Lakeland Home Seller Tip #3

Make your Lakeland Florida Home a Great First Impression as well as an even Better Lasting Impression

The Lakeland Real Estate market is inundated with lots of inventory in every neighborhood. Drive around town and visit various neighborhoods such as North Lakeland neighborhoods, Lake Morton District and Lake Hollingsworth neighborhoods, Oakbridge Neighborhoods and the Lakeland Highlands Communities in every price range.

You as a seller must have your “Spring Cleaning Cap” on all the time; ready to roll up your sleeves and get to work before putting your house on the market.

It is no secret that the vast majority of the Real Estate markets around the country are down and buyers are scarce, due to lending restrictions and credit tightness. So if you want to give your home some extra pizzazz to standout for buyers, here are some of my best tips.

Most buyers will find your home online and if your Realtor® has done a good job with the photos of your home it should look pretty decent. Also, keep in mind that buyers do scout your neighborhood before visiting your home. First impressions of homes is extremely critical and the word “Curb appeal”, a catch phrase, I’m sure you heard often that is mentioned around in Real Estate articles must surely be taken seriously – especially now.

Please consider these tips below as your guidelines – You do want to sell your house for the most money the market will bear in the least amount of time?

Outside Things to do:

• Clean up all debris from including any tree limbs, branches, and left over leaves. Maintain as necessary!
• Pressure washing your driveway and walkway.
• Have all your landscaping beds raked and weeded out and replaced with fresh mulch
• Trim your bushes as necessary. Keeping them a few feet back from the home allowing for proper ventilation; it also keeps the bugs away.
• Consider planting some plants and flowers that can sustain the Florida weather and have lots of color.
• Assess your driveway and get it seal coated if it looks old and worn. Seal coating really does wonders to give your home a new and appealing feel.
• Clean out your gutters.
• Hose down your deck and consider seal coating the surface if needed.
• A fresh coat of paint on the front entry door looks great. Make sure you remove any old cob webs.
• Consider a few potted plants at the entry with some nice flowers, if there is enough room.
• Maintain your lawn by mowing, weeding, edging and fertilizing.
• Use a garden hose and spray down any areas of your siding that may have mold or mildew build-up.
• Your pool and/or Jacuzzi should always sparkle. Maintain cleanliness and proper adding of chemicals is the key for a beautiful pool.
• Screen-Room should also be cleaned of debris and de-cluttered. It is not a storage area!

Inside things to do:

• Make your home look large by de-cluttering. Remove the things you don’t use. Excess furniture, boxes, and decorative items you don’t use. Perhaps a garage sale is the perfect remediation. Consider a local storage center in your area for these things, as it is well worth the investment. Donate your items you don’t want to the Good Will, Missing Children’s Center, Salvation Army, Local Church Groups – a perfect tax write off!
• Major Spring Cleaning is required!  Bathrooms and kitchen should be spick and span! This is not a big secret; buyers will pay most attention to because renovations are costly.

• Touch up painting any high traffic areas where scuff marks and worn paint are easily visible – you’ll find them on baseboards and door frames,
• Clean all your windows, blinds and replace torn window screens.

• Buyers are always looking into closets for space. Having your closets neatly organized is of great importance.
• Paint or clean with bleach old stains away. Ceiling stains could lead to questions about roof leaks or plumbing issues.
• Clear your kitchen counter! Put the toaster and coffee maker in a cabinet if not in use. Counter tops should be spotless. Polish and seal granite counter tops. Keep your appliances clean!
• Mirrors, lights, ceiling fans and faucets should be cleaned.
• Areas around the bathtubs, showers, and sinks should be re-caulked. Tiles and grout must also be cleaned and maintained throughout the time your house is for sale.
• Clean floors, kitchen and bathrooms should always be maintained.

Don’t you want to leave a lasting impression for your future buyer of your Lakeland home by working with your Realtor® making it a team effort to achieve your ultimate goal to get your home SOLD?