Time For Spring (Cleaning)

For one quick week in March it his 70 in Minnesota. Those days are to be cherished. Overall it was a very mild Winter (thanks El Nino!). With a mild winter comes an early start to the Spring market in Minnesota and more listings. So, with more competition what should you start doing to get your home "market ready?" Here are a few things to check off:

1. De-Clutter
   1. The golden rule for listing your home. No, you don't need to take every family photo off the wall but if you have a 3'x3' mural of your wedding day, that should consider coming down. De-cluttering is mainly about getting all that stuff we like to keep on our counters (knives, towels, coffee pot) put away. Also removing the extra furniture you don't need (extra side tables, chairs). Also cleaning off those side tables of any extra goodies (candles, tissue boxes, un-necessary lamps). Making your home as free flowing as you can make it is the ultimate step towards making it show as nice as possible!
2. Landscaping around the foundation
   1. Almost every inspector is going to mention that water is your biggest enemy and will definitely mention if the home has no gutters, but they will also talk about how well the grading around the home is done. Most inspectors say to build up 6" of dirt around the foundation and slowly grade away from the house. This will run the water away from the foundation. So, add some dirt, grade around, put down some nice wood chips and the inspector and the new buyers will be pleasantly impressed with your attention to detail!
3. Fresh Paint
   1. Painting isn't really very fun but that red wall in your kitchen that you love, will most likely not go over super well with buyers. Getting a nice neutral grey is in right now and paint is a cheap upgrade compared to most. Hitting the most important rooms (kitchen, main bath, living/dining and master bedroom) will be key. That downstairs bedroom you probably don't have to worry about.
4. Flowers up front
   1. Now, it got a little chillier in the last couple weeks but if you're planning on getting on the market by the end of April it's always nice to get a few potted plans that have some color and some nice potters for your front entry. It's the first thing the buyer sees and it sets the tone for the rest of their showing!

These are just a few tips to get you started toward market ready. Want more? Contact us and we'd be happy to share a few extra secrets ;)! Happy selling!