Tips. Hints, & Thoughts to Prepare Your Home for Sale in the Greater Lansing Real Estate Market

Homes that I pre-visit for marketing in the Greater Lansing real estate market sometimes need minor repairs and decorating prior to final photos and virtual tours being created.

This proves to be a big advantage by preparing early and having things you can do to prepare a house for sale? Here are tips, hints, thoughts and ideas for sprucing up, cleaning out, decorating, staging, creating a great first impression and making a house appealing to buyers.



I am prepared to employ the latest techniques and services for your benefit, just like you've grown to expect from a professional. Real estate transactions are complex, involve large assets and demand competent representation. Marketing properties, home selection and financing are just a few of the skills today's consumer looks for when they select a real estate professional. I am prepared to offer my clients the knowledge and expertise to counsel them in relocating, buying, investing or selling the family home.

In today's market, you need someone who knows what they're doing and will work hard to get the job done. My knowledge of the real estate market, negotiating skills, and ability to listen to clients' needs and desires keep me ahead of my competition.

"Expect the Best" Mike

Delhi Township, Holt Real Estate, Preparing Your Home for Sale

First impressions make a significant impact on a buyer’s decision-making process! Once your home goes on the market, it becomes a product. Home Styling or Staging simply allows you to highlight the best of your home and de-emphasize its flaws. It’s not about decorating, but actually turning your home into a model, to appeal to the broadest range of prospective buyers. The goal is to make people feel like they could live there, and the best way to do this is to “neutralize” the surroundings.

Try out these helpful styling tips taken from Setting the Stage - REALTOR® Magazine Online. They’ve compiled the best tips from stagers and real estate pros—things you can do for little or no expense—to put a home in prime showing shape.

*Clear out closets and clutter—sellers can give away or pack up toys, linens, and small kitchen appliances to store offsite. Buyers are also forgiving of storage boxes neatly tucked away in a garage or basement.
*Focus most on the most visible areas—the foyer, kitchen, living room, master bedroom, and family room.
*De-personalize the home by removing photos, mementos, and dated items.
*Use plants in colorful pots or inexpensive wicker baskets to fill in empty spaces.
*Look to home catalogs for little details on beautifying the home. For instance, group books, pictures, and objets d’art appealingly on bookcases.
*Try angling one or two pieces of furniture slightly and move furniture 4 inches to 6 inches from the wall to create more interesting room spaces.
*Put away large collections— porcelains, plates, and so on.
*Remove valuables, prescription medicine, collectibles, and breakables.
*Trim trees, prune shrubs, and make sure the lawn is mowed and watered regularly.
In summer, turn on the sprinklers for five minutes, 30 minutes before the open house. It makes the lawn and driveway sparkle.
*Refrain from cooking anything that leaves a distinctive odor, such as fish, garlic, or cabbage.
*Hire a professional service to clean the home, including the carpets and the windows.
*Set the dining room table with attractive linens, dishes, and stemware.
*Arrange fresh or silk flowers throughout the home.
*Light a fire in the fireplace in fall and winter.
*A mirror in a pretty frame can make a small room feel more open.
*Use as much natural light as possible. Add extra lamps in dark rooms or corners.
*Make functional repairs—fix dripping faucets, sticking doors, and broken fences.
*Bring in another pair of eyes—even if it’s not a professional stylist. The person may see problems you and have missed.

Visit my website for addtional ideas on preparing your home for sale & establishing value.