In any real estate market, and especially when there are more houses and fewer buyers, your home needs to stand out from the crowd. If it were a movie star, you'd be able to give it a new wardrobe, manicure, and a personal trainer to help it get into shape for the paparazzi. But impressing buyers won't mean hours on the treadmill, just some honest assessment and cosmetic changes. First impressions do count, so grab them with curb appeal. Look at the exterior of your home and make it shine. Trim bushes, paint the door if it needs it, remove the bicycles and toys, make sure exterior lights work. During the holidays, you have a great chance to add tasteful lights and garlands that will make your home look warm and inviting. Reinforce that good first impression as soon as a buyer walks in the door. Scented candles or a simmering pot of cinnamon and orange peel will give your home a wonderful smell that says "home" and "clean." Yes, you have to live in your home while it's on the market, but make an effort to keep it neat and uncluttered. Floors get a lot of attention from buyers. If you have hardwood, make sure they are in good condition or have them refinished. If you have carpet, either clean or replace it with a light shade to make rooms look larger. And if you have stone floors, be sure they are cleaned. Less is more! If you have a lot of furniture, try to remove some pieces or rearrange them to give rooms a spacious feel. This is your chance to do some pre-packing, and what you should pack away are all the knick-knacks that clutter tabletops and corners. Two rooms that have to shine are the kitchen and bathroom. Even an older kitchen will benefit from de-cluttering and cleaning to give it a fresh, open look. In the bathroom, hang your fluffiest towels and clean off the countertops. Here, too, a scented candle adds a nice touch and a pleasant scent. Don't forget the closets. If yours are stuffed so full that they threaten to explode, pack things away. Get shoes up off the floors and on racks, or at least neatly arranged. Closets need to look spacious and clean. Make your home sound as welcoming as it looks with calm music playing quietly in the background.
Staging your home so it looks its best has several advantages for you as the seller. By de-cluttering your rooms, you will have done some of the work you would have to do anyway when it came time to move. The sorting of keep vs. donate vs. throwaway items will help you avoid moving things you don't really need or want. You get a start on the packing and have time to take care with your most precious items. But most of all, you've made your home look its best. Lights, camera, action! Staging is only one of the ways to improve the prospects for selling your house. The "Special" Ed Haraway Team can help you see your home from a buyer's standpoint. With more than 20 years of experience in the local market, we know real estate, and have earned our title as "The Realtors Who Treat You Special!" |
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