home + garden

If you want to put your home on the market, you first need to get it sale-ready. That requires a strategy, because depending on the upgrades your home needs, it might be a time-consuming task.

We're not talking major overhauls, like redoing bathrooms and kitchens. But there are changes you can make that will give a good return on your real-estate investment. The most productive changes you can make include updating the flooring, adding a fresh coat of paint, de-cluttering and cleaning like there's no tomorrow.

These steps sound easy, but getting them done is another matter.

Begin by assessing the updates and set an action plan that's six to eight weeks before listing your home. And consult with your Realtor and seek his or her advice on considering a professional home stager.

Here are some tips:

Recarpeting

Hardwood flooring appeals to buyers, but replacing existing carpet is less costly than laying hardwood. A carpet professional can help you choose something current, inexpensive and suitable for showcasing your home.

Updating wood floors

If resanding will do the trick, allow time to schedule professionals' visits and estimates. For partial or complete floor replacements, visit home-improvement stores or flooring specialists to see samples. Allow time for measuring, choosing flooring and getting written quotes for cost comparison. Flooring professionals need lead time to order your product and to book their service crew. Some will book you within a couple of weeks while others will need more time.

Painting

If you're hiring a professional, allow time for estimates. Color selection takes time, especially when trying to find a happy medium between neutralizing your home's colors, keeping them modern and complementing existing or new furniture and fixtures.

Choose colors, then bring home samples and apply to the walls so you can make a more informed decision. If you're doing the painting, plan time for removing and repainting floorboards, repairing cracks, applying drywall tape, priming and repainting ceilings.

De-clutter

Once the walls are painted and the flooring laid, you'll need a day or two to declutter closets, the garage and so forth. You may want to rent a portable storage unit to temporarily remove items from view. You'll need a day's or even a week's lead time for delivery of the bin, a day or two to load it and another appointment to have it taken away to the storage facility.

Extreme cleaning

The more you can clean, the better. To save time and energy, hire a cleaning service to thoroughly clean the kitchen, its appliances and bathrooms. Hiring a professional window washer who cleans both the indoors and outdoors results in extra sparkle.