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SHOWCASING YOUR HOME TO SELL
Selling a
house is a lot like romance. It really pays to set the
mood. Real estate pros call it staging – showcasing the
best features of the home to create interest and help you
get top dollar.
Here are 12 tricks to selling your home:
1. Make Room. Clear out as much furniture as you can. Put
it in storage, donate it to a charity or have a garage
sale. You want to open the house up so that it looks
spacious and others can picture their things in the space.
Hallways and doorways, in particular, need to be clear and
open.
2. Arrange the furniture. Well-placed furnishings can also
open up a room. Avoid lining furniture along all four
walls. Try placing a piece or two at an angle. If a room
has a focal point, such as a fireplace or bay window,
arrange the furnishings to enhance this feature.
3. Eliminate Clutter. Pack up or toss knick-knacks, books,
and old magazines and newspapers. Clear off kitchen and
bathroom countertops. Small appliances, bottle and tubes
should not be left on display. Buyers should be looking at
the house, not your belongings.
4. Follow your nose. A home should smell good. That means
no noticeable odor – no pet scent, no stale cooking smells
and no cigarette smoke. Often people become accustomed to
the smell of their own home. Have a friend whose judgment
- and nose - you trust, give your home the real sniff
test. Don’t try to cover up odors. Instead, get rid of
scent problems at their source: scrub the house, have air
vents cleaned, replace old carpeting and smoke outside.
Open windows before a showing when weather permits to
allow the fresh air in.
5. Let there be light. Make sure windows and screens are
clean and open the curtains and blinds to let the natural
light in. Turn on all the lights even during daytime
showings. Add lights in rooms that are dark.
6. Inspect material things. Replace stained, dingy towels
with fresh, new ones. Make sure throw rugs are in good
condition. In areas where they aren’t completely
necessary, remove them all together. Tattered and worn
bedding should be replaced as well.
7. Learn to love neutral colors. Paint is a relatively
inexpensive way to make a house look fresh and clean. If
you are going to repaint prior to selling, stick to light
colored neutrals. They reflect light the best and make
rooms look their largest. This is also the time to replace
deteriorating wallpaper. If wallpaper is peeling,
especially in bathrooms, remove it and consider replacing
it with a coat of paint.
8. Take a close look at the carpet. Get the carpet
professionally shampooed to remove any stains or odors. If
that doesn’t work, replace it. Consider wood or laminates
as an alternative. It will make the house look larger and
be easier to clean.
9. Clean your closets. Closets need to be emptied of half
of the things that are in them. Partially empty closets
look roomy and space sells. Do the same thing with kitchen
cabinets. Donate extra clothes and surplus food to a
shelter or food bank so that you don’t have to worry about
moving it to your next home.
10. Use flower power. In spring and summer, outdoor
planters are appealing and can add impact to the first
impression. A simple bouquet of wild flowers can brighten
up any room in the home and has a charming appeal.
11. Keep it clean. There is nothing more attractive than a
clean home. Pay particular attention to the kitchen,
bathrooms and your homes entrance, both interior and
exterior. Make sure your house is “company-ready” every
day. Beds must be made, dishes done and toys picked up.
12. The next buyer is as lazy as you are. If the property
needs work – dated wallpaper or ratty carpeting – have it
replaced now so that all buyers have to picture is moving
day. The more changes buyers calculate they’ll have to
make in a home, the more likely they are to pass the house
up.
To schedule a Real Estate Consultation,
contact Mindy at Simply Interiors LLC today!
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