How To Prepare Your House For Sale, And Sell Your Virginia Home Quickly

The ExteriorManicured Yard.Manassas.Park

What makes the first impression on a prospective buyer? The exterior of your home. So the first thing you should do is take a walk around your property and look at your house as a prospective buyer will see it. What catches your eye? The faded or peeling paint? What condition is the driveway? Remember that no matter how beautiful the interior of your home, if the exterior is a turnoff, the potential buyer may never step inside.

If your house needs improvements, make them before you put it on the market. The average buyer is looking for a place that feels like home and that means a house that has been well cared for and well preserved.

If you need a contractor for improvements or renovations, we can refer you to several with the reputation for quality work at a fair price. Using a contractor may be the best way to get your home ready to sell quickly.
Here are some specific issues you’ll want to address before bringing your house on the market:

  • Remove any clutter from the property, including tree limbs and leaves, and especially old cars or parts.
  • If the exterior of the house is dirty or moldy, power wash it. If that doesn’t solve the problem, paint it, getting competitive bids if necessary.
  • Reseed any bare areas of the lawn.
    Trim all shrubs, trees, and plantings. Be sure to remove any dead limbs.
  • If the driveway is stone or gravel, consider adding a fresh of gravel. If it’s asphalt, consider resealing.
  • Power wash and seal decks or porches.
  • Make sure that all gutters and downspouts are clear and functioning properly.
  • Make sure that all exterior lights are working properly.
  • Consider planting colorful flowers to brighten up the property, and add mulch to planting beds and around trees.

The Interior

  • Get squeaky clean. A thorough cleaning — including dusting, washing, and waxing everything — will give the buyer the sense that this is a home that has been well cared for and a place they’d like to call home.
  • Make sure all closets are neat, clean, and organized.iStock_000003225672Small
  • Clear all clutter. Collect everything that is not necessary, box it up and store it or throw it out!
  • Painting is an inexpensive and an extremely effective means of increasing the salability of your home. Identify any dirty or marked-up walls or any rooms that are painted in dark colors. Select neutral colors, like antique white. The more distinctive the colors, the greater the number of people who won’t like them!
  • The condition of your carpeting is critical. As a minimum, all carpeting should be steam cleaned. Be sure to replace any worn, or stained carpet.
  • Be sure everything particularly faucets, toilets, and electrical items — is in good working order.
  • Be safety conscious. A loose railing could prevent a sale, and could cause an injury to a potential buyer.
  • Have your fireplace or woodstove cleaned and inspected. The buyer may request it, and having it done in advance impresses the buyer and makes the home appear cleaner and fresher smelling.
  • Make sure that all doors and windows are operating smoothly, and replace any cracked window panes.

For more specific guidelines on preparing each room to show well, contact us for our free Room-By-Room Guide: PREPARE YOUR HOME TO SELL QUICKLY

At Metro 100 Realty, we have over 30 years experience helping buyers identify and buy real estate properties in Northern Virginia. We specialize in real estate located in Prince William, Fauquier, and Warren counties, along with the cities of Manassas, Front Royal, and Winchester. Our professionalism toward both the buyer and the seller in every real estate transaction is unparalleled. We insist on client satisfaction in all of our real estate transactions, and will do what must be done to close each contract successfully.

Please contact us in what ever manner is most convenient for you, or complete the appropriate online form, and we’ll help you find your dream home quickly.