How to prep your home for the next owners

When it’s time to make a big move, we sometimes get tunnel vision as we scramble to knock out our to-do list and lose track of what needs to be done for the next occupants. Below are a few helpful suggestions when it comes to prepping your home for the new owners:

Deep cleaning

Before you lock up for good, make the house gleam with a thorough scrubbing and polishing.

• Tip: Hiring a professional is worth every penny, particularly when you’re physically spent from packing and lugging around heavy boxes.

Keys and openers

Identify everything with a keyhole or passcode that stays with the house, including sheds, the garage and that one side entrance you hardly used. Track down and label all keys and passcodes and put them in one area where the new occupant can easily find them.

Household records

Get all the paperwork you can find about your house and its appliances, including work orders, receipts, warranties and user manuals. Be sure to include contact info for any service professionals you hired.

Home improvement leftovers

Designate an area to round up leftover supplies from your home improvement projects, including extra parts, carpeting, wallpaper, paints and varnishes. Sure, paints and solvents have a shelf life, but they can contain useful information for the new owners, including product and color.

User’s manual

Every house has its quirks, so make a quick guide. It should include everything from the practical – such as the location of the water main shutoff – to the unique – how to position the light switches just so to operate the garage light.

• New shrubs: Prepare the oasis you’ve always wanted before the snow flies. Plant new shrubs about six weeks before the hard frost to give them ample time to establish their roots to withstand the cold winter.

• Bulbs: Nothing feeds the soul quite like that first pop of brilliant color on a bleak landscape. That alone makes the expense and effort of planting daffodils, tulips and crocuses well worth the investment.

• Paver projects: The sweltering heat is in the rearview mirror, but the ground is still soft – we’d say the conditions are perfect for devoting a long weekend to installing a new walkway or patio.

• Outdoor furniture: Outfit “summer living space” now, and it will be like gaining an extra room at your place once warm weather returns. This is the time of year to get deep discounts on outdoor dining sets, couches, swings, chairs and more.

• Install garden hardware: Create instant impact for a walkway, fence or foundation by installing an arbor or trellis in the fall. Come spring, all you have to do is plant your chosen flowering vines.

Try one of these icebreakers to meet the people in your neighborhood:

1. Share goodies from your garden
2. Host a backyard bonfire
3. Offer coffee and doughnuts in the backyard
4. Organize a neighborhood food drive
5. Simply walk over for a quick hello!