Staging your Home before Listing
You've decided to list your home for sale and your to-do list starts growing to prepare. You are likely making a change in your home size and now is a great time to go through all of your belongings and determine what won't make the cut for the move. To get a jump on your packing process and also help your home sell faster, now is the time to stage your home.
Staging your home before listing and preparing your home before showings is can help your home sell quickly and for the best price. And it doesn't have to be expensive when you can do it yourself.
When a buyer walks into a home, they need to imagine themselves living there. With the current owners personal items still on display it can distract from the homes best features.
Use these tips to prepare your home to sell quickly and for the best price:
Go Outside
Keep your yard trimmed every week, gardens beds clean and tree's trimmed. It prepares the buyer for what they might see inside. Power-washing the home or driveway is an easy way to brighten the look of the home.
Put it Away
Clear Personal items such as papers, excessive amounts of pictures and miscellaneous items from counters and other visible areas. Get a head start on packing by getting a small tote to hold all of these items away from view. You will increase the visual size of your home by removing the extra 'stuff'.
Clean it Up
Bathrooms & Kitchens: Keep counters and sinks clean. In the bathroom, keeps toilet lids and shower curtains closed and for a polished look, hang matching towels neatly.
Set it out
Take a minute to look through your decorative items and stage countertops or table with a few items. Don't overdo it, but a few pieces of decor go along way.
Move the Couch
Arrange your furniture in a way that is appealing to the size and shape of the room. If necessary, remove furniture items that don't typically match or overcrowd a room. Leave just enough to help a buyer visualize filling the room with space leftover.
The Nose Knows
Use fresh flower or home scents in a few rooms to make it more appealing
Time to Clean
Not just clean, Deep clean. This will return you the most dollar for dollar. Windows, doors, walls, baseboards, Ceilings! Look up around and everywhere for dingy or dirty areas that could use attention. A well kept home with its hunny do list checked off, helps a buyer to not have a list of items to fix as they walk out the door and rethink putting an offer in.
Before Showings Checklist
- Clear Countertops & Sinks in Kitchen & Bathroom, wipe down with a cleaner. Quickly polish mirrors and faucets.
- Close toilet lids & shower curtains.
- Run the vacuum quickly for noticeably dirty floor or to help fluff carpet.
- Light a candle, turn on or spray a home scent.
- Turn on all the lights and open blinds to let light in.
- It's ok to hide things in closets. After all, you have to live there and they might not look. It's better than a pile of clothes on the floor.
- Having a quick showing prep checklist will help you maximize the effects of your showings and bring better offers quicker.