Easy ways to prepare your home for sale

Preparing your home for the market means making repairs and general sprucing-up ― but also making it easy for potential buyers to imagine their happy lives there.

Before you show your home to buyers, put yourself in their shoes, advises Sara Ramirez, a Realtor at Century 21. Look at your home with a critical eye.

Walk through your home and property, clipboard in hand, recording problems you’d notice if you were shopping. That garage workspace full of dust and empty containers? That door missing a hinge? The lawn you haven’t mowed? It’s time to make them presentable.

“It is a seller’s market right now, but buyers still have certain expectations,” Ramirez says. “They want to walk into a clean house that looks like it’s been taken care of.”

To make the best first impression, consider your home’s “curb appeal” ― how it looks when viewed from the street. Then, inside your home, focus on three areas first: the master bedroom, the kitchen, and the main bathroom. Simplify your décor ― maybe your leopard-print area rug goes in the closet, for now ― and put away personal items such as family photos.

For more tips for sellers to get your home ready for the market, go to stcumoney.org