Prepping for the Sale-Here's the Big Three
(Most Sellers won't do these, and they ARE somewhat painful. But doing them will make your home stand out from the rest.)
- De-Clutter
Remember one phrase: Don't put it DOWN, put it AWAY! Take as much "little stuff" as you possibly can off every flat surface, and put it out of sight. If you don't use something absolutely all the time, remove it. Even if you DO use it a lot, put it in a cabinet when you are done. Start packing for your move, and think of how nice the things will be in your new home.
This is a great time to "weed out" things you don't like/don't use/don't want any longer.
If you have a lot of furniture try to put some in storage (garage, shed, friend's house, or worst case: a rented storage room).
Don't forget to De-CLutter the outside, as well.
- De-Personalize
Living in a house, you want your personality to show. But when selling a house the key is to take your personality out of the equation. You want the Buyers to see THEIR personality in the house, not yours, so they will want to BUY the house. Put away photos, personal items, any art items that might cause Buyers to look at THEM rather than at the house. Take the magnets off the refrigerator. You want Buyers to start imagining their furniture, their decorating, their art; so put away anything that might distract them.
Again, don't forget the outside.
- Make it Shine
If you can clean or polish it, do so! Pay special attention to your front door/entry way. Brush down any cobwebs, sweep the step, wipe down (or even re-paint) the front door/trim/steps. Have carpets cleaned, mop tile or laminate, wipe down counters and tables (should be easy if you followed #1 above!) and clean faucets and handles and sinks in kitchen and bath. Wipe walls around doors, light fixtures, anywhere hands touch regularly. You might need to do some touch-up painting. Wash the windows (I know- I don't do windows, either, but it makes a big difference).
When you've been out of the house all day, give it the "sniff test" when you come home. And if you smell something unattractive, deal with the source. We don't recommend much of the air freshener/scented candles and such. You want your house to smell clean and fresh- but not overpowering.
Trim any grass areas, bushes, trees with dead limbs. Add some flowers if you can (even a pot of blooms next to the doorstep really helps).
In short- think "Model Home". Now most of us wouldn't want to LIVE in a model home. But looking like one WILL help your home to sell.
I'm sure I'm not telling you anything here that you don't already know. But most Sellers just simply won't do these. They don't take much (if any) money, but they do take time and energy. If they get you a quicker sale and/or a better price aren't they worth it? Be ahead of the pack, think how well your home will compare to others on the market!
Clck Here for part 2- Staging for those who don't want to bother.
|
