Selling your home can be a profitable and rewarding experience however it can also be a frustrating time as well. The better prepared you are before you put your home on the market, the smoother the selling process will be. Here are some helpful tips to help you prepare for selling your home.
Put Yourself in the Buyer’s Position
Start at the tip of your driveway and look at your home like a potential buyer would. This first impression (curb appeal) can help set the direction of updates or changes that you may want to make. By putting yourself in the position of the buyer it can help you focus on areas that may make the home more marketable. Look at things that might need to be cleaned, organized or repaired so that the presentation of your home can focus on its assets rather than its shortcomings.
Staging your Home
Most realtors do not offer this service. However, I do! Staging your house will sell it faster and for more money. I walk through each room for my clients and give them the honest feedback they need to sell.
Staging can consist of all or some of the following services:
►Decluttering your house
►Placing or replacing with nicer furniture
►Decorating
►Cleaning
The charge for staging a home varies based upon my assessment once I determine what is needed. Once the staging is done, then I hire a professional photographer to take pictures.
Make Time for the Sale
When you put your home on the market, one of two main things will be apparent: you will either live there during the sales process or you are in a position to move out and have it for sale empty. Either way you will need to make sure that you have set aside time to have the home shown to potential buyers by a realtor. If you are living there during the selling process you need to make sure that the home is always kept clean and ready for show practically at any time. Your real estate agent will work with your schedule as best as possible however, their goal is to sell your home; so they are going to need your schedule to be flexible to better meet the schedule of a potential buyer.
Keep it Neutral
For many homebuyers, a first impression “turn off” is homes or rooms that are heavily themed. For some they want to see the home as a blank canvas, picturing what they might do to make the home their own. If you have, for example, a children’s bedroom that has been painted and themed for race cars, and a potential buyer has a little girl… This deterrent may keep them from selecting your home from other homes that are available in the similar price range and location.
The Kitchen and Bathroom
Industry experts will tell you that nearly 40% of a home buying decision is made based on the condition of the kitchen and bathroom. It is important when preparing your home for sale that you take the time to make sure that the kitchen and bathroom are immaculately clean, that everything works as it should and nothing is broken. This might mean a few small repairs all the way through a bathroom or kitchen remodeling project. If your kitchen and bathroom are dated because of the materials used, (avocado colored sinks and yellow tile) renovation will be a decision that you will need to weigh next to the other homes that are for sale in your market. If other homes are for sale at the same price point as yours but have modern, updated bathrooms and kitchens; you might need to adjust your price or choose to renovate to be competitive.
Don’t forget the yard
People often focus so much on the condition of the home that they forget the yard. Take a few moments to walk through your yard and look for anything that might be unsightly or in disrepair such as sprinkler heads or outdoor lighting. If you have a deck out back or screen porch make sure that it is in good repair and clean. If your home has a shed, consider it a part of your home making sure that everything is clean and ready for display.
Preparing your House for Photos
GENERAL
► Thoroughly clean whole house (vacuum carpet, mop hard floors, clean counter tops, clean windows).
► CLEAN WINDOWS & ALL SHINY SURFACES.
► Turn on all interior lighting. Make sure bulbs are same type and replace all burnt out bulbs.
► Don’t mix LED’s, fluorescent, halogen, CFL’s and incandescent in the same room.
► Turn all ceiling fans OFF.
► Turn all TVs OFF.
► Turn all computer screens OFF.
► Open all blinds & window treatments.
► Remove personal photographs (or replace with general art).
► Make all beds and fluff the pillows.
► Remove all small floor rugs to reveal actual flooring.
► Place all clothing items in closets.
► De-clutter rooms that may be excessively furnished.
EXTERIOR
► Close garage doors.
► Remove cars from driveway and in front of home.
► Clean up landscaping (mow, trim shrubs, clear leaves).
► Remove visible water hoses and garden tools.
► Remove toys, sports balls, basketball goals, soccer goals, etc.
► Clean porch, tidy up outdoor tables, chairs, cushions, etc.
► Remove all children’s toys.
► Clean swimming pool, fountains etc.
► Remove trash cans.
KITCHEN
► Clear counter tops completely. No knife blocks, baking supplies, mail, etc.
► CLEAN WINDOWS & ALL SHINY SURFACES.
► You can leave out one small appliance e.g. a coffee maker.
► Remove magnets, papers, photos, etc. from refrigerator.
► Hide garbage/trash cans.
DINING ROOM / TABLE
► Clear table, dust and polish the table top.
► Use decorative place setting if available.
► Feature one center piece such as a bouquet of flowers.
► Straighten all chairs and space them evenly.
LIVING / FAMILY ROOM
► Remove stacks of magazines, papers, mail, etc.
► De-clutter fireplace mantel/hearth.
► Clean interior of fireplace and re-paint if needed.
► Fluff and arrange furniture pillows.
► Remove all children’s and pet toys.
MASTER BEDROOM
► Make bed, including decorative pillows/shams if available.
► Press bed linens and bed skirts.
► Clear nightstands of all personal items. No clocks, cell phones etc.
► Store away phone and tablet charging cables.
► Remove all clutter from top of dressers.
► Remove family photos from walls.
► Clean under bed, removing items that may show in the photos.
CHILD/GUEST BEDROOM
► Remove personalized names from walls.
► Remove wall stickers/posters.
► Clean under bed, removing items that may show in the photos.
BATHROOMS
► Clear counter tops completely. No soap, toothbrushes, medications, deodorant, etc.
► Put toilet seats & lids down.
► Close closet doors.
► Remove shampoo, soap, loofahs, etc. from showers and tubs.
► Remove dirty towels – leave out only new, unused towels.
►Remove all floor mats.
PETS
► Place food and water bowls in pantry or closet.
► Hide pet beds, toys, water and food bowls.
► Hide pet crate.
► Use lint roller on furniture to remove pet hair.
► Secure pets in hidden crate or outside.
► Clear back yard of pet waste & toys.
► Do not allow your pets to wander loose while photos are being taken. Large and/or aggressive dogs must be secured.
Let’s chat about your future!
(828) 551-5680