Getting your house ready to sell

Whether you’re selling your family home or you’re a developer selling dozens of condo units, you want to make sure you get everything you can out of the sale. Luckily, there are a lot of things you can do to improve the value that won’t necessarily cost you an arm and a leg.

Here are a few places to start:

• You never get a second chance to make a first impression. When potential buyers pull up to the property, they are going to judge it immediately, so make sure that there are no glaring issues like major cracks or stains on the driveway, chipping paint or maintenance issues.
• Keep the lawn looking clean, the bushes trimmed and the yard free from weeds and leaves.
• Do a pressure wash on the outside of the home to give it a fresh, clean look.
• Look at the interior of your home like you’re seeing it for the first time. Are the carpets in bad shape? What about smells from the pets that you don’t notice any more? Is the flooring in good condition?
• Get rid of anything personal. Potential buyers want to see themselves in the home, so seeing evidence of your living there gets in the way of the fantasy.
• Kitchens and bathrooms are key. These are two of the priciest parts of a home to renovate so having a sparkling, well-presented kitchen and bathroom will go a long way toward raising the final sale value.

When it comes time to close, you may want to have a lawyer with you. His or her legal knowledge, liability insurance and Florida licensing will help the whole process go smoothly.

Source: dailyrepublic.com, “How to prepare your home for 2017 real estate market,” Scott Loney, Alicia Worley, December 24, 2016