Get ready for the Buyers! All factors being equal, the home that makes the best visual impression often sells the quickest. Use your commons sense as to what a buyer would most like to see. Start outside the home. Trim your lawn and shrubs. Clean up the yard, including tools and toys and look for signs that the house might not be well-maintained—things like loose shingles, sagging gutters, cracking caulk on windows and doors, and even peeling paint. If you can afford to dress the home with new door hardware or seasonal decorations, that helps too. Inside the first impression will be of the entryway. Make sure it’s well-lit and welcoming, especially at night. Give visitors a pleasant aroma, a sense of clean carpet and walls and an attractive, neutral color scheme. A coat of paint is the often the best investment to make in a house you’re selling. In living areas, shoot for a clean lived-in, cozy atmosphere. Get rid of worn furniture and add lamps if rooms are too dark. Set out fresh flowers or arrange furniture in the most welcoming manner. A critical area for homebuyers is the kitchen. Don’t show your house before the stove and refrigerator are spotless, especially if they will be conveyed to the buyer. Clean eating areas and make sure that all the appliances work and are squeaky clean. If you wouldn’t be comfortable eating off a counter or table, chances are a buyer won’t be able to imagine it either. Likewise, make sure your bathrooms are spotless. As well as cleaning counters and surfaces, check for rust or lime deposits, which not only look bad but indicate problem plumbing. Don’t forget to clean toilets and close the lid before showings. Bedrooms are personal areas, and you want to make especially sure they are clean and inviting. Show the true size of closets by removing unnecessary items, and make sure the furniture gives the impression of space and comfort. Open the window to the let fresh air in. Keep stairway and entryways free of clutter Is you home in the price range of an FHA loan? - Get through the process faster, by making sure you have handrails on all staircases, all electrical outlets near a water source are GFI protected, scrape prime and paint any evident peeling paint. A few more suggestions Wash all windows inside and out If it has been more than a year since the carpets have been cleaned, now is the time to have that done. Bare floors should also be waxed and polished. Put bright lights in every socket. Buyers like bright cheery rooms. DECLUTTER—clean out closets, cabinets and drawers. Closets should look like they have additional room to hold more. Get everything off the floor and don’t have shelves piled full to the ceiling. Make sure rooms are not overcrowded with furniture. Select pieces that look the best and store the rest. Keep the kitchen sparkling clean. Make sure that all appliances are clean at all times. Straighten cupboards that appear cluttered and keep floors gleaming. If you have limited counter space in the kitchen, keep unnecessary items put away. Keep children’s toys out of the front yard, off sidewalks, and away from the front porch. Clean ashes out of the fireplace. Do you smell the fireplace? If so, you have a creosote build up and need to call a chimney sweep. If you have a pool, it needs to be sparkling and free of leaves.
For Those Willing to Go the Extra Mile If your house is the least bit dated, change out the wallpaper in the entry, kitchen or bathrooms and replace outdated light fixtures. These things will greatly add to your home’s desirability. Put a fresh coat of paint on the interior and or exterior walls where needed.
Staging Partners Lan Hamilton - Harmonious Homes 616-897-8861
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