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The 30-day Count Down to Preparing Your House For Sale
It’s easy to forget about all the bulbs that have burned out over the years, but you want your home to be as bright as possible. Lighting makes an incredible difference to how a home looks to potential Buyers. If you have dated light fixtures (it’s OK, a lot of us do), take a quick trip to IKEA, Home Depot, or your favorite home improvement store and pick up some modern ones. Let us know if you need recommendations.
Buyers and agents are going to ask a lot of questions, so start digging out the paperwork now: utility bills, tax bills, renovation details, warranties, mortgage details, survey, and rental contracts.
Remove all the toiletries you have on display (nobody wants to know you use Head & Shoulders). Invest in some new white towels (and no, you don’t get to use them). Visit Target or Homegoods for affordable accessories: soap dish, toothbrush holder, etc. if you don’t have a drawer to stash them in. If your toilet seat, shower curtain or bath mat are gross (be honest with yourself), replace them. Consider replacing the toilet paper holder and towel rack/hooks too. Ask us for style guidance if you are decor challenged. We want to help!
The kitchen is one of the rooms buyers are most attracted to so if you’re looking to skip a room, this shouldn’t be it. Remove your blender/George Foreman Grill/Kitchen Aid mixer/toaster/air fryer from the counters – you want the counters to be as clear as possible. Clean inside all the cupboards (and yes, I mean remove everything and wipe them out). Don’t cram all your dishes and food back in – again, you want to convey to buyers that your kitchen has enough storage for their stuff. Clean inside the fridge (and remove the magnets, photos, and reminders on the outside). Turn on your self-cleaning oven (probably for the first time). Store your booze collection (and take out the empties). Consider investing in some fresh flowers and a beautiful bowl with some fresh fruit in it.
The bedrooms should be inviting, and that means more cleaning and decluttering and investing in a few props. If you don’t already have one, invest in a neutral-colored duvet cover and some new fancy pillows. Straighten the bookshelves. Remove personal photos, knick-knacks, and personal grooming products. Clean out the closets. Consider getting an area rug if the floors are cold. If you’ve jammed in a dresser or armoire that doesn’t really fit into the space (condo owners, I’m looking at you), consider storing it offsite (see Day 3.) If you’ve converted two of your three bedrooms into offices, convert at least one of them back to a bedroom. Again, look to me for style guidance.
Clean the sofa and chairs and invest in some new throw pillows. Consider getting an area rug to bring the room together. Hide the magazine rack and all the clutter that has accumulated. Hide the wires from your TV/stereo/speakers.
Remove the kids’ homework and the piles of stuff that have accumulated on the dining room table. Clean up the hutch. If your dining chairs have seen better days, consider getting them reupholstered. Invest in a new tablecloth to hide an old table.
If your basement is anything like ours, this is going to take more than one day. Whether your basement is finished or just a storage area for extra crap, you’ll need to invest the time to make it look as spacious and clean as possible. And what a great way to rid yourself of all that stuff you never use.
Much as I’d love to say that you can cram all the stuff you don’t want on display into your closets, the truth of the matter is that buyers will open your closets. They’ll look in your cupboards. And they’ll judge you. The last thing you want is for buyers to think there isn’t enough storage in your home, so take the time to pack away what you don’t need in the immediate future.
Remember that most Buyers will have an emotional reaction to your home within 15-seconds of entering it, so what they experience at the entrance is CRITICAL. You want your entrance to be clean, de-cluttered and inviting. And no, you won’t really wear all your shoes and coats while your house or condo is for sale, so be disciplined and store things away. If you don’t have a hall closet, don’t pile 15 coats on a coat rack – that’s just drawing attention to your lack of a closet.
Ouch, I know it hurts to read that. You want your house or condo to appeal to as many Buyers as possible, and that will only happen if they can picture their own stuff in your house. Get rid of all the family photos, the collections of scary clowns, and the souvenirs from your trip to Asia. Walk through every room in your house and pretend you’re a Buyer. If what you see helps people get to know you as you, remove it.
If you haven’t already hired someone, today is the day. A REALTOR will likely need two weeks to schedule and prepare the marketing. An experienced listing agent will also guide you through the home preparation and staging process, so you don’t have to do it alone.
A fresh coat of paint is one of the cheapest ways to freshen up your home. Bold colors are bound to be a turn-off to some Buyers, so to appeal to the most people possible take the time to re-paint that red bedroom and blue bathroom. (Tip: light colors will help small rooms look bigger). Don’t forget about baseboards and ceilings – they might need some paint too.
If you aren’t handy yourself, bring in a handyman to take care of it (we know some good ones, we can help).
I know, you probably don’t even think about cleaning your windows, but rain, snow, and construction can really make your windows dirty. We like Soap and Water for affordable window cleaning.
Stand on your street and take in your front yard: what do you see? At a minimum, clean the scuff marks off the front door and touch-up the chipped paint or give it a fresh coat. And if your front door and shutters have seen better days, consider paint in a trendy new color (consult Pinterest) or investing in new ones. If you have a front porch, make it look inviting (and not just a receptacle for more of your stuff). Invest in some seasonal plants. Clean up the garden and add new mulch. A lot of Buyers will see your home at night, so make sure that your outdoor lighting is showing off your home.
What you can accomplish in the backyard will, of course, depend on what time of year you sell. If you’re selling in the spring/summer: clean up the gardens, trim the trees, cut the grass, stain the deck and clean the patio furniture and BBQ. If it’s winter: do your best to make it look presentable. If you have a garage: tidy it up and fix any peeling paint and the sagging roof.
Unless your carpets are brand new, you’ll want to have them steam cleaned (or do it yourself). You’ll be amazed at what a difference it makes.
You’ll need more than a Swiffer to get into all the corners and cracks. If your floors are scratched, there are some great products out there to make them look almost-brand-new.
If your walls and doors are scuffed, buy some Magic Erasers and go to town. If you have naturally finished wood trim, doors, and cabinets my secret weapon is Howards’s Restor-A-Finish. It comes in a variety of shades and covers all the scratches and dings – it’s magical! You’ll wonder why you didn’t do it sooner. If your art needs an update, now’s the time to do it too.
I love my dogs too, but prospective Buyers won’t appreciate the barking/jumping/submissive peeing. Make a plan to get your pets out of the house: Doggie daycare? Grandma and Grandpa? Multiple walks?
No Buyer wants to look at all your kids’ toys, finger painting works of art or dirty diapers, so put it all away and make a plan to keep it concealed.
If you’re a dog owner, wash any couches, beds, and surfaces where the dogs sleep. You may not smell him anymore, but Buyers will. Tuck the litter box away (and clean it twice a day while your home is on the market). Use Febreeze on EVERYTHING. Avoid strong air-fresheners – they will make the buyers suspicious. My favorite is Febreeze Plug-ins in Tide or Gain. Virtually no one objects to the smell of clean laundry AND you were just doing laundry, right?
It’s not fun to find out what’s wrong with your house or condo at the negotiating table, so arm yourself with the information before you list your home. You can either fix the problems before you list your home (we recommend eliminating as many buyer objections as possible), or factor it into your asking price and expectations. We can help you make a plan.
When your house or condo is de-cluttered, cleaned and ready for prime time, it’s time for the photographer to work their magic. This will happen a few days before you list your home for sale, and may include a virtual tour or video. Make sure to tell your REALTOR the times when the light is best – that’ll make a big difference in the photos.
Written by Susanne Casey on . Posted in For Sellers, Staging
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