Getting Top dollar takes work, if your selling your home… First, let’s declutter
People need to visualize themselves in your property, so what is the easiest way to present that? First impressions are very important.
Declutter
Sometimes, less is more, we’re not going to Gramma’s for a turkey dinner. Do strangers want to see all our personal belongings and photos, in the house they are thinking about making “their” home? I like to think of it like walking in to a hotel room or suite, first impressions, neat and tidy, some basic appliances, no dirty towels etc.
These are the things that make a difference when people enter your home. So, how do we get there?
Boxes, boxes, closets, basements, just get all the personal stuff out of sight, you can unpack it all when you move. The bonus is, you have already started your packing, so some of the work is already done, when you make the sale.
Clean, Clean, Clean
Now that we’ve got our home down to basics, its going to be easier to clean. I like to think of it like walking in to a hotel room. Clean, tidy and some finishing touches like flowers. Do we want to see dirty windows when we look out the windows, to see the views?
Kitchen counters should be clean with only a few appliances left, if I am looking at a kitchen, I want to see it clean, clean, clean. Appliances should be cleaned.
Flowers on the kitchen table is a nice touch, trendy placemats look good depending on your table… but dishes and cutlery may not be the next persons taste, so best to put it away.
How does it smell? We don’t want any nasty odors, if something smells, box it up or clean it. Your home should smell clean with maybe a slight scent in the air, not overwhelming, or people will think your covering something up. I have always made sure to have plug in scents on low in the bathrooms, put out fresh towels, folded neatly or hung.
According to an Australian report, the smell of citrus increases the value of a home.
Your in a competition for that buyer with every other home on the market, it takes a bit of work but it gives you an edge.
Visualizing
Now that we have put away all our stuff and cleaned to house so it smells fresh and clean, what are we going to do to make the home feel comfortable and inviting.
Some nice plants look good and they are natural air cleaners. Choose your plants for the room. If you are not in to taking care of plants, you can always give them to someone after you’ve made the sale. If your home sells for top dollar, its worth it to spend a few pennies on the dollar.
How does your property look from the road? Is the entrance way clean? Curb appeal!
We don’t want to put someone off before they get inside the door. When they walk through that door, you want to capture them. I read somewhere years ago, that a person will decide if they want the house in the first minutes. If they are captivated and want what they see, then we only have to make sure to not put them off, along the rest of the house tour.
Simple things, like hanging plants on the front porch or patio, put a clean mat out if you have one that is dirty. Make sure the grass is cut. All of the little things end up making a difference. If your house looks good on the outside, people driving around on weekends may call and want to see the inside.
Walls & Floor
This involves more work, getting rid of old wallpaper, that may not be someone else’s taste or paint colors that are too bright or colorful. It is best to have the walls in warm neutral colors. People can paint after they move in if they choose to, but we don’t want to give them a reason to dislike the property.
If you have carpets, get them cleaned or rent a cleaner, they have cleaning deodorizers, if you have pets, you definitely want to get rid of any pet smell. That clean smell is a good thing, once its done.
Lighting
Leave some lights on for your viewing, your agent will turn lights on if they are having an Open House but its good to be prepared. Let some natural light in through your windows, make sure the windows are clean. If lighting fixtures or fans look dirty, it only takes a few minutes and clean them. Make sure your window coverings are clean and don’t carry any old smells.
Its crazy what a bit of time, effort and couple of bucks can reward you with in the home selling process.
