Ready to sell your house? Then get set to face this reality check: imagine this is no longer your home. Because as soon as a buyer makes a reasonable offer– which will happen quickly if you price it correctly in today’s market — you’re going to be living somewhere else within the next 30 to 45 days.
Time to reassess your house and your life – also known as “staging.”
Pack up all your clutter, and store it in boxes in the garage. Recycle all the books and magazines you’ve been saving, or store them out of sight.
Less is more #1. Let them see walls.
Leave hanging only prints or photographs that do not detract from the overall design of the house.
Hang pictures at least 2 feet away from each other.- Remember: wall space lets buyers envision where all of their stuff will go. It’s how buyers make a house their own. And since you’re leaving, their stuff is now much more important than yours.
Less is more #2. Let them see closet space.
Help buyers to see the abundance of storage space by emptying it out. This way, buyers will assure themselves that they don’t have to rent that 10 x 12 self-storage unit. You may have to rent it after you move—unless you start to get rid of that clutter right now.
The job that really sucks – time to vacuum.
While dust bunnies or piles of pet hair may seem like part of everyday life, they frighten potential buyers. So, vacuum carpets and floors, all the way into the far corners. You should do this every day until your home is sold.
Clean the toilet and the sink and the counter top and the shower and the tub.
Do this every day until you sell. Also, wash the floors and clean the windows and the window sills. If there is grout or caulk that is conspicuously missing, fill it in.
Remove all pills from your bathroom counters or medicine cabinets.
While you’re in the bathroom, remove damp towels and washcloths. Put out fresh ones every day. And vacuum any hair that’s on the floor. You don’t see it, but buyers notice everything.
The most important room – the kitchen.
Scrub it. Wax it. Shine it. Stack every dish; neaten the pantry. Make it look like Martha Stewart lives there. If your kitchen is worn out, just keep it clean — no dish towels on the counters, no dishes in the sink. Take out the garbage every day. Bake something with cinnamon in it. Or, just keep a spray can of room deodorizer handy to mask any cooking odors.
Clean the stove and the oven. Clean the shelves and the back wall of the refrigerator. Many buyers judge the rest of the house by the condition of the appliances and the appearance of the kitchen.
But first, they have to come through the door.
Make sure the entrance to your home is inviting and appealing. If it’s not, no one will want to come in to admire all the work you’ve done to make the house beautiful. Paint that door, clean it, fix it. Do whatever is necessary to make the entrance of your home say, “Welcome,” even before buyers knock on the door.
TAKE-AWAY: When you’re ready to sell, make your home look as appealing as possible for buyers. Then, contact the Jablon Team at New Harbor Realty. We’ll help you get it sold quickly and at the best price.
