Home Staging & Preparing Your Home for Sale
In this real estate market it pays to make your home stand out from the rest. First impressions mean everything when selling your home. Home buyers usually decide in the first ten seconds if they want to buy your home. Arranging, minimizing the contents of your home and having good lighting makes your home stand out from the rest.
Preparing To Sell Your Home
When preparing your home or condo for sale, follow these steps:
Curb Appeal & Entry: It’s crucial to create an inviting atmosphere from the moment the buyer’s arrive. If you have a single-family home, make sure the lawn is cut and all gardens are manicured and nicely landscaped. Any outside repairs should be made to cracks in a driveway, exterior painting, and lighting fixture repair or replacement. Any personalized nameplates should be removed from the entryway. Front door should be freshly painted with working fixtures.
Appliance & Fixture Repairs: Make sure all appliances are fully functional, that all electrical outlets and switches are in operating order and comply with building codes, and repair any plumbing leaks. It’s very important that any roof issues be addressed before listing your home. The A/C and heating should be serviced and repaired if necessary. All doors and windows should be free of obstructions and move freely in their frames.
Clean and Neat Interior: Remove all clutter in all the rooms. Kitchens should not have dirty dishes in the sink or dishwasher. The countertops should be clean and all small appliances stored away. If you have tile and the grout is dirty, have the grout cleaned and sealed. Carpets should be professionally steam cleaned. Bedrooms should look like a freshly cleaned hotel room, with all clothes in drawers and closets. Bathrooms should have all toiletries stored and clean towels hanging. Remove large pieces of furniture that overwhelm any space. Finally, a fresh coat of paint on the walls is a good final touch. The goal is to create a “showroom effect”, with plenty of walking space and an appealing living space.
Outdoor Spaces: Pools should be clean and any outdoor furniture should be cleaned and arranged in groupings to create different outdoor living spaces. All outdoor lighting should be checked and serviced, replacing any burnt light bulbs, faulty wiring, or motion-alert devices. Underground watering systems should be inspected and repaired, and very important, turned off during daylight hours so potential buyers are safe from timed sprinklers.
Garage and Storage Areas: These areas over the years tend to be piles of our personal belongings. Now’s the time to go through the garage and storage closets, either donating items to charity or throwing unwanted items away. What remains should be organized and stored in boxes, containers, or shelving. Garage floors and walls that are very dirty from auto repair work or any other staining compound should be treated and painted to present a fresh, clean area.
Staging Your Home for Sale
Whether you are putting your home on the market while living there, or have already moved out and the home is empty, Home Staging gives you an extra edge. An empty house looks much smaller than rooms that have furniture in them. With home staging, a designer can completely stage your home for sale, or give you an option of an Assessment Report for those people that can do the work themselves, but just need guidance.
Home staging can use your furniture or if need be leased furniture if your home is vacant. It is important to not take anything personal when you decide to Stage your home, how we live in our home is completely different than how it is Staged for sale.