Get your home sold faster!
As you prepare to show your home to potential buyers, remember that people like homes that are clean and uncluttered, light and airy, peaceful and quiet. Here are a few tips that will show your home at its best – and get it sold faster!
Less is more. Homes show better with less furniture. Remove anything that blocks views, paths or walkways. Remove extra leaves from the dining room table. Leave just enough furniture in each room to showcase the room’s purpose.
De-clutter. You have stuff. Potential buyers don’t need to see it. They need to see uncluttered surfaces, empty closets and neat rooms. The less stuff that’s around, the more space people will see.
Organize closets, drawers and cabinets. Do you want people to see your messy coat closet or that over-stuffed kitchen cabinet? No, you want them to see neat, organized spaces with plenty of room to store things in!
De-personalize. Pack up photographs and family treasures. You want potential buyers to imagine their own belongings in the house, not yours. You want them to say, “I can see myself living here.”
Let the sun shine in! Raise the shades. Open the curtains. Wash the windows. Turn on the lamps. Rooms that are bright seem larger and more inviting than those that are dark.
Make minor repairs. Replace cracked tiles. Patch holes in the walls. Fix leaky faucets. Fix doors that don’t close properly and drawers that stick. Replace burned-out light bulbs. And give everything a fresh coat of paint. Stick to neutral colors.
Take a deep breath. It’s very common for people to be unaware of smells in their own homes. (Tobacco, pets, mustiness, cooking odors.) Open the windows, and thoroughly clean rugs, floors and walls. Put out fresh flowers. Bake bread or cookies.
Clean the house – top to bottom!
- Rent a pressure washer and spray down sidewalks and exterior.
- Clean out cobwebs.
- Re-caulk tubs, showers and sinks.
- Polish faucets and mirrors.
- Wash & wax floors.
- Dust furniture, ceiling fan blades and light fixtures.
- Bleach dingy grout.
- Hang up fresh towels.
Take a step back. Go outside and look at your house the way a stranger would. Walk up the front path. Open your front door.
Does the house welcome you? Imagine how each room will look to a buyer. Examine how the furniture is arranged and move pieces around until the room feels right.
Don’t forget curb appeal. A buyer’s first impression of your home comes the second they pull up to the house. Keep the sidewalks cleared, and the lawn mown. Spruce up the mailbox, siding and window trim. Plant seasonal flowers. Trim the shrubs. Make sure visitors can clearly read the house number.
Send pets and children away. If prospective buyers are coming to have a look, you don’t want them to be intimidated by your dog or distracted by your children.
Price it right. Don’t price your home too high. A higher price will only discourage potential buyers, and leave your home on the market longer.
Picture perfect. Make sure your listing has lots of good photos. Photos go a long way to enticing prospects to come visit your home in person.