Stage your home for maximum profit

To show your home to its best advantage, take off your seller's hat and put on your buyer's hat. Only by looking at your home with an objective eye, as if you're considering buying it, can you see what the buyer sees. Your Century 21 Grand agent can be your biggest and best asset in this process. Search your home and yard for all those spots that need fixing or cleaning up. You won't add to the value of your home with repairs or even painting: good maintenance is expected. On the other hand, a home that's in good shape is likely to sell more quickly. Fix-up expenses aren't deductible; however, they do affect your adjusted sales price.

What is the buyer's first impression of the exterior of the house; What can I do to improve it?

Keep your lawn well-trimmed, fertilized and edged. Trim shrubs. Remove all dead limbs and debris. Reseed. Make sure your Century 21 Grand post sign is kept visible.

Put away toys, bicycles and lawn equipment. Arrange outdoor items, such as firewood, neatly.

Walk your fence line. Repair broken areas and paint or stain spots in poor condition.

Check surfaces such as siding, trim and doors. Touch up with paint or clean.

Clear out debris in gutters. Touch up with paint if needed; realign if crooked.

Fix broken windows and screens. Wash them. Clean windows until they sparkle. Front door and any windows should be cleaned daily.

Wash driveway and sidewalks. Patch holes. Remove snow, if any.

Make sure the entry light and doorbell work. Clean away all dirt and insects. A seasonal door decoration adds a warm, inviting touch.

What is the buyer's first impression as they step inside my house? What can I do to improve it?

Since you'll be moving and marketing your home as well, take advantage of the incentive to make your home look more spacious by discarding unused items. Clear stairways are essential.

Clear all unnecessary objects from furniture throughout the house. Keep decorative objects on the furniture restricted to groups of 1, 3 or 5 items.

No matter the season, assume it's spring and do your "spring house cleaning".

Check all closets for neatly arranged clothes and as few items as possible stored on overhead shelves and on floors.

Always have FM stereo or background music on during all showings.

Leave kitchen countertops as clear as you can. Baking soda is good for removing stains on Formica and it will not mar the finish. Jubilee is an excellent countertop finish. Arrange the inside of kitchen cabinets and cupboards in an orderly manner. Are appliances in good working order? A dirty oven is a liability. Clean the interior of your dishwasher, removing stains, especially on the door. Clear refrigerator of all messages, magnets, pictures, etc.

Sparkling bathrooms help sell your home, so repair caulking in bathtubs and showers. Shower doors, ceramic tile and grouting should be cleaned and free of soap film. Fixtures should be polished and free of water marks. Countertops should be clear of clutter. If there is a window in your bathroom, open it and let the fresh air in. Remove all personal items from sight, i.e. medications, used bar soap, dirty towels, and especially toothbrushes and toothpaste.

Check major appliances. Drain a pail of water from the heater to remove rust particles and change the filter on the furnace. A little oil corrects noisy attic or appliance fans. Be sure to clean the exterior of the water heater, furnace and other appliances that will be seen by prospective customers.

Go through the basement, attic and garage and organize them so that they appear as spacious, neat and clean as possible. Keep all rooms free of clutter. If the basement or crawl space has a damp smell, place a bag of limestone in the damp area.

Check all walls for smudges, chips in paint, faded spots and torn or loose wallpaper. Clean and make repairs where you can. If walls are in poor shape, consider painting. Be sure to use only neutral colors. Paint is worth $30 in a can and $3,000 on your house. Worn and scratched woodwork reduce appeal. A little Liquid Gold does wonders for scratched and dry-look woodwork, paneling and kitchen cabinets.

Launder draperies and curtains if needed. Open drapes to let in light - unless you want to overcome a bad view. Turn on at least one light in each room if it is dark.

Shampoo carpets and wax floors. If your carpet has seen better times, consider replacing it. You may not recover the cost, but your home may sell faster. Talk with your Century 21 Grand agent about the competition in your market to help you decide. Vacuum daily.

Bake bread, brew coffee or simmer a cinnamon stick with vanilla in water to help with odors.

Get out your tool kit: tighten loose door knobs, pulls on drawers and cabinets, towel racks, switch plates, and outlet covers. Fix sticking doors and windows, squeaking doors, loose stair banister and the like. Replace cracked switch plates. Fix closet doors that are off their tracks, screen doors that don't close, faucets that drip or floor or ceiling molding that is cracked.

Make a list of things your family likes about the house and the neighborhood! Give to your

Century 21 Grand agent.

If it's cold, make a fire in the fireplace or stove, remove ashes when not in use.

As a sales tool, an open house on a Sunday afternoon can be an effective step toward making a deal. But experts warn it is not a magic solution. You should not be home and an open house is best used at the beginning of the listing period (especially the first Sunday) rather than as a last resort. In other words, don't be a shy seller.

Have as few people as possible in the house when it is shown. This puts the prospective buyer at ease and gives him a chance to absorb clearly the advantages of your property. Most people like dogs, but they distract attention. If you have a pet, we suggest you keep it out of the way, preferable out of the house.

Let your Century 21 Grand agent talk. Be polite, but do not strike up conversation with the prospective buyer. Your agent has already given details on your property and needs all the attention of the buyer to increase his interest. Do not get involved in a discussion with the prospective buyer if he objects or remarks about a room or arrangement or some other point about your property. Your Century 21 Grand agent can more easily overcome the objections.

Remember to have the house well lit throughout for showings. Turn on the porch light and any other outside lights that highlight your property when showing the house after dark.

First sell the house. Do not try to sell the customer any furniture, rugs or drapes in the house at this time. This complicates the sale and detracts from the interest created in your house. If a carpet or any of your furnishings are desired by the buyer, your Century 21 Grand agent will discuss this with you.

Price - Are you competitive? If you are not getting offers, you're not priced right.

Accessibility - The most important tool is a Security Tracking System.

Commission - Can be an asset, neutral or a liability. The more agents you attract, the better you’ll do.

Exposure - When you list with Century 21 Grand, you have the maximum print & Internet exposure.

Your Century 21 Grand agent is always available to give you whatever information you need to help you make the best decisions. Working together, we make a great team!