If you’ve been thinking about selling your home – either in 2023 or even in 2024 – there really is no time like the present to start working on getting it ready! Even though we have continued to be in a very tight seller’s market, buyers are still very picky, as they know they will have to pay top dollar for homes and are very willing to take their time finding that dream home that they are willing to pay top dollar for!
Last week’s video talked about the cleaning and maintenance items that should be done! And last week’s blog post went into detail on those cleaning and maintenance items that should be done!
So today’s video and blog post has to do with the fun part of getting your home ready for sale – the decorating and staging part!
FIRST IMPRESSIONS COUNT!
As I said last week, first impressions are everything. Buyers are making a judgment on your house when they see it online – whether it is on social media, real estate websites like Zillow and Realtor.com or on the MLS! If your online pictures made the buyer want to come to your home, then don’t disappoint them when they pull up to your house! Make sure your front of the house is inviting and make sure the patio or deck is styled!
KITCHEN AND BATHS WILL SELL YOUR HOUSE!
Once the buyer comes into your house, they will look at the kitchen as well as the baths! Kitchens tend to be the heart of the home and is the place where many families gather each day! So clear the counters to make sure a buyer can see how much counter space is available. Remove all the personal items from the refrigerator – after all you don’t want buyers looking at your kids’ artwork – you want them to focus on your home! Go into the bathrooms and make sure that the counters in the bathrooms are also cleared. Clearing the counters in the kitchen and baths gives the impression of ample counter space!
MAKE THE HOUSE LIGHT AND BRIGHT!
As you go through each room of your house, turn on all the lights and look to see how bright the rooms are. If you need to, swap out the bulbs for brighter bulbs, especially in those rooms with very little natural light! And add some lamps to the room and place them so that they can light up the darker corners of a room when switched on!
MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A NEUTRAL CANVAS!
When you are selling your home, you want the buyers to see how their family and furniture will fit into the home. Remove family photos, paint walls a neutral color, add neutral decor and accessories! Remember, not everyone shares your style!
SETTING THE TABLE!
A great idea someone told me years ago about is setting your table – both kitchen and dining table! Have a nice colorful centerpiece! It helps to make the house feel homey!
EACH ROOM SHOULD HAVE IT’S OWN PURPOSE!
Many people, myself included, will sometime have rooms that have dual purposes! My one bedroom is also my home office! And that is great when you are living in your home. But when it comes time to sell, you need to decide what the purpose of a room is and have it decorated to reflect that purpose. But when deciding what the purpose of the room should be, make sure you are not affecting the value of your home! For instance, if you have a 4 bedroom home in a neighborhood of 4 bedroom homes, but you are using one of them as an office – don’t have the 4th bedroom staged as an office – have it staged as a bedroom! There are some buyers who may not be able to imagine your in home office as the 4th bedroom!
TAKE PICTURES!
After you have finished staging each room in your home, walk through the house and take pictures of each room with your phone! I like to take the pictures from each corner! This will let you see just how a potential buyer will see your rooms! Be honest with yourself and make any tweaks you may need to make sure the house shows to perfection! Sometimes it is much easier to notice the little things when you are looking at the picture of the room instead of while you are standing in the room!
DO A FINAL WALK THROUGH!
After you have done everything you can to make your house show to perfection, do another walk through to make sure all the repairs are done, no squeaks can be heard, there are no cluttered areas! Make a list of any final tasks that you need to do before you put the house on the market! Get those things done before the first buyer walks through the door!
HIRE A PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER!
Once you have done it all and you are satisfied with how your home looks, hire in a professional photographer! Remember, your buyers will be looking at your house online before they even get in the car to come see it in person! You want your house to show to perfection online! Even with the limited inventory we continue to have, buyers will be willing to pay top dollar for a home if they feel that it is worth it!
Stay tuned for next week’s post where I will talk a little bit about what to do to get ready for showings once you have your home on the market!
If you are thinking of buying or selling a home and want an objective look at your home, or have any questions, feel free to contact me! I am happy to help!
