Preparing your home for sale can be one of the most important steps in the selling process. The concept of making your home visable to the public is not the most appealing, for most of us. Try to step outside of your personal attachment to your property and take the perspective of a buyer. If you present your home beautifully, it will be well received by buyers.
There are some steps to consider when preparing your home. Attempt to consider all the steps, as you will want your home to be on the market for as short a period as possible!
– Clean, Clean, Clean! Get in the corners and degrime- the tops of baseboards, windows, walls, appliances, showers and tubs, faucets, cabinet fronts, floors, etc. You get the idea! Make your home shine.
– Yard work should not be overlooked. Mow the grass, shovel the snow. Add an urn with seasonal vegetation outside your door. Add mulch to planters- an easy fix . Caring for your yard shows that you care about your property!
– Lighting is essential. Open the drapes and let the natural light in where ever possible, install brighter bulbs, replace light fixtures where necessary. Ensure hall and corriders are well lit. Different levels of lighting is effective, such as lamps, natural light, pots and hanging fixtures. Buyers are attracted to light filled spaces.
– Decorate with neutrals. Bright colors are jarring and distracting. Buyers want to focus on your home, not saturated, distracting, colored interruptions. Neutral colors are also soothing to most, so the viewing process is enjoyable. Neutrals also can make small spaces appear larger. And …majority rules, most people are attracted to neutrals, whereas only a select few love the color eggplant!
– Declutter! In most cases buyers will be viewing your home as well as 4-6 other homes, or more. The assortment of homes may be newly built properties, never lived in homes, or staged properties. Try to give your home the “staged” feel. Remove personal items, box up the clutter in closets, remove everything sitting in piles on the floor, unless it belongs there. Pack away the extra coats and shoes, remove bathroom toiletries from counters and tubs, clear off the kitchen counters except for a few appealing props. Edit the furniture so the room plan is simple. Buy new towels for the washrooms and hang them neatly.
– Freshen up. Freshly washed sheets will help remove stail smells in bedrooms, light room scents will add subliminal appeal to buyers, bathrooms should have freshly washed or new towels, and any pet smells should be eliminated by shampooing carpets before listing.
Remove kitty litter boxes and any garbage before a showing.
– Last but not least, put down the toilet seats 🙂