​Easy Ways to Make Your Home Sell Faster

Throughout the House 
• Install higher wattage light bulbs to show your home brightly, even in attic and basement. 
• Remove clutter from each room to visually enlarge them. 
• Pack items you won’t need before the move.  Store the boxes neatly in attic or basement or off site. 
• Discard or donate items you won’t be taking with you.  
Many charitable organizations will pick up donations.  Ask us for a list. 
• If you have a fireplace, highlight it in your decorating. 
• Keep your home dusted and vacuumed at all times. 
• Replace the carpet if it does not clean up well. 
• Put family photos in storage. 
• Create the feeling of a spacious entry area by using decorative accents and removing unnecessary furniture. 
• Putty over and paint any nail holes or other visible mishaps in the walls. 
• Paint all interior walls a neutral color to brighten the home and make it look bigger. 
• Repair or replace any loose or damaged wall paper. 
• Clean all light bulbs and light fixtures to brighten the home. 
• Wash all windows inside and out. 
• Use plants in transitional areas of your house. 
• Make the most of your attic’s and garage’s potential by organizing and decluttering (If possible). 
• Remove and/or appropriately address extension cords and exposed wires. 
• Remove all smoke and pet odors. 
• Keep stairways clear.  Avoid cluttered appearances and possible injuries.
• Improve traffic flow through every room by removing unnecessary furniture. 
• Repair or replace banisters and handrails. 
• Make sure there is no dripping, leaking or running plumbing, e.g., faucets and toilets. 
• Neat, well-ordered closets show the space is ample.  Pack excess linens and clothing to make closets look bigger. 

Yard and Landscaping 
• Keep the yard mowed and raked at all times. 
• Reseed the lawn and fertilize if necessary. 
• Weed gardens and flower beds and add fresh mulch.
• Trim and prune trees and shrubs. 
• Use flowering plants to dress up the yard, walkway, and patio. 

In The Kitchen 
• The kitchen should always be spotlessly clean. 
• Highlight an eat-in area in your kitchen with a table set for dinner. 
• Expand your counter space by removing all small appliances. 
• Organize pantries, cupboards and drawers. 
• Make sure appliances are working properly and sparkling. 
In the Bedrooms 
• Create a master suite effect in your decorating. 
• Depersonalize bedrooms and decorate in a neutral scheme. 
• Make sure the beds are made and the linens are clean. 
• Organize your closets, remove unnecessary items and put them in storage.   
In the Bathrooms 
• Bathrooms should be spotlessly clean. 
• Re-caulk and/or re-grout the tub and shower if the caulk and grout are not intact or sparkling white.  Repair or replace broken tiles in the shower/tub. 
• Launder or replace shower curtains and keep them clean. 
• Put out fresh towels and decorative soaps. 

Outside 
• Remove all toys, bicycles, tools, unsightly patio furniture, and trash from the yard. 
• Porches, steps, verandas, balconies, patios, and other extensions of the house should be kept uncluttered, swept, and in good condition. 
• Make sure that outside the entry is clean and makes a great first impression. 
• Paint all entrance doors. 
• Make sure the garage door opens easily.  Fix and paint the garage door if necessary. 
• Clean and shine all hardware and accessories indoors and out (door knobs, knockers, lamps, mail box, address numbers, etc.). 
• Use a new doormat. 
• Be sure the front doorbell and/or intercom is in good working order. 
• Be sure the front door and screen door works perfectly. 
• In the winter, be sure to remove snow and ice from walkways and driveways. ​

Getting Ready for Showings 

1. Have a family “game plan” to get the home in order quickly if necessary. 
2. Open the draperies, pull up the shades, and let in the sunlight. 
3. Create a positive mood.  Turn on all lights, day or night. 
4. If possible, air out your home for one-half hour before showings. 
5. Lightly spray the house with a gentle air freshener so that it has a chance to diffuse before the buyer arrives. 
6. Open doors to areas you want the potential buyer to see such as walk-in closets, pantries, attics, etc. 
7. Bake or microwave a few drops of vanilla twenty minutes before a showing. 
8. Wipe down the sinks and shower areas after each use.  Put wet towels out of sight. 
9. Close toilet lids. 
10. Turn off the radio and television.  Sometimes mellow music is appropriate; your agent can advise you on this. 
11. Get pets out of the way, surely not underfoot, and preferably out of the house. 
12. Whenever possible leave your house for showings.   

Frequently Asked Questions 

Are there things we should do to our property to help ensure the maximum price? 
Yes.  There is a benefit to making sure your property looks its best prior to offering it for sale.  As part of the service we provide we will go through the property with you and make recommendations about how to make it show best to prospective buyers.  There also may be repairs or small remodeling jobs that will pay off at resale.  We can advise you about specific repairs and improvements that will increase your property's marketability and value and help you find tradespeople to do the work should you opt to have it done. 

Will you be present at all showings? 
With The Chattanooga Roots Team, this will be your decision.  Research shows that properties that are on lockboxes where buyers’ agents can access the property directly are shown more often.  Buyers prefer to view a property only with their own agent so they can speak candidly about the pros and cons of a property as they are viewing it.  Properties on lockboxes are also shown more often when buyers request showings on short notice because buyers’ agents know that these properties are most reliably accessible.  Since selling a property is a “numbers game” – getting in as many buyers as possible until the right one sees it and makes an offer — putting a property on a lockbox for easier access can be most advantageous to you, the seller.  If you would like a member of our Team to be present at all showings, we are more than happy to accompany showings.  As another alternative, we can accompany any showings after a buyer’s initial showing so we are on hand to answer questions the buyer(s) may have.  We would be pleased to further discuss these options when we meet to complete the paperwork to list your house.

What if another agent tells us they can get us more for the property? 
Some agents will quote a higher listing price just to get your business and to use the sign in your yard to attract buyers to become their client.  But an overpriced house will not sell.  If your property is overpriced, it is likely that agent will ask you to authorize a price reduction or that the listing agreement will expire without the property selling.  If you choose to work with us, we will conduct a thorough, comparative market analysis prior to recommending the listing price for your property.  Pricing a home is both a science, based on the data available, and an art, based on years of experience.  We will offer our professional opinion on how the market will value your home and a marketing strategy to get the best price possible.

Do we have any responsibilities during the marketing of our property? 
Your primary job during the sale of your home is to keep it neat and clean for showings and open houses.  Ideally you will make the house ready to show every day so it can be shown on very short notice.  A large part of a property's appeal involves staging, which is everything from furniture placement to home fragrance.  We will make recommendations on how to stage your property well, giving you tips and suggestions to maximize your property's appeal. 

What happens once we get an Offer?
​We will help you consider each Offer and negotiate the best deal for you with each prospective buyer.  Once we have negotiated terms that you find acceptable, you will sign the Offer to acknowledge your acceptance.  Then we will guide you through the rest of the process including inspections, signing of the Purchase and Sale Agreement and the closing.  Our goal will be to ensure that everything proceeds as smoothly as possible.  We'll be there step-bystep all the way through the closing and as a resource afterwards whenever you need us. 
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MILLION DOLLARS IN CLOSED VOLUME
TEAM MEMBERS
HOMES CLOSED
COMBINED YEARS IN REAL ESTATE