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Getting Your House Ready for a Quick Sale
A good agent will bring prospects to your door. A few simple and inexpensive improvements can mean a faster sale and thousands of dollars more in your pocket.
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The number one improvement you can make: paint the walls white! That ratty third floor can become a fantasy of extra space if it's simply given a fresh coat of white paint. If you have wooden floors, moldings, mantels or fireplaces, never paint them, no matter how shabby they look. Wipe them clean with a wood cleaner and leave them alone.
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Clean, clean, clean. Use every bug, mouse and moth repellant you can find. Do a home inspection for sticky cabinets and missing draw pulls. Dust behind furniture and around picture frames, and clean out the refrigerator. Buyers see as many as 30 houses a day, and eliminate them based on smell, cleanliness and a general feeling of comfort or discomfort.
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Pay for an inspection ($100-$350) by a certified inspector to detect major problems such as roofing, plumbing, wiring and insect infestation.
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A few decorative elements make a house look better.
Doorknobs and handles, vertical blinds or simple lace curtains add an appeal far beyond their costs. Buy new grills and pans for the oven. Make sure the lights work everywhere, even in the closets.
Buy a few mirrors and place them strategically through the house, giving your home a "larger" look.
Create "curb appeal" for your home. Plant annuals for the garden. Fix the fence and the numbers on the door. Stake your property boundary with a stick and bright ribbon at each boundary line. Paint the front door and repair or remove bad shutters and screens.
Bad investments
Some improvements waste time and money:
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No matter how badly your floors look, do not lay carpet on them. If you have shabby carpets, get rid of them. A bad floor is better than dirty or old carpeting, especially on steps. No matter how cracked the wall, do not cover it with wallpaper. No matter what you put up, the buyer won't like it. They will factor in the cost of removal and disposal and offer a lower price for the house. If you have a truly hideous problem, set a price and offer an allowance to cover the cost of the repairs to the buyer's liking.
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Never sink money, literally, into the sink. New kitchens and bathrooms are expensive and your taste probably will not match the buyer's. If you're selling an apartment with one bathroom, a $3,000 investment can pay off. But in a large house, the expense of a new bath may get lost.
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Don't bother with big investments like a new pool or a new bedroom. You hardly ever get back the money you spend. In fact, a pool sometimes lowers the value of a home because many potential buyers don't want to deal with the maintenance and upkeep. 
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