Preparing Your Home for Sale

Selling your home? Here are a few tips on how to prepare your home for sale when first impressions are important.

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Sparkling Clean

Everything in your house must be clean. Sparkling clean! A clean environment is so much more inviting to a prospective buyer and conveys the message that you've taken great care of your home. So don't overlook any details — floors, windows, carpets, appliances — everything must be immaculate.  And don't forget that scent is important too! So air everything out and then invest in a beautiful bouquet of flowers. You and your buyers will be glad you did.

Clutter-Free

It is easy to forget that our homes are filled with all kinds of knick-knacks and photos that are important and significant in our daily lives. But when it comes to selling your home, it's best to set all those things aside because not everyone will share your sense of style. You don't want to give a prospective buyer any reason whatsoever to not like your home, so take all those essential items that you use daily and temporarily store them away.

First Impressions

"You only get one chance to make a first impression!" And the first impression that buyers will have of your home is their view from the street when they pull up in front. So make sure that your home has great curb appeal! Mow your lawn, clean your porch, plant some flowers, trim your shrubs, paint your front door — anything to enhance your home's exterior view. This will be the first and last thing a buyer sees of your home — make it as warm and inviting as you can for them.

It's Not You, It's Them

No doubt your home is filled with warm and loving memories for you, and that's as it should be. But when it comes to selling your home, the buyer has to be able to see themselves in your home. And the best way to help the buyer to envision this is to remove all your personal photographs and other sentimental items from view. Try to let go of your emotional attachment to your house and see it as an asset that you'd like to sell.

Stand in Their Shoes

In every conceivable way, try to see your home as a buyer might see it, not how you've seen it all these years. Put yourself in their shoes and imagine how and what they might think and feel on seeing your home for the first time. View your home from across the street –what is your impression? Go into every room in your home and ask what you can do to make it more welcoming and inviting. Rearrange your furniture if necessary and paint and accessorize if needed.  Do everything you can possibly do to help the buyer more easily see themselves as the new owner of your home.

Repair and Replace

Now is the perfect time to go through your entire house and do all those things you've been neglecting.  Patch any holes or cracks; grease any squeaky hinges; unclog all slow drains; and replace any burned out light bulbs. Remember, attention to detail is very important. Don't leave anything to chance!

Less Is More

When it comes to preparing your house for a showing, as far as furniture is concerned, less is more. A good rule of thumb is to only have enough furniture in each room to define the room's purpose. By eliminating all unessential pieces, your rooms will seem bigger and more spacious. So if necessary, rent a  storage facility and use it to store any surplus extras until your home sells.

Nooks and Crannies

Know this: buyers are going to look in every nook and cranny in your house. Every closet, drawer and cabinet, and the basement and garage too! So it's important to make sure that those areas are also clean and well-organized. Clean out your "junk" drawer; stack your dishes neatly; organize your closets, garage and basement. Be proud of this valuable storage space and let if reflect well on you.

Personal Property

There are some priceless personal possessions that you know for sure will be going with you when you move. It's a good idea to remove them from the premises before ever showing your home to a potential buyer. If a buyer never sees those possessions, then they will not have the opportunity to ask for them to be included as part of a sale. So whatever they might be, make sure to remove them before you show your home. Also, you might want to replace anything essential with a less expensive equivalent (i.e. light fixtures, window coverings, etc.) 

Stage Managers

Your home is very likely the most important asset you'll ever own and so the selling of it is incredibly important for all kinds of reasons. There are now professionals who specialize in "staging a home" and making it ready to show. If you believe that you need help to make your home as presentable as possible, you might want to hire one of these experts.  They can help you decide how to organize and decorate your home, and they can also advise on any major home renovations you've been considering. Having an expert on your team can only help to improve your chances for a successful sale.

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