All Posts tagged Buying a home in La Quinta

THE FIFTEEN SECOND RULE

How to Get Your Home Ready for Sale

La Quinta home sellers: let’s prepare your home properly.  Fall is approaching and you feel like it’s time to take the big step of putting your home on the market.  Where do you begin?  It is a known fact among the real estate industry that you’ve got about fifteen seconds to capture a prospective home buyer’s interest and ensure they get a good feeling about your house.  In order to get the best price for your home, there are things that must be tended to in order for that to happen.

To begin with, common sense tells you that cleaning your home and fixing things which are broken or incomplete is a must. You want to make it as move-in ready as possible since about 95% of buyers are looking for just that . . . not a fixer-upper or a house that needs carpeting replaced or walls repainted or a yard landscaped.  These tasks may seem like a big expense or too time consuming to you as the seller, but in the long run it can bring you a better price in negotiations and is definitely worth it.

POINTERS TO HELP YOU GET STARTED SELLING YOUR LA QUINTA HOME

Remove as much clutter as possible, such as clothing, toys, magazines, etc.  You’ll also want to pack away many of your knick-knacks (statuary, vases, personal photos) so they won’t be a distraction for those who come to view.  You’ll want them to be able to envision their own belongings in your home.  Create as much available space as possible – as you are selling square footage, and the larger the space appears, the better.

Should you decide to paint, it’s better to stick with neutral colors like sand or soft gray, even though bright, rich colors are in style.  If you think color would enhance a room, perhaps confine it to just an accent wall or use accessories like artwork or pillows to bring color in.

A CLEAN HOME IS PARAMOUNT

Clean your home thoroughly, inside and out, as the desert dust settles easily in our La Quinta homes.  On the inside, this means floors, windows, appliances, faucets, etc.  Everything should shine. The outside of your home is extremely important, since buyers may initially do a drive by to determine if yours is a home they want to preview.  Powerwash the walls and hardscape, knock down cobwebs, and touch up paint where needed.  Trim hedges, prune plants, clean up debris, pull weeds.  A fresh new welcome mat at the front door is a nice touch . . . and maybe some pots with colorful flowers can be placed there for a festive look.

For more ideas, here is a video to help you get an even better idea of what you can do to make your home its most attractive to the next potential owner.  A little elbow grease will go far in helping you maximize your sale income . . . so roll up your sleeves and get started.