So you’ve decided to sell your home. But did you know that the way your house is decorated oftentimes affects the offer prices you receive? It is important to “stage” your home in a way that appeals to as many buyers as possible.
1. First things first: get rid of clutter. This is a great time to get rid of all that unwanted junk. If you don’t need it, why not donate it? Make sure the kitchen counters and table tops are clean and clear of clutter. If you don’t want or don’t have room for furniture items, sell them, donate them or put them in storage. This will open up the rooms in your house and make them look and feel larger. Ensure hallways and doorways are also free from clutter. Pack up children’s toys until after the home has sold. Additionally, empty out your garage so that at least 1 car can fit inside; the emptier it is, the better.
2. Neutral colors are the best colors! Paint is an inexpensive way to give your entire home a makeover. Prospective buyers might not like the same colors and the last thing you want to do is push your tastes on them. Buyers like to imagine the house as their own and neutral walls are the easiest way to do that. Additionally, lighter colored walls reflect light which makes the room appear larger.
3. Let there be light! Before a showing, open all the blinds. Make sure that all of the rooms are bright and open. Well-lit rooms appear warm and inviting, while dark rooms are cold and small. Another easy solution: replace current light bulbs with higher wattage bulbs to increase lighting! And make sure to replace all burnt out bulbs with ones that work.
4. Set your house apart from the others. Use bouquets of flowers to add warmth to your home. Make sure they are seasonal flowers; check your yard! There may be great seasonal foliage available right outside your door. Bake a batch of cookies and leave them out for potential viewers. Positive differences will help keep your home in the minds of buyers as they view other homes and make decisions.
5. Sometimes the smallest improvements make the biggest differences. Change the hardware on your doors and cabinets. Paint doors and remove scuffmarks from the floors. Even rearranging the furniture can make a huge difference in the way your home looks. Take a bucket filled half with bleach and half with water and wipe down all of the glossy white paint of baseboards, chair rails, crown moulding, door frames and doors. This will make it white, bright and like new again.
6. Bad odors can be one of the quickest ways to lose potential buyers. Smokers and pet owners, be sure to have your carpets cleaned to help remove the smell. Smokers should step outside to smoke, as this will help decrease the strength of the smell inside your home. Be sure that the ceilings are white and not yellow from the smoke. Painting the walls and ceiling will help remove the odor as well.
7. Light fixtures can be cheaply replaced. If you have old ceiling fans that don’t work or outdated light fixtures, replace them with Home Depot or Lowe’s contractor globe light fixtures. Use two light bulb fixtures and match your current finishes, i.e. if you have nickel-finish door handles, then use nickel-finish light fixtures. This will give a neutral appeal and let potential buyers imagine their own ideal light fixtures there. These contractor package light fixtures come in packs of two fixtures and are around $20 per pack. This is a big impact for such a small expense.
8. The blinds and window treatments make a big impression too. Wash all the windows (inside and out) and window sills. It’s important that blinds are clean, and that they all match throughout the home. If you have drapes, have them dry cleaned. They can be harboring odors and dust that you don’t notice. Repair any broken glass panels or non-functioning windows as well.
9. The bathrooms are a common place potential buyers to lose interest due to mold, mildew and dated décor. Bleach or acid wash bathroom tiles to make them look new again, but be sure to vent the bathroom of the fumes afterward. Caulk the tub/shower enclosures and around the toilet, and replace the shower curtain with a new one. If the shower has a glass enclosure, use Lime Away and then Windex on it and make sure that the door frame or track is free from mildew and mold as well.
10. Last but not least, clean up the AC systems. You can scrub the air conditioning vent grills to make them look new again, as smut from around these filters builds up over time. If this smut has stained the wall, use the half-and-half bleach and water mixture to clean the wall, but be careful not to saturate the sheetrock. Finally, change the AC filters so that the air cycling through your home is fresh and clean.
Above all, remember to keep your home clean and free of clutter. Look at it from the eyes of a perspective buyer. What would you like to see (or not see!) if you were buying your home?
We all know how important first impressions are and while selling your home there is no difference. You may think the first thing a potential buyer sees is what’s inside the front door, but their first view of you your home is actually what they see when they pull up in the car. Adding curb appeal is just as important as staging the inside of your home.
1. Get rid of clutter. Make sure toys and trash cans are put away. Trash and toys strewn about can really put off a potential buyer. Make sure that toys are stored away and trash cans are removed once trash has been taken away.
2. Clean up. Start by taking a good look at all the doors and windows. Do they look dingy or dirty? Try scrubbing them with soap and water. A fresh coat of paint can really change the appearance of your home. Walkways and sidewalks should also be swept clean.
3. Minor repairs can make a major difference. Paint your mailbox, or get a new one. Fix or replace crooked or worn out address numbers. Patch the cracked walkway and replace missing shutters. Make sure that all exterior light is free from bugs and spider webs, and replace any dead or missing light bulbs.
4. Don’t forget the plants. Keep yards mowed and hedges trimmed. Get rid of any dead vegetation. Seasonal arrangements in flower boxes can add that “special something” that potential buyers will remember.
5. Brighten white trim. If you have white trim on the exterior of your house or white garage doors, you can easily brighten the white by washing with a mixture of half bleach and half water. Be careful not to get the bleach water on nearby plants.
6. Flower Beds. The front of the house is the most important area to freshen up. Be sure to week around walkways and maybe mulch the beds. A bag of mulch can be purchased for less than $3, and most homes only require about 10 bags. Mulch adds great curb appeal for less than $50!
7. Front door. Take a look at your front door. Does it look old or stained from years of use? A fresh coat of paint on the front door and trim helps with first impressions. Also, be sure the door lock works. A lot of homeowners use their garage door as their primary entry into the house, so the lock and knob of the front door is rusted from years of non-use. If the lock sticks, use spray oil in the key hole to get the lock to operate smoothly again.
8. Sidewalks and Driveways. Over time, sidewalks and driveways turn black from dirt and mold. An easy fix is to pressure wash these areas. You can borrow one from someone, or rent a pressure washer from a local hardware store. The cost to rent one varies, but you can usually rent one all day for around $20.
9. Fence and gates. Be sure that all fence panels are in place and not falling over. Gates sometimes are neglected and don’t latch properly, so make sure that all gates open and close correctly.
10. Pool – Be sure to put away pool toys and pool supplies. It’s best to remove any patio furniture that’s faded or falling apart. Pressure washing or painting the pool deck can also make a big difference. Clean the pool and make every effort to keep in clean and in good chemical shape. Sometimes, if you don’t have the time to maintain a pool, it’s worth the extra monthly cost to hire a professional pool company to maintain it for you for the few months that you’re working to sell your home. A pool is a big selling feature, so don’t let it go to waste by not maintaining it properly.
It’s a good idea to look at your home from the road and be critical. Imagine that you are a perspective buyer. What would appeal to you if you were buying a home? And remember to keep an open mind and an objective perspective when adding curb appeal to your home.