A Seller's To-Do List

There are a  lot of things a person has to remember when selling a Lake of the Ozarks home. Whether this is your first time selling, or you're a pro - it's still a lot of work and nobody knows this more than the Gattermeir Davidson team. We specialize in selling Lake of the Ozarks Home, but there are still several things you need to do in order to get the results you want. Here is a to-do list to help keep you on track as you prepare to put your home on the market.

Objectively Evaluate Every Room

It's time to get serious about your home, and everything that you have in it. Since you'll be preparing to move by packing and reorganizing, it's time to declutter and take each room at a time. Use these tips to look at your home through fresh eyes.

The Whole House

It's time to start dusting, and we mean everything. Walls, blinds, ceilings, baseboards, windows, A/C intake vents, and ceilings fans - nothing should go uncleaned.

These items should be cleaned and replaced as needed:

• Light switch covers
• Fireplace
• Light bulbs
• Front door
• Carpets
• Blinds
• Doors and door knobs
• Interior & exterior paint
• AC/Heater vents

Are you ready to make your home inviting? Rearrange the furniture to maximize the floor space. Take some time to pack up all of the knick-knacks and figurines you have. Do you have houseplants? Prune and nurture them. If you have furniture you can live without, remove it to make it look like you have more space. Clear out your bookshelves by only keeping a few of the decorative books, and pack away family photos to de-personalize the home. Reduce wall art to just a few items per room, and add lamps to any dark spaces to brighten them up.

The Living Room

• Use pillows and throws to soften up the area.
• Store all toys out of sight.
• Do you have ashtrays in your home? Remove all sight of them.
• Remove unnecessary furniture.
• Clear off the coffee tables.

The Dining Room

• Do you have extra chairs from the table? Find a new place to store them.
• The table should seat 4 to 6 chairs max.
• Remove extra leaves from the table.
• Clear off the dining room table and only leave one centerpiece.
• If you have a chandelier, it should be a minimum of 60" from the floor.

The Kitchen

• Clear the items from your countertops.
• Clean the tile grout and bleach it if necessary.
• Deep clean your stove, oven, and microwave.
• Take all magnets, pictures, and messages off of the refrigerator.
• Do you have broken or loose corners on the Formica countertops? Take time to repair them.
• Replace the burner pans on the stove if they are dirty and cover with aluminum foil if you'll still be using them.
• Keep all cleaning supplies like mops, brooms, and vacuums put away.
• If you have a showing coming up, empty the trashcans
• Remove all pet food and water dishes before showings.
• Organize your pantry so it looks like there is plenty of space.
• If you can live without certain dishes and cooking supplies - box them up.
• Scrub and polish your sink to make it shine like new.

The Bedrooms

• Make the beds daily.
• If your bedspreads are getting old, invest in some new ones.
• Clear off the bedside tables and dressers.
• Store the daily necessities in drawers.
• Organize your closets, and only keep what you have to have in them. Don't forget to keep the doors closed!
• Keep the floors clear and vacuum them regularly.
• Only keep tasteful pieces of art in the rooms and remove everything else.
• If you have holes in the wall, repair and repaint them.

The Laundry

• Put the soap and supplies in the cupboards.
• Keep all surfaces clean and empty.
• Use high watt bulbs to make it look brighter.
• Remove ALL clothing, clean or dirty.
• Keep the floors cleared of clutter.

The Bathroom

• Clear and clean all surfaces.
• Display a bottle of hand soap on the sink - make sure it smells nice and clean, but not overpowering.
• Do you need new towels? This is a great time to get them.
• Coordinate all of your linens in one or two colors.
• Fold towels in thirds on the towel rack.
• Remove all unnecessary items out of the shower stalls and tubs.
• Clean or replace your shower curtains.
• If you have ANY moldy areas of your tub, scrub them clean. This can easily scare off a buyer.
• Replace the caulking to make it look new.
• Hide garbage and close toilet lids.

The Exterior

• Look at your home from your neighbor's yard with a critical eye.
• Clean or repaint the front door if necessary.
• Does your home need new paint? This is a good time to accomplish this task.
• Replace all rotten wood on the exterior.
• Sweep and pressure wash walkways, patios, porches, decks and dirty or stained concrete.
• Wash windows, inside and out.
• Use outdoor furniture to show off outdoor spaces.

The Garage

• Clean and sweet the garage.
• Keep storage nice and tidy.
• Repaint dirty areas.
• Pack everything you can live without.

The Yard

• Prune bushes and plants.
• Don't allow anything to block the windows.
• Weed all planting areas.
• Put down fresh mulch.
• Keep your lawn mowed, and hire a maintenance service if necessary.
• Remove any dead plants
• Add some flowers for a splash of color if you need to.

Selling Your Home FAST!

While you can never guarantee how long a home will be on the market, you can take a few necessary steps to make it go faster. At Gattermeir Davidson, our goal is to help you sell your home as quickly as possible, and we can help recommend ideas to bring your home up to speed. Visit our website to learn more about our home selling services and get started today!


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2011 REALTOR Salesperson of the Year

Missouri Association of Realtors

Gattermeir Davidson Real Estate, LLC

752 Bagnell Dam Blvd., Suite A

Lake Ozark, MO 65049

Office | 573.365.1555

Fax | 573.365.1766

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