How To Prepare Your Virginia Home For Sale
A Virginia Home Seller’s Guide:
How To Prepare Your Virginia House For Sale
And Sell Your Home Quickly
The Exterior
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 ca
ll home. - Make sure all closets are neat, clean, and organized.
- 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.