose or Cracked
Tiles.
-
Downplay Dated Ceramic Tile
Colors with White Towels and Window Treatments.
-
Buy a New Shower Curtain --
Avoid Patterns.
-
Shine Chrome Fixtures --
Stiff Brush with White Vinegar Works Great.
-
Remove Stains from Sink.
Replace Rusted Sinks.
-
Repair Leaky Faucets.
-
Remove Personal Toiletries
on Display.
-
Glue Down Wallpaper Where
it's Loose or Curling.
-
Use Fancy Basket for Books
and Magazines.
-
Replace Toilet Seats.
-
Repair or Replace Exhaust
Fan.
-
Install GFCI Outlet.
Eliminate
Odors -- Pets, Smoking, Kitchen, Basement (There is a fantastic product called
Simple Solution which is available at pet stores such as Pet Smart. Eliminates
all types of organic odors!)
Living Room (Applies to Entire Home)
-
Put Away Collections
(Figurines and Fragile Items).
-
Store any Political or
Religious Mementos, as well as any Business or Sports Awards (you want the
potential buyer to think of the home as theirs and they may not have the same
interests that you do).
-
No Animal (Fur) Rugs.
-
Just a Few Family Photos.
-
Silence any Squeaky Floors.
(Kits Sold at Home Depot)
-
Use Half Curtains to Disguise
Bad Views.
-
Remove Any Crowded Furniture
-- Open the Rooms Up!
Dining Room
-
Put New WHITE Tablecloth on
the Table.
-
Use a Centerpiece on the
Table.
-
Place Fresh-Cut Flowers in a
Vase on the Table
-
Light, then Blow Out Candles.
-
Clean Chandelier Bulbs and
Globe (Dust Regularly). Globes May be Run Through the Dishwasher.
Bedrooms
-
New Bedspread.
-
Make the Beds Every Day.
-
Keep Headboards Clear and Free
from Clutter.
-
Be Sure Children's Toys are
Put Away.
-
Remove any Bulky Furniture.
Make Rooms Appear Large.
-
Remove any Dark or Outdated
Wallpaper. Paint the Walls with a Light, Neutral Color.
-
Clean Out Closets -- Make Them
Appear as if There is Plenty of Room to Spare.
-
Install Closet Organizer and
Keep Clothing Neat.
-
Organize Shoes on Shoe Racks.
Landscaping
-
Trim all Hedges and Shrubs.
Strive for Neat Appearance.
-
Add Mulch to Flowerbeds and
Shrubs.
-
Repair Fence.
-
Plant Flowers or Add
Pots/Containers of Bright Flowers.
-
Clean Pool as Needed.
-
Provide a Fact Sheet on
Swimming Pool -- Show the Cost and Time Involved in Upkeep. Many People Worry
that a Pool is Too Expensive and Time Consuming.
-
Remove: Old Rusted Swing Set
-
Old Rusted Basketball Goals
-
Old Rusted Lawn Furniture
-
Old Rusted Grill
-
Dead Trees or Shrubs
-
Old Flowers from Past Season
-
Leaves, Dead Branches, Weeds
and Debris
-
Garbage Cans -- Store Neatly
in the Garage.
Don't Store
Valuables in Sight -- Place Jewelry in Drawers or Store Away from the Home
Garage/Basement
-
Remove Stains from Garage
Floor / Paint if Needed
-
Make Basement Look Functional
and Well Organized.
-
Clean Basement Windows.
-
Wipe Down the Furnace and
Water Heater with a Damp Sponge. Keep Utility Room Uncluttered.
-
Move any Extra Boxes and
Unnecessary Items to Your Storage Unit.
-
Spray with Simple Solution to
Give a Fresh Smell.
Pets
It's Recommended that Pets be
Kenneled During the Time Your Home is on the Market. If that isn't possible,
please let agents know the names and location (backyard, dog run, etc.) of the
pets. If you have a pet you don't want let out of the home (the cat?), please be
sure to inform agents. See note under
Entrance to Home for dealing with pet odors (Simple Solution). A neutral smell
is important.
General Hints and Tips
-
Please don't be home for
Showings. The Buyer will spend more time looking if the Seller is not there.
Go to the neighbors. Walk the dog. Go to another part of the home while the
prospective buyers are in another section of the home. The goal is to have
the potential Buyer think of the home as theirs.
-
Open all curtains, drapes
and blinds during the day.
-
For evening Showings, turn
on all the lights before you leave.
-
If anything is broken, you
must disclose the issue. Even easier ... have it fixed!
-
Sprinkle a few drops of
vanilla on a warm stove burner to create a pleasing smell in the home.
Remember to turn the burner off! Alternatively, you can warm a pan of water
with a few drops of vanilla in the oven.
-
Bake bread or bake cookies
to fill the house with a pleasant smell.
-
Run the vacuum cleaner every
morning before you leave the house.
-
After your shower, dry the
stall, glass, and tub with a towel.
-
Please refrain from smoking
in the home. Remove all ashtrays. Remove strong cooking odors. See note
under Entrance to Home for help with odors (Simple Solution). A neutral
smell is important.
-
Please keep the interior and
exterior brochure boxes filled with the supply we will give you. Let us
know if you run low on brochures or business cards.
PLEASE CALL ELLEN WITH ANY QUESTIONS
Links for Reston Home Sellers
[BUY
A HOME] [SELL
A HOME] [
RELOCATION TO WASHINGTON DC]
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