What steps should a seller take before listing their home?

Besides price, buyers are mainly concerned with four things when evaluating homes: location, size, flow and condition. Let’s assume you will not be doing a major renovation to change the size or flow. That leaves us with condition. Here are some things that you as a seller can do to begin the process of getting your home ready to list:

Start outside. If the outside looks to be neglected, buyers will fear that the inside is as well. Prune all plantings, and remove anything that is dead. Have the roof, walkways, patios and siding power-washed. Stain the deck, and remove any peeling or chipping paint. Paint the front door and shutters if needed. Purge the garage, closets and basement. Donate. Have a tag sale. Organize. Buyers want to see that the home has enough storage for their things.

Clean it up. Clean all floor grout, or buy grout touch up paint. Paint walls, trim and baseboards with today’s popular colors. Wash all windows. Polish or refinish hardwood floors. Have carpets cleaned, or replace with hardwood (even engineered or a good quality laminate is better than a stained carpet). Refresh outdated kitchen and baths. How much you do here will vary in every situation. If it needs a total re-do, it may not pay to do anything. But if your flow is good and your cabinets are in good shape, consider painting them and changing hardware. It may be worth it to invest in a new countertop. Consider changing toilets, faucets and fixtures for a relatively lowcost fresh look.

This is a pretty standard list. A good real estate agent will not only show you comparable recent sales, but will also help you to identify affordable changes that you can and should make to maximize the appeal of your property. It’s important that your agent tours your home and is aware of your competition before giving you a suggested market value and list price.