Ideas to get you from selling to sold

By Matt Trudel

Let’s face the facts: Selling a home can be very stressful and seem overwhelming at times. Many sellers take this process very personally. It has been your home for years and letting it go is often emotional and sometimes saddening. Try to depersonalize this as best you can and remember it is a transaction and you have a goal to achieve.

Stay focused and prepared. Keeping the house ready for showings even if there aren’t any showings scheduled will cut down on some of the stress when you are running around doing last-minute cleaning.

Here are a few more suggestions that might help reduce some of the stress during this process, get your house under contract soon and sold for more money.

Depersonalizing your house is a key factor that needs to happen and hopefully before you even start showing your house. Yes, go ahead and take down a majority of personal extra photos you have on bookcases, windowsills, refrigerator, or anywhere else. Get rid of all the extra clutter and excess items on both the interior and exterior of your house. I understand that you are not moving yet and still need to live there, but there is a lot of stuff that can be packed up. Depending on the time of year, like now for example, winter coats, boots, gloves, shovels, snowshoes, all those things should be boxed up and put in a storage unit or maybe you rent a pod. You want your closets and rooms to look spacious and neat.

The kitchen is another big one to focus on. Counters should be clear of all items except maybe a few things like a coffee maker, paper towel holder, or maybe a fruit bowl. Cupboards you want to thin out what is in there. Pack up the extra wine glasses, serving trays, pots or pans you don’t really use, and those 14 coffee mugs that say Happy Birthday or Super Mom. Extra dishes and Tupperware should be packed up and put into storage. When some is looking at your house, they usually will open two or three cabinets, and you want them to see neat, organized cupboards that have plenty of room. This goes for the pantry, linen closet and the bathroom. It’s time to toss out or pack up those extra mismatched towels and sheets.

A deep and thorough cleaning is an absolute must and take it one room at a time if that works best for you, but it really must happen. All the hidden spaces, move furniture and appliances, and if needed the carpets should be professionally cleaned. All this cleaning is sometime easier to hire a professional cleaning company. It is about being organized and then trying to keep up with it until your house sells. Once the house is done and where you want it to be, then move on to the basement, garage and exterior. See if there is any touch up painting that needs to be done around the trim or doorways, cleaning out the gutters, and just finish up any of the landscaping. The exterior is the first thing buyers see when they pull into the driveway, and it can make or break a sale.

Take some time to fix any of the little things you have been putting off. Getting yourself a home inspection is sometimes helpful in pointing out things that need a little attention. A home inspector will give you a detailed report of items to address and repair. It will also prove helpful in the sale of your home by showing buyers what was wrong and that you were proactive and took care of those items.

Take an honest look at the paint colors on the interior your house. They should flow together and be of similar palate. What you don’t want is really bright and bold colors. Neutral colors appeal to more buyers. Ask your local paint store or a professional painter what are the latest trends in paint colors in new homes. Proper paint colors can make all the difference in getting a house sold for more money.

Now for one of the most important parts of selling your home. Setting the asking pricing for your home correctly and competitively is key. Overpricing is one of the top reasons houses don't sell and sit on the market. Overpricing dramatically reduces the number of buyers who will consider your home at all. Buyers now have a very good idea of a home’s value. There are so many resources available to them now online. If you are doubting what your realtor has suggested about the current value of your home is, you can always hire an appraiser and get an appraisal done. That appraisal can also be a very effective tool in the marketing of your home.

Hopefully some of these ideas will help make your selling process a little easier and more effective.

This article was written by Matthew Trudel, Owner, Broker Five Star Realty, Windham, 207-939-6971. <