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Scroll down to read: Preparing & Staging a Home for Sale
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Preparing & Staging a Home for Sale Copyright© 2014 by April Wyngarden
Here are some helpful tips to prepare your home to list. Does this matter? Yes! I have viewed many homes with buyers throughout the years; and generally they will see more than one home while we are out looking for that "potential" home purchase. Sometimes quietly to themselves, & sometimes out loud they are rating each home = your competition! Walk through your home with the eyeglasses of a buyer. Most buyers (unless they are an investor or purposely looking for a fixer upper - which would then need to be priced accordingly) would like their future home to be:
*Clean
*Organized
*Well-Maintained
*Modern
Remember, they are trying to picture themselves and/or their family living in this home; possibly for years to come.
So...here are a few helpful suggestions: *And remember, it is never to early to start - even if you plan to list a year from now.
1. De-Clutter - your home is going to sell at some point, so why not begin the moving process before you list. Basically, you want to remove all personal items and place them in storage containers; placed in the basement or in a storage unit. This is to showcase the square footage your home has to offer. Closets cleaned out (buyers do look) & kitchen countertops completely cleared of all paperwork and knick-knack items.
2. Paint - most likely, every room in the house does not need to be re-painted. Touch-ups or painting a wall here or
there will do wonders for the appearance. Red walls with a few white chips out of it, can be distracting to a buyer who may feel the need to already start a "to-do" list before they put a possible offer on your home. If painting your entire house is what is needed, the investment will be worth it. Choose a neutral color, such as grey; which is becoming a neutral color of choice. Bright colors can be over bearing, and white can lack character. Paint trim around doorways; particularly the doorway that buyers will be entering into the home.
3. Repairs - consider having a home inspection done before you list. This will help eliminate any surprises and this can be a
great selling point. You want your home to be in its best condition at the time of listing; otherwise, you will need to disclose any known defects - which in turn can decrease home value.
4. Windows - cleaning windows can be an overlooked item, because lets face it - we are use to our families smudges and
streaks. I have viewed homes that appear perfect in everyway, and the windows were full of fingerprints & paw-prints - and suddenly, this unconsciously became the focal point of the home. Clean all the windows inside & out.
5. Walls - Spackle dents & nicks in the wall (make sure to re-paint.) Wash and/or Magic erase walls that have fingerprints,
scratches & pencil marks. Remove stickers off of doors & walls. Keep picture décor simple & fill in nails holes with spackling
(touch-up with paint.)
6. Carpet - clean all carpets that need stains removed from them. Most stains can be removed by a professional carpet
cleaner. Stains like nail polish and red stains such as: red pop/red popsicles...may have permanently changed the dye in your carpet; and will therefore need to be replaced or disclosed.
7. Furniture - Keep your best furniture out, and store the rest. Have your furniture décor be simple and have only a few pieces in
each room.
8. Clean - once all the above has been finished, thoroughly clean your home. Then each time you have a scheduled showing, a few touch-ups is all that is needed. Remove eye-catchers such as: cob-webs from corners of the wall/ceiling & clean mirrors of
splatters.
9. Display - Simple, simple, simple. 1 vase of flowers or 1 central décor item in a room. Once you are ready to list, any photos
of the pool, land or home that would show buyers features that can not be seen at certain times of the year. Make a list of all updated features of your home and ask your listing agent to create a professional looking flyer.
10. Smells - clearly, you would like for you home to smell warm & inviting. First, make sure that overlooked odors are addressed, such examples would be: pet odors, basement carpeting (musty smells) and/or bathrooms were the toilet may release sewer gas odors. Again, leave your house and come back in as if this is your first visit. Once a neutral smell has seemed to be maintained, think about comforting smells that make your house feel like home. Many sellers like to bake cookies or brownies before a showing and some leave them on the counter with a note for the potential buyers to help themselves. Ask me for some more ideas on making a home smell fresh and inviting during our listing consultation.
Here are some helpful tips to prepare your home to list. Does this matter? Yes! I have viewed many homes with buyers throughout the years; and generally they will see more than one home while we are out looking for that "potential" home purchase. Sometimes quietly to themselves, & sometimes out loud they are rating each home = your competition! Walk through your home with the eyeglasses of a buyer. Most buyers (unless they are an investor or purposely looking for a fixer upper - which would then need to be priced accordingly) would like their future home to be:
*Clean
*Organized
*Well-Maintained
*Modern
Remember, they are trying to picture themselves and/or their family living in this home; possibly for years to come.
So...here are a few helpful suggestions: *And remember, it is never to early to start - even if you plan to list a year from now.
1. De-Clutter - your home is going to sell at some point, so why not begin the moving process before you list. Basically, you want to remove all personal items and place them in storage containers; placed in the basement or in a storage unit. This is to showcase the square footage your home has to offer. Closets cleaned out (buyers do look) & kitchen countertops completely cleared of all paperwork and knick-knack items.
2. Paint - most likely, every room in the house does not need to be re-painted. Touch-ups or painting a wall here or
there will do wonders for the appearance. Red walls with a few white chips out of it, can be distracting to a buyer who may feel the need to already start a "to-do" list before they put a possible offer on your home. If painting your entire house is what is needed, the investment will be worth it. Choose a neutral color, such as grey; which is becoming a neutral color of choice. Bright colors can be over bearing, and white can lack character. Paint trim around doorways; particularly the doorway that buyers will be entering into the home.
3. Repairs - consider having a home inspection done before you list. This will help eliminate any surprises and this can be a
great selling point. You want your home to be in its best condition at the time of listing; otherwise, you will need to disclose any known defects - which in turn can decrease home value.
4. Windows - cleaning windows can be an overlooked item, because lets face it - we are use to our families smudges and
streaks. I have viewed homes that appear perfect in everyway, and the windows were full of fingerprints & paw-prints - and suddenly, this unconsciously became the focal point of the home. Clean all the windows inside & out.
5. Walls - Spackle dents & nicks in the wall (make sure to re-paint.) Wash and/or Magic erase walls that have fingerprints,
scratches & pencil marks. Remove stickers off of doors & walls. Keep picture décor simple & fill in nails holes with spackling
(touch-up with paint.)
6. Carpet - clean all carpets that need stains removed from them. Most stains can be removed by a professional carpet
cleaner. Stains like nail polish and red stains such as: red pop/red popsicles...may have permanently changed the dye in your carpet; and will therefore need to be replaced or disclosed.
7. Furniture - Keep your best furniture out, and store the rest. Have your furniture décor be simple and have only a few pieces in
each room.
8. Clean - once all the above has been finished, thoroughly clean your home. Then each time you have a scheduled showing, a few touch-ups is all that is needed. Remove eye-catchers such as: cob-webs from corners of the wall/ceiling & clean mirrors of
splatters.
9. Display - Simple, simple, simple. 1 vase of flowers or 1 central décor item in a room. Once you are ready to list, any photos
of the pool, land or home that would show buyers features that can not be seen at certain times of the year. Make a list of all updated features of your home and ask your listing agent to create a professional looking flyer.
10. Smells - clearly, you would like for you home to smell warm & inviting. First, make sure that overlooked odors are addressed, such examples would be: pet odors, basement carpeting (musty smells) and/or bathrooms were the toilet may release sewer gas odors. Again, leave your house and come back in as if this is your first visit. Once a neutral smell has seemed to be maintained, think about comforting smells that make your house feel like home. Many sellers like to bake cookies or brownies before a showing and some leave them on the counter with a note for the potential buyers to help themselves. Ask me for some more ideas on making a home smell fresh and inviting during our listing consultation.
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