It’s hard to believe but spring really is just around the corner. Come spring, even more people will begin listing their homes, with great hopes of a fast sale. Do you have a plan for selling your house? How does the competition compare? What are your plans for making your home stand out in the sea of buyer’s choice?
Before putting up that for sale sign, take a good, long look at your home. Not from your perspective but from the perspective of someone who is trying to find “the perfect home” for their family. The key to a successful home listing is making your home as attractive as possible to the largest number of people. How do you do that? Very simple: Put away those Hummels and Lladrós, pack away the cat prints and dried flower arrangements, and make the rooms as clean and clutter free as possible.
It’s not necessary to move all your things to storage or to completely strip your home of all personal items; you do have to live there after all. If you have a lot of furniture or accessories in your rooms, start with one room and take everything out. Not sure if you have too much stuff? Ask your Realtor or a very honest friend. Clean the room from top to bottom: use a clean dust mop to wipe down the walls and ceiling, clean ceiling fans, light fixtures, blinds and floors – don’t forget the closets. Finally, decide if the room needs to be painted. If it’s been several years since you’ve had it painted and the walls look a little worn, or if it’s painted a bright or dated color (forest green, anyone?), it’s time to freshen up.
After cleaning and painting, slowly and purposefully, bring key pieces of furniture back into the room to set your stage: raid other rooms if necessary for the proper pieces. Once you have your furniture arrangement settled, bring back in the minimal (and I do mean minimal) number of accessories to give the room some personality. Unsure where to start? Kitchens and baths can make or break a home sale so start there and work your way through the house, basement and garage.
It can be quite difficult to de-personalize your own space. The best bet is to hire a professional decorator who will not only help you make these decisions, but also help choose paint colors and organize the items you will be moving to your new castle. For a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, professional staging can increase the sale price of a home by 5-50% (source: NAR) and can help reduce the number of days on the market from 200 to fewer than 33. For a very minimal investment, the payback can be well worth it.
For showings, be sure to put away the mail, clean off the counters and give the room a quick run through to dust and tidy. Turn on lots of lights and open up the blinds, shades and drapes. Make your home as inviting as possible. You love living there and after all your hard work, the next family will too.
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