As you prepare to sell you home, take out all the emotions by looking forward not backwards.
1. De-clutter: People collect an amazing amount of junk. Consider this, if you haven’t used it in over a year, you probably don’t need it.
- Pack up the knick-knacks.
- Clean off kitchen and bathroom counter
- Organize closets
- Arrange food in cabinets by color or in alphabetical order
- Neatly stack the same dishes together
- Turn coffee cup handles in the same direction
- Hang shirts of the same color together, buttoned, and facing the same direction
- Place shoes, sweaters, etc. in clear plastic boxes
- De-personalize by packing up most of those personal photographs and family heirlooms.
2. Rent a Storage Space: Most homes show better with less furniture. Remove pieces of furniture that block any traffic flow or hamper walkways and put them in storage. Remove extra leaves from your dining room table to make the room appear larger. Leave just enough furniture in each room to showcase the room’s purpose and plenty of room to move around.
3. Remove/Replace Items you plan to exclude! If your want to take window coverings or fixtures with you , remove them now! If the chandelier in the dining room once belonged to your great grandmother, take it down! If a buyer never sees it, he or she won’t want it. Once you tell a buyer he or she can not have an item, he or she will covet it, and it could blow your deal. Pack those items and replace them, if necessary.
4. Touch up paint and make minor repairs:
- Replace cracked floor or counter tiles
- Patch and paint holes in walls
- Repair leaky faucets
- Re-caulk tubs, showers, and sinks. Bleach dingy grout.
- Repair and oil hinges and doors that do not close properly and kitchen drawers that jam.
- Paint your walls neutral colors, especially if they are purple, orange, or hot pink.
- Replace all burned-out light bulbs with bright bulbs (not the energy bulbs that come on slowly.
- Change all A/C filters. Place air freshner on filter.
- Wash windows inside and out
- Clean out cobwebs
- Polish chrome faucets and mirrors
- Clean out the refrigerator
- Vacuum daily
- Dust furniture, ceiling fan blades, and light fixtures.
- Replace worn rugs
- Hang up fresh towels
- Clean and air out any musty smelling area. Odors area no-no!
5. Check Curb Appeal: If a buyer won’t get out of the agent’s car because they do not like the exterior of your home, you’ll never get them inside! Does the home welcome you?
- Paint front door and place a kick plate on door.
- Rent a pressure washer and spray down sidewalks and exterior.
- Keep the sidewalks clear. Mow the lawn.
- Paint faded window trim.
- Plant yellow flowers or group flower pots together. Yellow evokes a buying emotion. Marigolds are inexpensive.
- Trim your bushes and weed flower beds.
For more tips, contact Advantage Realtor Group at (940) 696-3300.