Preparing your house for selling can be a daunting and overwhelming task whether you have lived in your home a few years or many. The longer you have lived in your home the more things you will have acquired. Follow these Top 10 Tips list to you save TIME, MONEY and ENERGY.
In preparing your home for selling you need to take a step back and have the mindset that this is no longer your home but your investment for your future. You want your home to have broad buyer appeal to your target market. Following these “Top 10 Tips” will help you sell your house sooner and possibly for more money than if you did not prepare it for selling! Remember most people want to move into their new home without having to make updates to it.
Stand back and view your home as if you were seeing it for the first time. This is the ‘first impression’ stage. If you are selling a house, depending on the season you may want to have pots of colourful and attractive flowers or shrubs to greet buyers; a clean and inviting door mat; new and shiny door hardware; a freshly painted door. If you are selling your condo, you can still make sure that your front door is clean and that the hardware is functions. If not, speak with your building manager.
Start your pre-pack as soon as possible. You need to decide what you are going to keep, give away, sell or throw away/recycle. Many clients will rent storage lockers or have pods delivered so they can start to clear out what is not going to make the house look good.
You would think this one is common sense but let me assure you, I wish it were so! A clean home translates into ‘They must have really cared for their home.” Use environmentally friendly cleaners where possible. Bathrooms and kitchens must be sparkling clean at the very least.
We know you love your family photos and your personal treasures and for living they are perfect. For selling, pack them up carefully so you can showcase them in your new home. You want buyers to focus on the best features of your home and not your personal things or collections.
Use only a handful of neutral colours or less to paint your house for selling. If you have an open floor plan then paint the main floor all the same colour. Bathrooms can have a little more colour but only use pale shades like blue, green and warm greys.
Place your furniture in each room so that you have very obvious focal points that show off the home’s best selling features. For example, if you have a beautiful fireplace then place the furniture in a parallel grouping so that the eye is drawn to the fireplace.
If you were using your guest bedroom as your den for living, for selling turn it back into a bedroom with bedroom furniture in it. If you do not have the right furniture for each room consider renting it. Alternatively, if you don’t want to rent then borrow.
Spend money on new light fixtures in brushed nickel or stainless steel. Brass and gold are a no-no! Visit your nearest big-box store for a wide selection of modern light fixtures. Your return on investment will be substantial.
Think simple, modern and clean. No floral prints or highly patterned motifs. Blinds are popular in shades of white or cream. Take older vertical style blinds to your neighbourhood dry-cleaner for freshening if possible.
Tile or linoleum is great for entranceways, bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms; a good quality laminate or engineered hardwood is perfect for living rooms and family rooms; bedrooms are attractive in a neutral carpet. Shampoo your carpets for a quick and inexpensive option.
If you can apply these "Top 10 Tips" to your home, selling will be greatly facilitated. However, if you think that you need some professional advice, please contact me as I can recommend a number of highly professional home stagers and personal organizers.
In preparing your home for selling you need to take a step back and have the mindset that this is no longer your home but your investment for your future. You want your home to have broad buyer appeal to your target market. Following these “Top 10 Tips” will help you sell your house sooner and possibly for more money than if you did not prepare it for selling! Remember most people want to move into their new home without having to make updates to it.
1. Curb Appeal
Stand back and view your home as if you were seeing it for the first time. This is the ‘first impression’ stage. If you are selling a house, depending on the season you may want to have pots of colourful and attractive flowers or shrubs to greet buyers; a clean and inviting door mat; new and shiny door hardware; a freshly painted door. If you are selling your condo, you can still make sure that your front door is clean and that the hardware is functions. If not, speak with your building manager.
2. De-clutter
Start your pre-pack as soon as possible. You need to decide what you are going to keep, give away, sell or throw away/recycle. Many clients will rent storage lockers or have pods delivered so they can start to clear out what is not going to make the house look good.
3. Spring Clean (no mater what the season)
You would think this one is common sense but let me assure you, I wish it were so! A clean home translates into ‘They must have really cared for their home.” Use environmentally friendly cleaners where possible. Bathrooms and kitchens must be sparkling clean at the very least.
4. Depersonalize
We know you love your family photos and your personal treasures and for living they are perfect. For selling, pack them up carefully so you can showcase them in your new home. You want buyers to focus on the best features of your home and not your personal things or collections.
5. Neutrals can be rewarding
Use only a handful of neutral colours or less to paint your house for selling. If you have an open floor plan then paint the main floor all the same colour. Bathrooms can have a little more colour but only use pale shades like blue, green and warm greys.
6. Highlight your home’s best architectural features
Place your furniture in each room so that you have very obvious focal points that show off the home’s best selling features. For example, if you have a beautiful fireplace then place the furniture in a parallel grouping so that the eye is drawn to the fireplace.
7. Decide on the function of each room
If you were using your guest bedroom as your den for living, for selling turn it back into a bedroom with bedroom furniture in it. If you do not have the right furniture for each room consider renting it. Alternatively, if you don’t want to rent then borrow.
8. Let there be light!
Spend money on new light fixtures in brushed nickel or stainless steel. Brass and gold are a no-no! Visit your nearest big-box store for a wide selection of modern light fixtures. Your return on investment will be substantial.
9. Window treatments that sell your home
Think simple, modern and clean. No floral prints or highly patterned motifs. Blinds are popular in shades of white or cream. Take older vertical style blinds to your neighbourhood dry-cleaner for freshening if possible.
10. New flooring can be transformational
Tile or linoleum is great for entranceways, bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms; a good quality laminate or engineered hardwood is perfect for living rooms and family rooms; bedrooms are attractive in a neutral carpet. Shampoo your carpets for a quick and inexpensive option.
If you can apply these "Top 10 Tips" to your home, selling will be greatly facilitated. However, if you think that you need some professional advice, please contact me as I can recommend a number of highly professional home stagers and personal organizers.
