| Preparing Your Home For Sale |
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| Topic Shorts www.tripple-d.com |
A clean home is your number one priority.
Houses are filled with objects we love and treasure. Look in just about
every home and you'll find a shelf stuffed with favorite books, a mantel
loaded with trinkets or a wall covered in family photos.
Setting up your house to sell, or home staging, is not about remodeling or
making your home look sterile. Home staging is the process of preparing a
home for sale, regardless of price or location. Staging focuses on simple
steps to make your home show like a model without spending a lot of
money.
It's essential to present your house in the best possible light. Remember
how you felt when looking for a home and how many you passed over
because they didn't look good.
Your windows, floors and bathroom tiles should sparkle. Make sure you
have clean heating and air conditioning filters. Shampoo dirty carpets,
clean tubs and showers, repair dripping faucets and oil squeaky doors.
Keep your home neat, clean and picked-up at all times. It may not seem
fair, but a peek in the oven may be the hallmark by which a buyer judges
how well you have kept up your home. Consider how your home smells.
You may be used to the smell of a pet or cigarettes, but such odors can be
a strong turn-off to potential buyers. Insure that your storage areas are
tidy, and remove materials that may be to others who may not share your
same views, beliefs or sense of humor.
Houses are filled with objects we love and treasure. Look in just about
every home and you'll find a shelf stuffed with favorite books, a mantel
loaded with trinkets or a wall covered in family photos.
Setting up your house to sell, or home staging, is not about remodeling or
making your home look sterile. Home staging is the process of preparing a
home for sale, regardless of price or location. Staging focuses on simple
steps to make your home show like a model without spending a lot of
money.
It's essential to present your house in the best possible light. Remember
how you felt when looking for a home and how many you passed over
because they didn't look good.
Your windows, floors and bathroom tiles should sparkle. Make sure you
have clean heating and air conditioning filters. Shampoo dirty carpets,
clean tubs and showers, repair dripping faucets and oil squeaky doors.
Keep your home neat, clean and picked-up at all times. It may not seem
fair, but a peek in the oven may be the hallmark by which a buyer judges
how well you have kept up your home. Consider how your home smells.
You may be used to the smell of a pet or cigarettes, but such odors can be
a strong turn-off to potential buyers. Insure that your storage areas are
tidy, and remove materials that may be to others who may not share your
same views, beliefs or sense of humor.
For starters, since you're going to be packing to move anyway, get a head start by making your rooms look larger and box up
excess items and furniture. This allows the buyer to mentally move their furniture into your home. By removing some of the clutter,
the focus shifts from the "stuff" in the room to the room itself.
Having a living room/office/dining room/ storage locker can be a negative to buyers, not having an obvious purpose for a room
makes it look less useful. Rearrange furniture to create focus areas inside of a larger room, define the spaces through a good
layout.
A great looking kitchen can be a selling point in a house. The kitchen of a home for sale should only have the bare necessities.
Think "what can I live without" and pack those items up. This will also save you time later in the moving process. The kitchen should
have good aromas or no smell at all. Sinks and floors should be clean and dirty dishes out of sight. The cabinets should be wiped
down and the appliances free of food and crumbs.
If there is a leaky faucet or toilet, get it fixed. If the tub or sink has a chip in it, get it repaired. Replace worn out or dirty grout. Make
the fixtures sparkle and clean the mirrors and vanities. Put out fresh towels and coordinate them in one or two colors. Have a clean
shower curtain or doors, with no mildew. Remove any unnecessary items from countertops, tubs, shower stalls and toilet tops.
Keep only your most needed cosmetics, brushes, perfumes etc..., in one small group on the counter.
The outside of the home is one of the most important areas because it is what the buyer sees first. A clutter-free yard and well-
maintained house are essential in luring the buyer inside.
On the day of a showing give you house a homey feeling, put out some live flowers and fresh guest towels in the bathroom. Place
scented potpourri around the house or, pop a batch of frozen cinnamon rolls into the oven for a welcoming aroma. Remember,
cosmetic changes do not have to be expensive, and giving the impression that your home is well maintained will help you get the
price you want.
excess items and furniture. This allows the buyer to mentally move their furniture into your home. By removing some of the clutter,
the focus shifts from the "stuff" in the room to the room itself.
Having a living room/office/dining room/ storage locker can be a negative to buyers, not having an obvious purpose for a room
makes it look less useful. Rearrange furniture to create focus areas inside of a larger room, define the spaces through a good
layout.
A great looking kitchen can be a selling point in a house. The kitchen of a home for sale should only have the bare necessities.
Think "what can I live without" and pack those items up. This will also save you time later in the moving process. The kitchen should
have good aromas or no smell at all. Sinks and floors should be clean and dirty dishes out of sight. The cabinets should be wiped
down and the appliances free of food and crumbs.
If there is a leaky faucet or toilet, get it fixed. If the tub or sink has a chip in it, get it repaired. Replace worn out or dirty grout. Make
the fixtures sparkle and clean the mirrors and vanities. Put out fresh towels and coordinate them in one or two colors. Have a clean
shower curtain or doors, with no mildew. Remove any unnecessary items from countertops, tubs, shower stalls and toilet tops.
Keep only your most needed cosmetics, brushes, perfumes etc..., in one small group on the counter.
The outside of the home is one of the most important areas because it is what the buyer sees first. A clutter-free yard and well-
maintained house are essential in luring the buyer inside.
- Go around the perimeter of the house and move all garbage cans, discarded wood scraps, extra building materials, etc.
Throw away anything not needed or not in use. - Check, repair and clean gutters.
- Look at all plants. Prune bushes and trees. Keep plants from blocking windows. You can't sell a house no one can see,
Templeton said. Weed and then mulch all planting areas and remove dead plants and shrubs. - Keep the lawn regularly cut, edged and fertilized.
- Clear patios or decks of all small items that clutter, such as small planters, flower pots, charcoal, barbecues, toys. etc. A few
large items work best in these types of spaces. - Sweep all walkways, including the ones in the backyard.
On the day of a showing give you house a homey feeling, put out some live flowers and fresh guest towels in the bathroom. Place
scented potpourri around the house or, pop a batch of frozen cinnamon rolls into the oven for a welcoming aroma. Remember,
cosmetic changes do not have to be expensive, and giving the impression that your home is well maintained will help you get the
price you want.