“I'm ready,” you say to yourself; “Ready
to put the house on the market this spring!”
You have heard you need to have a
yard sale and get rid of STUFF, but what more can you do to prepare for the
best presentation and eventual sale of your home? There is plenty to consider, but
where can you spend your time and money, to realize best results?
Yes, to the yard sale. If you
haven't used Aunt Betty's beautiful fruit bowl and it's just collecting dust on
the highest shelf in the hutch, then it's probably time to let it go.
Consider your possessions and rehome
any that are no longer serving you. De-clutter and then de-clutter some
more. You are aiming for an almost blank palette so that a potential buyer
could come in and IMAGINE THEMSELVES in your home.
Dirty carpets are one of the first
things a potential buyer sees when touring a home, and how it translates in
their mind is this: "Oh gosh, we are going to have to replace those right
away; we will have to account for that in our offer."
So do yourself a favor; either steam
clean the carpets yourself, or hire a company to come do so. Odors love to
hide in carpet as well, so there's a two for one helpful hint, an added benefit
of a steam clean.
Do you have any broken tiles,
railings, windowsills, holes in drywall? If so, fix them. I can assure you
that they will be noticed by the potential future homeowner.
Are there rooms that could use a
fresh coat of paint? Either roll up your sleeves, or hire a painter.
Choosing neutral colors, and sprucing up your home this way will yield great
on-line pictures, thereby bringing more buyers to your home. Studies show
that well painted and staged homes sell for a higher average sales price.
About Staging:
It can get elaborate, but any
homeowner can employ FREE tactics, by looking honestly at their space, and
casting a non-bias eye toward it. Do you have mismatched throw pillows on the
couch? Choose to take the least matching pair out of the equation. Use
what you already have to your advantage, even if it means subtracting it. You
have two huge couches, but they overwhelm the space, making your living room feel
tiny. Can you store the couch somewhere
while you are trying to sell? Your mantra should be: LESS IS MORE, LESS
IS MORE.
Do you have proper lighting, or does
the back bedroom suffer from a dimly lit corner lamp, responsible for shedding
all of the light in that room? Light and bright is the name of the game.
Lastly, do not forget about curb
appeal. A beautiful planter filled with
spring’s bounty of daisies, petunia's, tulips or the like - will put smiles on
faces, and set the tone for the trip inside your home.
Spring will be here very soon.
Inventory is very low, buyers are waiting. Are they looking for a home like
yours? Let's find out. Call me for a free conversation about your home. Maybe it's time to sell? I can arm you with
information to help you make the best decision.
Amy Krikken is a realtor at Rock
Star Realtor, Better Homes and Gardens/The Masiello Group
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