Jim Mcfarlane - Chicago Realtor

		Preparing Your Home for the Sale

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Remember what your parents told you, 'First impressions count!' This bit of wisdom is definitely applicable when it comes to selling your home. You will not have more than one chance to impress a buyer, especially if their first impression was not positive.

Little things like planting some flowers in the front of your house, or keeping your lawn neat and trim will cause prospective buyers to feel emotionally attached to your property. Why? Because when they see you are making an effort to maintain your home's appearance, they can identify with your house immediately - because they can imagine how they would take care of the house if it were their own. You want to set the stage for a prospective buyer to say to him or herself, 'I could move right in and be happy here.'

There are numerous ways you can make your home inviting to a buyer:

•	Tidy up your garage and basement to show off how much room is available. Most people will not have time to visualize what they cannot see while they are touring your home, so make sure they can see in all corners.

•	Clean the outside windows. A house with clean windows really boasts how proud the owners are to live there.

•	Squeaky gates, latches, or broken fences are not pleasing to the ear or eye.

•	Spruce up your evergreens. There are fertilizers to help you turn those brown spots to green. Remove any dead limbs and branches from trees. Remember, a buyer wants to move into a home that does not need tremendous money or time to clean up.

•	Make sure all your indoor and outdoor lights are working. If your backyard is very dark, consider adding some accent lighting. This is a very inexpensive way to make your yard much more appealing.

•	Touch up any chipped, or cracked paint around doors and windows.

•	In winter, make sure all ice and snow is removed from outside stairways, and walks. Just because you are moving you should not reduce your maintenance - on the contrary - step it up!

•	Lastly, don't let anything obstruct the street's view of your 'For Sale' sign - you want everyone to see that your beautiful home is for sale (and it does not need a lot of work to move right in!)

Preparing for the sale of your home may require some extra effort, but it can pay off in a faster sale at a higher price.

For further assistance with the home sales process, please contact me.

Written by Jim Mcfarlane, real estate agent serving home purchasers and sellers in the City of Chicago and Northern suburbs.

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	@ 2002 James Mcfarlane \| Chicago, Illinois

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