The initial impression is often the most enduring.
The exterior appearance of your home frequently shapes buyers' perceptions of the interior, therefore:
1. Ensure that your front entrance exudes cleanliness and warmth.
2. Consider painting or renewing your front door if it appears weathered or tired.
3. Apply a fresh coat of paint to shutters, trim, and any other exterior elements displaying signs of wear.
4. Enhance the appeal with lively plants and a layer of fresh mulch.
Emphasize the strengths.
Living in a home versus selling it often entails distinct approaches. Endeavor to perceive your home from a renewed perspective and organize each room to highlight its most appealing features, incorporating:
1. Maintain cleanliness on windows and floors.
2. Replace any faded wallpaper and reattach any loose sections.
3. Address worn woodwork for a refreshed appearance.
4. Repaint walls in a neutral hue to cover any scars or dirt.
5. Steam clean carpets or consider replacement if needed.
6. Fix minor issues such as loose knobs, sticking doors and windows, warped cabinet drawers, broken light switches, and other small flaws.
7. Inspect and repair caulking in bathtubs and showers.
Attempt to view your home with a renewed perspective and organize each room to showcase its finest qualities, including:
1. Open curtains to allow natural light to fill the space during showings.
2. Clear out any unnecessary clutter from your attic, basement, and closets to showcase the spaciousness of the rooms (consider storage solutions or a garage sale to declutter).
3. Organize all your rooms meticulously and remove any excess furniture.
4. Ensure fresh, clean towels are displayed in the bathroom, and utilize candles or air fresheners to create an inviting scent.
Present your home in its most favorable light.
Strategically illuminating your home, even during daytime showings, can evoke a cozy ambiance and accentuate the positive features of each room, thus:
1. Steer clear of harsh overhead lighting that can render rooms dull and lifeless.
2. Employ creativity in arranging lamps to create a sense of spaciousness in smaller rooms and intimacy in larger ones.
3. Utilize lighting to accentuate the "living areas" of your home, such as seating near a fireplace or a breakfast nook table.
Inside and Outside:
Inside:
1. Remove unnecessary items from furniture throughout the house, limiting decorative objects to small groups.
2. Declutter kitchen countertops, storing unused items if they haven't been used for three months.
3. Keep refrigerator fronts clear of messages and pictures to create a spacious kitchen for buyers to envision their own belongings.
4. In the bathroom, clear countertops, tubs, shower stalls, and commode tops of unnecessary items. Only keep essential cosmetics, brushes, and perfumes in a small group on the counter, coordinating towels to one or two colors.
5. Consider rearranging or removing furniture as needed to create the illusion of larger rooms.
6. Rearrange or remove certain pictures or objects on walls and patch and paint if necessary.
7. Review each room in the house, painting any that need it, and cleaning carpets, drapes, and windows.
8. Leave certain lights on during the day and turn on all lights and lamps during showings.
9. Play soft music during the day for all viewings.
10. Ensure the presence of a lockbox as it is crucial for showings; "If we don't have it, they won't show it."
Outside:
1. Trim landscaping to unveil architectural details such as the bottom of windows, emphasizing visibility: "If they can't see it, we can't sell it."
2. Remove all garbage cans, discarded wood scraps, and extra building materials from around the perimeter of the house, placing them in the garage.
3. Inspect gutters and/or roof for dry rot, ensuring they are swept and cleaned.
4. Prune bushes and trees to prevent them from blocking windows, emphasizing visibility: "You can't sell a house if you can't see it." Plants grow quickly, akin to children.
5. Weed and mulch all planting areas, keeping the lawn freshly cut and fertilized, and removing any dead plants or shrubs.
6. Clear patios or decks of small items like planters, flower pots, charcoal, barbecues, and toys, relocating them to the garage.
7. Assess the paint condition of the house, paying special attention to the front door and trim: " Think Curb appeal"
As a general rule,
Attempt to view your house from the perspective of a potential buyer, as if encountering it for the first time. Investing time and money into these aspects can yield higher returns and ideally expedite the sale process.
Sometimes, you may receive a sudden call to schedule a showing within a few minutes. Here's a checklist for such situations:
1. Sound: Switch off the television and set the radio to a low volume, playing soft rock, middle of the road, or classic rock.
2. Sight: Illuminate every room by turning on all lights and opening curtains and blinds during the daytime.
3. Odors: Create a pleasant aroma by slowly heating frozen pastry in the oven or adding a few drops of vanilla to a heated pan on the stove.
4. Kitchen: Wipe down kitchen counters and load dirty dishes into the dishwasher.
5. Bathrooms: Wipe clean bathroom counters, flush toilets, and close toilet lids.
6. Living/Family Rooms: Conceal magazines, newspapers, and games, and eliminate clutter.
7. Bedrooms: Neatly arrange beds and hide clutter under the bed (not in the closet).
8. Exterior: Remove toys and clutter from outside and ensure clear pathways.
9. Children & Pets: Minimize distractions by sending them outside during the showing.
10. Goodbye: Prioritize the buyer's emotional connection by vacating the premises during the showing.
11. Even if the agent suggests otherwise, leaving the property is crucial. At the very least, step into the backyard, or preferably, leave for a short time, such as a quick trip to the store.
