Power Wash
I compare power washing a house to getting one’s teeth whitened. It will make everything look clean, bright, and impart an impression of a well-maintained home. In this day and age, roofs are especially being looked at, so having it look clean and mildew-free will go a long way. By the way, it is a requirement of living in this neighborhood and should be done anyway! Make sure to power wash the roof, home exterior, AND the patio and driveway. Definitely use a licensed and insured power wash company, since tile roofs can be damaged by overzealous cleaning pressure or by someone walking on the roof that doesn’t know what they’re doing. It’s a big bang for your buck, and has a huge impact on first impressions.
Get a fresh Four Point Inspection
The Four Point Inspection is what most insurance companies will require in order to issue a policy for a home and will check 1) Roof 2) Electrical 3) Plumbing and 4) A/C. Most buyers will want to, and if they’re getting a mortgage be required to, obtain homeowner’s insurance. With that in mind, it’s a good idea to know if your home would pass, since in this market buyers actually have the time to do a full home inspection and a poor one would be grounds for cancelling a contract or renegotiating on selling price. It’s good to know prior to listing what to be prepared for, and If these 4 things are in perfect shape, even better—have your Realtor use a clean 4 Point as a selling point! But if they’re not in good shape, wouldn’t you rather know in advance so you can have it fixed and then use that as a selling point, or keep that in mind when determining your list price?
De-Clutter and De-Frou-Frou
If you’re thinking about moving, this can be your motivation to start packing and purging. You want the home to photograph well since 99% of home searches start online, and pictures do matter. If the marketing and photos are good, potential buyers will end up touring your home, which they need to be able to envision as their own. Remember: the goal is to sell the house, not you as people, so de-personalize as much as you feel comfortable, especially if you have anything that could be offensive or polarizing. However, don’t remove so much that it becomes uncomfortable for you to live in while selling, just optimize the existing space and allow for people to actually see your house and its beautiful features and upgrades without getting too distracted by the contents.
And then of course the bonus tip is to use a Realtor who knows the neighborhood and local market, who is trustworthy, and will give you attentive service. I’d love to throw my hat in the ring and share even more wisdom and tips, so call me today if you’re thinking about selling!