Tips for Prepping Your Home for Sale – Exterior

Spring is the perfect time to think about upgrading to your dream home, or downsizing to something more practical, depending on your needs.  Regardless of your reasons and the decision you make, the reality is that the housing market is hot as we draw closer to summer, especially in the real estate market near Simon Fraser University, so if you’re contemplating a sell, the time is opportune.  Here are some tips to help you prep your home’s exterior so that you can take full advantage of this market.

Exterior Maintenance

The quickest way to get your home ready for the real estate market is to give the exterior of your home a fresh coat of paint.  Before this, however, you will need to have a quick look at your exterior and do all of the necessary prep work required before painting.  This includes caulking any cracks or gaps, and replacing the weather stripping around the windows if it looks worn.  Also remember to scrape and sand down any areas where your old paint may have lifted.

While you are inspecting your exterior, have a look at your roof to see if you need to replace any loose shingles, and keep an eye out for clogged gutters, which can lead to all kinds of problems and create water damage if left unattended.  Make sure to remove all debris that may have gathered over the winter so that the gutters drain properly and can handle the spring rains.

Landscaping

A well landscaped property is far more appealing to potential buyers than a home that has not been landscaped, so take advantage of it being spring by planting some eye-catching flowers and getting your lawn and property market ready.  Make sure to keep the lawn trimmed, and repair/replace any cracked cement pads or retaining walls that may have been damaged over the winter months.  You should also consider renting a pressure washer to thoroughly clean your driveway.

Organize

If your home has an attached garage, it is extremely important to properly organize this space since potential buyers will envision how they can utilize it if they end up buying your home. Creating this imaginative space for buyers can be self-defeating if your garage is so full of stuff that you and your real estate agent can barely fit in the garage yourselves.  Take the necessary but rewarding time to organize the garage; think of it as an opportunity to sort through your belongings before you have to pack them into a moving truck.  Remember, an organized garage is a great selling point in this real estate market.

If you have been on the fence about buying or selling your home, there may be no better time than now to enter into the real estate market.  Just like the spring weather, the market is heating up and does not show any signs of cooling off any time soon.  Good luck!