Your home has served
you well. But now it is time show someone else how wonderful it
could be for them. While the way you have your belongings and
decor suits your needs and taste the buyer needs help envisioning
their stuff in your house. Cleaning, decluttering and neutralizing
are key to moving them in and you on your way!
Clean
While it’s obvious why the buyer would
like this it also helps you get things in order.
*Don’t forget the windows! When they are clean and bright,
letting in as much light as possible, they give your home an open
airy feel that is inviting to buyers.
Declutter
Think of it as pre-packing. Having
decorative items and mementos safely packed away puts you one step
closer to your new life.
**A buyer can easily be distracted from the home by the
things in the home.
1. WHOLE
HOUSE: Keep decorative objects on the furniture down to 1 or 3
items.
Better nothing at all, than too much. **
2. KITCHEN:
Clear all unnecessary items from the kitchen counters and
refrigerator.
Space is what you’re offering not gadgets and refrigerator
magnets.**
3. BATHROOMS: remove items from the counter top, tub/shower.
Once again, space is what you’re offering not tooth paste, shampoo
and a hairdryer. *
4. BEDROOMS
AND CLOSETS: need to show as much available space as possible.
Pre-pack here as much as you can. Open the blinds and curtains,
too.
* Even though you know the new owner will want to sleep in a dark
room a potential owner wants to see the bedroom in its best
light.
5. ULTIMATE DECLUTTER: How
about a yard sale? Think of the money you could make! It will cut
down on the clutter and give you less pack to move
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Neutralize
While a
home considered extravagant, fancy or unique is fun to visit it is
often considered too much, too select or out dated to the
potential buyer.
***Less is more. The less you have different from
room-to-room the more balanced your home feels.
1. PAINT:
Probably the biggest bang for the buck when it comes to updates
for your home. Pick a color that goes best with your floors if you
aren’t updating them.
Choose a simple plain light neutral color. Potential buyers’
teenage son probably won’t like your little girls’ hot pink room.
***
2. REARRANGE OR REMOVE:
The more space and light you can
show the better. Move furniture away from windows. Remove office
furniture from bed rooms. A home, especially a bedroom, needs to
feel like a retreat from work and stress. In order to be a
positive selling point, a designated home office space has to be
so neat it looks easy to work there.
3. SIMPLIFY:
Pre-pack all the photos and even
religious figurines. Family pictures, to a buyer, are the same as
writing your name across the wall. It says the house is yours and
could never be theirs. Surprisingly, religious statues have a
similar effect. Out of respect, a buyer often does not want to
disturb them by purchasing the home they’re in.
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Tips to get the “Outside of Your
House” set for a buyer |
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| The first and last impression your
home leaves on a buyer is made from outside your home. It doesn’t
have to be a landscaped show piece but having it neat and well
taken care of gives buyers a sense of how well you’ve taken care
of the rest of the home.
1.
Check around the perimeter of the
house. The garbage cans should be moved away from the front of
your home and discarded wood, scraps, dead plants, etc. should be
picked up as well.
2.
Clear patios or decks of clutter as
well.
**A buyer can easily be distracted by garden tools, bikes, etc.
3. Check
paint condition of exterior – especially front door and trim.
4.
Check gutters and roof and make sure
they are swept clean.
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