Stage your Home for Better Sales

First impressions are key when it comes to selling real estate. You have one chance to make a good first impression. Our goal is to make sure that potential buyers get a great impression when they see your property. Check out a few of these professional tips:

Develop a plan:

 Before you do anything, time to prepare so you can save time and energy later. 

      Bring a clipboard and pen and walk through each room in your home. Look at your house like a perspective buyer. Make notes of things that you want to change or fix. 

• Think about a home inspection so you know about any major fixes before you put your house on the market.
• Hire out for any work you need completed buy a professional.
• Get rid of clutter. Trash items, donate goods or hold a yard sell to get rid of unneeded items. This will help clear out the space for your move and make packing easier too.  

Clean and sanitize 

•  Clean your entire home. If you have room in your budget, you may want to consider hiring a professional cleaning service to help. 
• Scrub all tile and flooring. 
• Have carpets professionally cleaned. 
• Repair cracks and holes. 
• Add a fresh coat of paint (neutral colors work best). White and light blue are great as they brighten up smaller spaces. 
• Take out extra furniture. 
• Arrange furniture in an attractive way so that it shows off the space in your home. 
• Clean out and organize closets (a rule of thumb: pack away half of what is in the closet and neatly organize the rest to make the storage look bigger.) 
• Get rid of all toys and pet items. 
•  Take down family photos and personal décor. 
•  Remove medications and other personal items from the home. 
•   Secure cash, jewelry and other valuables offsite or in a safe. 

Pay Special attention to the kitchen and bathroom:

The kitchen and bathrooms are major selling points in a home. Make sure to take a little extra time in these areas. 

• Mop/Wax floors
• Clean off counter tops
• Replace old hardware
• Scrub appliances and fixtures
• Replace caulking around sinks and tubs
• Clean stains from toilets and tubs
• Close the toilets
•  Hang clean linens

Remember the other senses too: 

Potential buyers will experience your home with more than just their eyeballs. Here are a few other ways to appeal to everyone: 

•             Make cookies or burn lightly scented candles.
•          Serve refreshments (light) at your open house.
•         Use higher-wattage lights to make rooms appear brighter.
•          Air out the home.
•          Keep televisions and radios off.
•         Stop smoking in the home.
•          Send pets away when buyers visit.

Head outside:  

The first thing potential buyers see is the outside of your home. You want to spend a little time here so buyers want to stop and look. Things you might do include:  

•             Repaint the outside of the home (including door, trim and shutters).
•           Make sure address is visible and the doorbell works properly.
•            Power wash windows
•            Make roof repairs
•           Repair cracks on sidewalk and/or in driveway
•           Sweep
•           Mow and weed the front lawn
•           Manage gardens and bushes
•           Trim trees
•           Plant flowers or bushes
•           Clean up any toys or yard tools
•           Clean up pet mess
•           Clean out the gutters

Focus on sell-zones 

Pay special attention to the features in your home that attract buyers including: 

•             Hardwood floors (get rid of rugs to show more wood flooring)
•             Remove drapes or pull them aside to show off large windows or charming views
•             Place furniture and plants on the deck
•             Make sure all fireplaces are in working condition
•        Clean the backyard and pool

Make it look like a great deal! 

Buyers do not want to pay more than a home is worth, but they are more likely to pay more for a property that offers more of what they want. Clearing out your belongings and staging a property for showing allows buyers to imagine themselves in your home. It can be hard for buyers to imagine themselves in the home if it still looks like your home.  

If you can make sure most (preferably all) major repairs, and even some minor ones, are completed, buyers will have less to add to their list of negatives. Call us today so we can help you make a personalized list of things to tackle before you put your home on the market. 

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