Leslie Cain: Important tasks to consider before you list your home

Thinking of selling your home? If so, ask your Realtor for guidance on improving your home’s overall look and feel and how to best present your property for potential buyers. Then, start preparing for the sale with these seven important tasks:

Enhance Your Curb Appeal

You only get one chance to make a great first impression, so make sure the front of your property is well-kept and appears warm and inviting. If you do not have the time or skills to work on your landscaping, hire it done. Add fresh flowers in bright planters and a new, or at least clean, doormat.

Switch-out Lighting

Old-fashioned lighting fixtures can make a beautiful home appear dated. You can find relatively inexpensive fixtures to replace the outdated ones, and this effort is well worth the investment. Also, use accent lighting to highlight focal points in a room, and especially focus on unique selling points.

Paint Walls

A fresh coat of paint never disappoints. If any of your rooms are a darker shade, consider painting them a lighter, neutral color to make your home seem larger. If you do not have the time or money to paint, simply wiping down walls can go a long way.

Fix the Flooring

These days most buyers prefer wood or vinyl floors over carpet. Therefore, if you have the cash to replace old carpet with hardwood or vinyl flooring, it is a worthwhile investment. If you cannot replace the carpet, consider having it professionally cleaned.

Don’t Forget the Backyard

Make sure your backyard and/or deck is clean and inviting. Wipe down patio furniture and freshen up potted plants. At the bare minimum, mow lawn, trim bushes, and pick up after your pets.

Check windows and doors

Do your windows and doors look clean, and do they function properly? It is not unusual for a potential buyer to look closely at windows and doors and even open and close them.

Fix the Small Repairs

Take a walk through your home and take note of broken or outdated handles and hardware. You can install new door handles, faucets, towel bars and other fixtures relatively inexpensively. This not only makes the house look better and well-kept, it also improves the function and safety of these components.

Keep in mind, every bit of time and effort you put into your home and yard prior to listing it for sale is a good investment, and will help contribute to a quicker, and hopefully, more profitable sale.

For more local homeowner information or to find a licensed real estate professional, contact the Sierra Nevada Realtors at 775-885-7200 or sierranevadarealtors.org.

Leslie Cain is president of Sierra Nevada Realtors and a Realtor with RE/MAX Realty Affiliates in Carson City. Cain has been active in the real estate industry for nearly 14 years and is very passionate about the Northern Nevada community. She holds several certifications including Certified Residential Specialist (CRS), Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR) and Senior’s Real Estate Specialist (SRES). Cain can be reached at leslie@lesliecain.com or 775-781-1386.