Preparing your mountain property for sale ensures a faster, easier selling process. And it can help prep your emotions for that day you let “the home place” go. 

Paffrath & Thomas is here  to help. Contact us with your questions, and to discover what your mountain property might be worth. As you get ready for your listing, you’ll have a lot of questions. We’ve got the experience to help you get the answers.

Preparing your mountain property for sale has one goal: wow-ing the prospective buyer from the first impression to signing the dotted line. Read on for steps to get you to that goal—and get to a successful property transaction.

Mountain property prep step 1: get paperwork ready

When buyers and agents arrive, they’ll have a lot of questions. An easy way to handle that is to dig out your paperwork now, and collate the facts and figures onto a single sheet. Think about the paperwork items as the same as what you want to see regarding your next mountain property:

• Utility bills
• Tax bills
• Renovation receipts
• HOA covenants
• Warranties
• Land surveys
• Rental contracts

There are other items prospective buyers may want to view. Ask your Realtor which ones are most frequently requested during viewings, and get them ready. Your Realtor® can help collate them into a buyer-friendly packet.

As personal prep, you might also think about getting a pre-listing home inspection. You don’t want to be surprised by issues a regular inspection might expose when you’re at the negotiating table. 

Not only will pre-inspections allow you to factor in these possibilities, you could go ahead and fix them, removing them completely from consideration or worry. The return on investment of these can be discussed with your real estate agent, so that you only do what makes sense.

Speaking of “fixing” things, that’s the next step in preparing your mountain property for sale.

Mountain property prep step 2: interior

Now that you’re emotionally ready (or mostly ready) to move forward, time to identify the repairs necessary for a successful sale. This process includes making a plan on what to address, who to contact to do the repairs/maintenance, and how much it will cost.

As you think through the fixes your house may need, try to see your house through the eyes of a new buyer. What would you notice? What would you want fixed? Because for starters, if you notice it, they probably will too.

Paint

This is the time to walk through your house’s interior and look at the paint on the walls, trim, window frames, everywhere. Are their nicks/scuffs? Stains? Out-of-date color schemes? Interior painting provides a relatively inexpensive way to create a lasting first impression.

The same goes for the outside of your house. This is the very first impression the buyer gets when they pull up to the curb. Is your mountain property’s paint or stain worn or weathered? Our seasonal extremities can really beat up an exposed finish on siding, external trim, decks, and more. 

Talk to your Realtor® about where paint could be touched up, or redone. Keep in mind that it’s better to repaint a room than to touch it up with paint that doesn’t quite match. If you don’t have the original paint numbers, you’ll probably want to repaint. And choose neutral colors for the best returns.

Floors & Tile

Repair any broken or cracked tiles. Also fix scratches or gouges in wood floors, and make sure to have your carpet cleaned. This kind of work is cost effective for improving the buyer’s experience as they look at your property. It also improves their confidence that you’ve taken care of the property.

If the flooring needs to be replaced, discuss that with your Realtor®. It may be more advantageous to include a “flooring allowance” in your listing that shows you recognize the issue, but that helps the buyer choose flooring of their preference, like wood, tile, Pergo, etc, as well as carpet colors and styles that fully suit their wishes.

Major Maintenance

Yes, this is the bigger ticket item list. However, when you live in the mountains, these items can be deal-breakers for buyers. You’ll also encounter times of the year where repairs just can’t be done, even if they’re desperately needed. 

So, there are check-list items that should be seen to before selling.

• Boiler. Is the system working properly and well? How old is it?
• Hot water heater. Is it functioning properly? Is it big enough for the property? 
• Roof. Is it in good repair? Are there issues with the tiles? Leaks? Damage?
• Siding. Does it show signs of aging, such as sagging or peeling? Does it have cracks?

Windows belong on this list too, but the big-ticket price depends on how many you may need to replace. As you’re preparing your mountain property for sale, the view is particularly important. 

We are in the mountains, and we love to see them! 

But our high country living has a price: the extremities of the seasons. Hot summer days, cool nights, and some brutally cold winter weeks, along with rain and snow and sun and everything in between, all conspire to compromise even the sturdiest of windows. That’s when you see fogging in the glass, which hinders that delightful scenic view.

When the buyer walks in, you need them to see what you saw when you purchased the property. Replace fogged windows, and show off the mountains!

Minor Maintenance

Make sure all your lighting fixtures, in every room and closet and garage and nook and cranny, are functional. You might just go through the house and replace all the bulbs to ensure that none go out for the duration of your listing.

Another part of lighting is their age. Does that dining nook pseudo-chandelier scream 1993? Are the bathroom lighting fixtures tarnished from moisture and age? You should consider replacing the outdated or unfixable fixtures with new ones. Old lighting sheds the wrong light on the property you want to sell.

Now take a look at your faucets and showerheads. Is one leaking? Fix it or replace it. Is the showerhead corroded or covered with deposits? Replace it. Toilets worn or stained or mis-matched for the decor? Replace them. These are simple, inexpensive fixes, that go a long way to making your house presentable.

Do all the doors function properly? Are the doorknobs in good working order? Do any locks have functioning keys that slide in and operate correctly? If a Realtor® has to fight a door, the buyer has to fight wondering if the property hides other issues.

The buyer’s goal: move in and live

Your buyer wants to park the moving trucks in the driveway, put their belongings in their new mountain property, and start using it, period. The easier you can make this for them, the easier it will be for you to sell the property for the price you desire.

Mountain property prep step 3: outside

The outside of your home is as important as the inside for that first impression. Curb appeal is part of the deal, and as your Realtor®, there’s nothing we at Paffrath & Thomas like more than seeing a potential buyer smile when we arrive. It means we’ve all done our job helping the buyer discover what could be their next home. That’s a good feeling for everyone.

The tips to helping curb appeal are fairly simple:

• Clean up the landscaping, removing any dead plants/detritus.
• Put a fresh topcoat of mulch down and/or replenish or replace gravel.
• Clean your patio furniture and arrange them as if you’re having a barbecue.
• Pressure spray the outside of your house to clean it.
• Repair any exterior lighting.
• Create an inviting front door. Refresh the door treatment or replace the door. 
• Refresh or replace the outdoor lights on the house. 
• Replace the house numbers with new ones if the current ones are faded or outdated.
• Add a new welcome mat. We know—how simple is that??

For your full yard, either keep up on the grass and landscape cutting and trimming, or hire a company to do it for the duration of the sale. You’ll also want to make sure the trees are trimmed so that the buyer can easily see the house, and the mountains from inside the house.

Keeping your yard tidy is especially important during the summer selling season. Nothing will be hidden by snow. If you’re selling your property in the winter, we recommend you have the driveways plowed, and make sure all walkways/patios/decks are shoveled and cleared of ice. 

Mountain property prep step 4: less you

Time to depersonalize your property. It sounds harsh, but it’s necessary to allow buyers to see themselves in the property.

For starters, remove the clutter. You might have wonderful knick-knacks and tchotchkes that remind you of so very much. Pack them, store them somewhere safe, and when you find your new property—bring them back out and let the memories shine!

You’ll also need to put away personal pictures. The point isn’t to remove you from the premises early, it’s to allow the buyer to visualize themselves in each space. The buyer shouldn’t feel like they’re touring your home; they should feel like they’re walking through their new home. 

Also, when preparing your mountain property for sale, cleaning out as much as you can gives the property a more spacious feeling. And space means value.

On a positive note, decluttering creates a great opportunity for a yard or garage sale. Heck, you might even find yourself ready to throw away that broken lamp you’ve been going to fix for years now. You can also donate goods and furniture to charity. Keep track of those donations and apply them to your taxes for credits. Decluttering can be a win-win for everyone.

Mountain property prep step 5: more THEM

“Staging” is important for making an excellent first impression. When you stage a property, you’re creating an appealing experience for the buyer. And it’s not just burning “cinnamon cookie” candles and loading up your credit card at IKEA.

When you stage a home, you want the experience to feel like home. There are things you can do to help this process.

Show the purpose

Each room has a reason, so help the buyer understand it. If you’ve got a guest room that doubles as a storage room, clean it out and show how nice it would be for a guest to stay there. Same goes for any extra bedrooms; if it’s a baby’s room, let that fact shine in a drawing, decluttered way.

Maybe you have an entertainment den that also houses workout equipment. Pick one purpose, and remove the other from the area. You can speak with your Realtor® about which uses are more popular for home buyers. But the important thing is, show off that purpose.

Simple decorative touches

Do you have rugs around the house? Consider purchasing new ones. Same for drapes, bath towels, bed covers and duvets, even throw pillows. All of these accents help make each room more inviting. 

Do online research for which color schemes are working best for the current market, and apply that to your purchase choices. There’s plenty of useful information out there from reputable sources. 

Do a deep cleaning

Whether it’s through your own blood, sweat, and terry cloth, or through a service, give your home a good, deep cleaning. 

That means go over everything. Clean lighting fixtures and their chains and bases. Have your carpet cleaned all the way, including where it meets the walls or in corners. It’s those carpet edges that turn darker with time because most vacuum cleaners can’t really dig into where the walls intersect the carpet.

Clean all the appliances. They can either add to—or detract from—the kitchen’s appeal. Clean all shelves, cupboards, and drawers too. Buyers open them, so make sure even those areas are impressive.

Clean all the windows, both sides. It lets in more natural light, and lets the buyer see more clearly one of the biggest draws of a mountain property—nature itself.

Check your curtains and rods

A small detail, but important. You might have blinds installed, and you might not. But curtains and rods add decorative touches that can be easily updated. And they can add an elegance, or even a down-home-iness, to the room’s ambience. 

If you don’t have curtains and rods, it’s not a deal breaker. However, they can easily add charm to an older or otherwise unassuming window.

Mountain property prep step 6: don’t freak out

Once you’ve compiled your to-do list, it might look a bit like the mountain outside your bay window. Don’t worry; your Realtor® can help you hone in on what’s most important, and what can wait. 

You’ve owned the property, so you’re hyper-aware of everything you might think is an issue. Let your Realtor® look through the list while peparing your moutain property for sale. They can help you prioritize, and occasionally rationalize, the choices for moving forward.

Mountain property prep step 7: prepare yourself

Committing to sell your mountain home, your ski escape, your condo—that took guts. Now comes the hardest part: emotionally letting go of the property.

You may have lived there for years, building not only a home, but memories. You could have raised kids there, and shared many happy moments with family and friends. 

Here’s what you need to remember: the memories made there are because you were there. The house is wonderful, sure, but without you in it—it’s just a roof and walls. 

All the love, the laughter, stays with you, and within you. You’ll take that to your new home, and create even more great memories. This is the time you must look to the future.

More tips on “letting go” from Business Insider.

How we can help you get ready

When preparing your mountain property for sale, choosing Paffrath & Thomas as your Realtor® means you get a team-style approach to selling your home. 

Most of us have backgrounds in construction, and our team’s awareness of the Colorado real estate market keeps us, and our clients, on top of the trends. 

We’ll approach your property from different angles so that you get a professional assessment of what does—or does not—need to be done to achieve best sellability, and the best price for you. 

Work with the longest local family-owned agency

Contact us for more information, and meet the team that makes mountain property magic. As the longest local and family-owned real estate agency in Breckenridge, Paffrath & Thomas has been serving our clients for over 40 years. 

Check out current market data, get an estimate on your property’s value, and search for your new mountain paradise on our website.

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