Prepare your house before you put up the For Sale Sign

Those planning on adding a for sale sign to the front lawn this summer might want to consider these five areas while creating their todo list.

1 . FIRST IMPRESSIONS COUNT

It's wise to make a good impression from the moment a potential buyer pulls up to the house, experts say. First glimpses of the home will include the home's exterior, the shrubbery, the gutters and the front door.

Peeling trim could be a kiss of death. Paint the exterior of the home in an odd color and you could lose their attention before they come inside. Don't underestimate the importance of good lawn care, either. A lawn that looks good on the outside gives the impression that someone cares about that home maintain the lawn

keep it green and keep it cut. Mow the lawn about three inches high at least twice a week when a home is on the market, two inches if the home is in a Southern state. The more it is mowed, the denser it will become. And get on a fertilization program, starting at the beginning of the season, he said.

Bypass store-bought sod and instead borrow some grass from an inconspicuous place elsewhere on the lawn if there are small spots that need to be filled in, Rogers said. The grasses will match better if they come from the same lawn.

2. NEUTRALIZE AND DEÆCLUTTER

When it comes to preparing a home's interior, make a move to more neutral colors in a home.

People can't visualize beyond what they see. Neutral colors, including beige and ivory, can also have an added advantage of making a room appear larger.

Removing a home's clutter is also extremely important in getting potential buyers to imagine their family living in the home.

Beyond that, do some basic spring cleaning: Shampoo the carpets, rebuff hardwood floors and oil any wood cabinetry.

3. CONSIDER REPLACEMENT PROJECTS

Sellers might also consider having a home inspection done prior to listing the home as a way to detect any overdue replacement projects. A seller has the option of either fixing the problem or giving the buyer a discount to account for the needed repairs.

Home buyers recognize the value of a house that doesn't need major repairs.

4. KITCHENS AND BATHROOMS RULE

It is no secret that buyers tend to be awed by updated kitchens and bathrooms.

If the last time it was remodeled was in 1980, that is going to be points against versus another house that was upgraded even five years ago with sort of a modern look. It is hard to go wrong with a kitchen or bath remodel unless you get a little too edgy with the design or the materials you use.

That said, a seller with less than a couple years to spend in a house probably isn't going to do a complete remodel of either room. Sellers should decide where these rooms need the most improvement, and then zero in on how much they want to spend.

If kitchen cabinets are structurally fine but their exteriors are outdated, it might be worth it to reface them. If counters are old, maybe replacing them will add new life to the room. In the bathroom, there are companies that will come in and resurface chipped and damaged bathtubs.

5 . WARRANTY COVERAGE AND DOCUMENTATION

Sellers can provide some extra peace of mind to buyers by purchasing a home warranty on their home that will cover such things as heating and plumbing should the buyer run into problems after closing. The coverage is getting a bit more popular nowadays. Warranties can be bought from companies including American Home Shield and AON. You need that today to set the property apart with all the competition out there.

And if replacement projects have been done in the past few years, dig out the documentation to prove it. Also, explain if any of the improvements have produced a cost savings in terms of energy usage.

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