Do-It-Yourself Seller's Marketing Kit

• Although most homeowners eventually decide to use a real estate agent to sell their home, many of them often try to sell the property themselves, usually with mixed results.
  
  However, if you’re the type of person who welcomes the challenges of any task as big as marketing your home as efficiently and effectively as possible, then here are just a few of the items you’ll need:
  
  
  
  * “For Sale” sign (preferably with directional arrow)
  
  * Sample / blank purchase agreements
  
  * Detailed flyers from a home lender illustrating the best home loans available on to prospective buyers
  
  * Copy of the plateau map for your street or subdivision
  
  * Home Warranty sign
  
  * Lead-based paint disclosure forms
  
  * “True Cost Forms" for prospective buyers. These forms are customized to highlight income tax savings information and future appreciation
  
  * A customized laser- printed feature sheet on your property
  
  * “Open House” signs
  
  * A list of all homes in the area currently for sale
  
  * A list of all homes in the area recently sold
  
  * A list of all homes in the area recently for sale but that expired unsold
  
  * Home inspection request forms
  
  * Well & septic forms
  
  * Property survey request forms
  
  * Terms sign
  
  * Home warranty information and application forms
  
  
  * Pest inspection request forms
  
  * List of assessed values of homes on your street
  

Open House checklist for Sellers

OUTSIDE:

¨ Trim all shrubs
¨ Pull weeds Maintain flowerbed
¨ Rake lawn clear of leaves
¨ Water lawn to keep green.
¨ Discard or store all materials & debris not part of the lawn decor
¨ Wash all window surfaces
¨ Sweep garage and clear clutter
¨ In wintertime, all walkways & driveways should be shoveled & salted


LIGHTING:


¨ Open all shades and draperies during daylight hours
¨ Replace all burnt-out light bulbs with the high-wattage bulbs
¨ Turn on all lights throughout the house and basement prior to showing


STORAGE:

¨ Store away all clothing & other items not contributing to décor
¨ All closets should be tidy and organized
¨ Basement storage areas should be neatly arranged
¨ Kitchen counters should be clean & free of any articles not contributing to the decor
¨ All magazines, books, ashtrays, food, bottles, containers, boxes, cans, toys, hobby accessories, tools, dishes, cookware, etc. should be stored in the proper cupboards or closets or storage areas.

CLOSETS:

¨ Interiors of all closets should present a tidy & uncluttered appearance
¨ All unneeded or unused items should be discarded
¨ Display your storage and utility space by removing all unnecessary accumulations in attic, stairways, basement, closets & garage.

WINDOWS:

¨ All windows should be spotless
¨ All window sills should be clean & free of any flaking paint
¨ All windows should be in good repair with no cracks
¨ Screens should be clean & in good condition, free of rust & holes
¨ Any paint on glass should be removed with a razor blade prior to cleaning

FIXTURES:

¨ All bathroom and kitchen fixtures & counters should be clean
¨ Polish chrome faucets and handles in the tub and sinks
¨ All sinks, tubs, toilets and counters should be clean
FLOORS:

¨ All flooring should be clean & waxed if necessary
¨ All carpeting should be clean, regardless of age
¨ Steam-clean carpet (if not done in more than 2 years)
¨ Basement floors should be swept and mopped
DOORS:

¨ All doors should be free of scotch tape, posters, decals or stickers
¨ All door handles should be clean and in good repair


CERAMIC TILE:

¨ All joints between tiles should be clean and white
¨ Use DAP bathroom tile sealer to reseal the joint between bathtub and wall and floor


WALLS:

¨ All walls should be clean and free of gouges, scratches, smudges, scotch tape, posters, thumbtacks, etc.
¨ Walls should only have decorative items
¨ Posters and pictures taped to walls should be removed along with evidence of all tape markings


ODOR:

¨ On warm days, open up windows and shades
¨ Make your home feel and smell bright, fresh & clean