REAL ESTATE
Port Townsend, WA

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of real estate for sale in Port Townsend and Jefferson County.

Preparing Your Home for Sale

In today's real estate market, the competition is intense. In order to sell your house in a timely manner you'll need to make it more attractive to buyer's than your competition. Here are some tips to help you make your home the one that buyers want.

Disassociate Yourself From Your Home

Change your mindset about your home and become unbiased about it. Say to yourself, "This is not my home; it is a house - a product to be sold ." Make the mental decision to let go of your attachment to it and focus on the fact that soon this house will belong to someone else... someone who will love it as much as you do.

Picture yourself handing over the keys and envelopes containing appliance warranties to the new owners! Look toward the future and see yourself in your new home, being excited about your new place.

De-Personalize

Pack up those personal photographs and family heirlooms. Buyers can't see past personal artifacts, and you don't want them to be distracted. You want buyers to imagine their own photos on the walls, and they can't do that if yours are there.

You don't want buyers thinking, "I wonder what kind of people live in this home?" You want buyers to say, "I can see myself living here."

De-Clutter!

This is most important. People collect an amazing quantity of junk during the years they live in a house.

Consider this: if you haven't used it in over a year, you probably don't need it. If you don't need it, donate it or throw it away.

• Remove all books from bookcases.
• Pack up those knickknacks.
• Remove everything from the kitchen counters.
• Put essential items used daily in a small box that can be stored in a closet when not in use.

Think of this process as a head-start on the packing you will eventually need to do anyway.

Organize Bedroom Closets and Kitchen Cabinets

Buyers love to snoop and will open closet and cabinet doors. Think of the message it sends if items fall out! Now imagine what a buyer believes about you if she sees everything organized. Not only will you find you have more space, an organized, tidy closet says you probably take good care of the rest of the house as well.

Rent a Storage Unit

Almost every home shows better with less furniture. Remove pieces of furniture that block or hamper paths and walkways and put them in storage. Store empty bookcases. Remove extra leaves from your dining room table to make the room appear larger.

Leave just enough furniture in each room to showcase the room's purpose and plenty of room to move around. You don't want buyers scratching their heads and saying, "What is this room used for?"

Remove the Items You're Taking

If you want to take window coverings, built-in appliances or fixtures with you, remove them now. If the chandelier in the dining room once belonged to your great grandmother, take it down. Remember, anything permanently attached to the house is considered part of the house.

Pack those items and replace them, if necessary.

Make Minor Repairs

All those items on your To-Do list that you never got to need to be done now.

• Replace cracked floor or counter tiles.
• Patch holes in walls.
• Fix leaky faucets.
• Fix doors that don't close properly and kitchen drawers that jam.
• Paint your walls neutral colors if they aren't already. Purple may be your favorite color, but a purple bedroom can nix the sale of your house.
• Replace burned-out light bulbs.
• Replacing a worn bedspread.
• Wash windows inside and out.
• Rent a pressure washer and spray down sidewalks and exterior.
• Clean out cobwebs, especially in the garage.
• Re-caulk tubs, showers and sinks if needed. Bleach dingy grout.
• Polish chrome faucets and mirrors.
• Dust ceiling fan blades and light fixtures.
• Hang up fresh towels.
• Clean and air out any musty smelling areas. Odors are a no-no.

Scrutinize

Go outside and open your front door. Stand there. Do you want to go inside? Does the house welcome you?

Linger in the doorway of every single room and imagine how your house will look to a buyer. Examine carefully how furniture is arranged and move pieces around until it makes sense. Tune in to the room's statement and its emotional pull.

Check Curb Appeal

If a buyer won't get out of her agent's car because she doesn't like the exterior of your home, you'll never get her inside. Keep the sidewalks cleared. Mow the lawn. Plant yellow flowers or group flower pots together. Yellow evokes a buying emotion. Marigolds are inexpensive. Trim your bushes. Make sure visitors can clearly read your house number.

Have a question about real estate in Port Townsend and surrounding areas?

Let me help you. All my years of experience as a Realtor have given me a wealth of knowledge about selling and buying real estate. If I don't already have the answer to your question, I know just where to go to get it. Simply use this handy form.