Are thinking about selling your home in Lake Chapala? Even before listing your home, now is the time to start preparations for the the sale.
The Retire In Lake Chapala Team of Michaela and Ricardo wish you the best success in the sale of your home and are available to help you in selling your home quickly and for the most money.
For a free home evaluation call 333-141-5979
There are many things you can do when preparing to sell your home that are simple and cost effective. Each one builds upon the other so don't be tempted to skip any of these important steps.
UN-PERSONALIZE
Take down pictures of the grand kids and and grampa's 90th birthday party. You want the house to present itself in a clean, efficient way allowing the prospective owner a non-biased view of the home. A clean slate is the best way to show your home to a prospective buyer!
Put away essential bath items in an easily accessible box so that bathroom counters are kept free of personal hygiene or personal medical items. No one wants to see bottles of Viagra or drugs to help control hot flashes out on the counter.
As part of the de-personalizing process, be sure to remove any personal items that you wish to take with you. Often times, that budda statue that means so much to you and you just can't live without, becomes the one thing that the prospective buyer just “must have” in order to purchase your house or else the deal is off. Recognize that you have good taste and items that you treasure are often of interest to others as well.
If you have lots of personal items you wish to take with you then consider renting a storage unit or, if possible, pre-ship items to your new location..
Continue de-personalizing by de-polarizing your home by removing religious or political symbols and associated paraphernalia.
Also, de-pet your home. Not everyone likes Fido or needs to be reminded that Fido lives there. Make sure all the poop is picked up, the couches are hairless and the toys put away. In conjunction with the above, make sure that the house smells good and doesn't have a 'doggy' odor. Ultimately, the potential buyer should not even be able to tell that your furry legged companion even lives there with you.
DE-CLUTTER
This is the time to really give your house a deep clean!
Start with donating or trashing items that are of no importance to you or a prospective buyer. Then continue by cleaning off all kitchen counters, night stands and coffee tables of all nik naks.
Once your home is de-cluttered, then call in the professionals and have them spend a day cleaning your home from top to bottom. Businesses such as Axixic Spring Clean is an excellent company to call and take over the hard work.
ORGANIZE
Organize and align items in your cabinets, closets and on tables so that they present well.
Tidy stacks of CD's, spices and cloths closets. Organize your bodega, pump room, garage and workshop so that they present a clean and orderly space.
REPAIR
Most homes sold Lakeside will undergo an inspection, therefore why wait and have a bad inspection report? If there are too many things listed, the prospective buyer will ask for a reduction in price OR for you to arrange the repair of the major defects. So get to it now. Either find the obvious items yourself or pay to have an inspection done and repair the items found. Fix the leaky faucet, oil the squeaky door, replace all the light bulbs that are out and fix or replace ceiling fans. A clean inspection report will expedite the sale of your property!
Salitre is a common problem in Lake Chapala and nothing looks worse for a prospective buyer, especially those who are new here and not used to seeing it. Repair obvious signs of salitre and apply a fresh coat of paint.
Once all the repairs and cleaning are done and the house goes on the market, it's important to keep up on the dusting and cleaning of the house and property. Maids and gardeners are inexpensive here so keep them working and coming in once or twice a week so that the house presents itself in tip top shape for the showings.
Remember, it pays to keep your house 'show ready' at all times. The beds need to be made daily after getting up, the dishes put away after every meal and in general, everything needs to be kept in order and tidy.
I hope you enjoyed this guide. If you have any questions about real estate or the real estate process in Lake Chapala, I'd be happy to help answer them. Contact Us!
Get all the information you need on moving to Lake Chapala! Whether you are a first time visitor or seriously considering relocating to Lake Chapala, this book is for you!
Buy Now on Amazon Kindle!
Don't have Kindle? Contact us for a PDF version and receive $2 off your purchase!
Email: heckertricardo@gmail.com
Michaela & Ricardo are your FULL SERVICE Real Estate Agents. With over 25 years of combined experience Lakeside, and our network of area Professionals, we help guide you to from beginning to forever in your Retirement Journey to Lake Chapala, Mexico.
