Originally posted at www.stcloudedina.com/blog on Sept. 23rd, 2007:
I thought that it might be helpful for home sellers to know some basic tips on how or what to do in staging your home for sale. Most of us have seen one of those “Sell My House” type of television shows that take a home and stage it for sale. Listed below are some of the most basic ideas that every seller needs to know when preparing to sell their home.
1) Clean up the exterior. Some of the greatest buys on the market aren’t shown because the yard looks too horrible. If you’ve had some landscaping ideas, or if your lawn needs edging and a trim, do it! Your home’s curb appeal is what invites a buyer inside and sparks their interest in buying.
2) The first 10 seconds mean everything. As you are preparing your home for sale, take the time to walk in the front door (where potential buyers will enter from) and take a hard look around. Take special notes of the smell, color scheme, cleanliness, and overall impression given. You want your entry to be inviting to a potential buyer. The more open and clean the better the impression.
3) Make the kitchen spectacular. The kitchen is arguably the most important room when preparing your home for sale. Besides sleeping, we tend to spend the majority of our time in the kitchen. First rule of thumb - make your kitchen as BIG in appearance as possible. You should only have a maximum of two items on your counter tops (neither should be a microwave or toaster). You must maximize your counter top square footage and also cabinetry if possible. Second - dress up your table. This is especially true if you are using some cheesy little card table to get by. A nice table cloth and some tasteful table settings can make all the difference. Above all your kitchen needs to be spotless from top to bottom. Think of it as a Marine Corps white glove inspection. Clean the inside and out of all appliances, sinks, counter tops, cupboards, and anything contained inside. You might even go so far as to organize all of your groceries inside the fridge and cabinetry.
4) Put those scrubbing bubbles to work in the bathroom. There is nothing worse than touring a house that has a dirty bathroom. Everyone, and I mean everyone, gets a little queezy when the bathroom either stinks, is grimey, or is in need of some repair. Redo the caulk around the shower, tub, and toilet. Clean out the grout if you have tile. Scrub the toilet both inside and out. Also, clean all of any plumbing fixtures that are present. If anything looks subpar, think about replacing it. Faucets are fairly inexpensive in the grand scheme of things.
5) Maximize the spaces. Try to not have over sized furniture in a small room. Some sectional couches are better served in storage while the selling process is taking place. Sure they are cozy, but they do your living room a huge disservice. Also, if you have some tough traffic areas where walking through is kind of tough, try moving around your furniture to maximize the space. Maybe you need to remove a chair, loveseat, or (he’s going to say it) that huge T.V. set up that you have to free up a room’s true potential.
6) Remove the clutter. In selling real estate, I am constantly telling everyone to remove the clutter throughout their home. The best way to look at it is like this - You’re going to move, right? Then start packing now. Get some boxes and go from room to room. If there is something there that isn’t a necessity, pack it up. Go to your bookshelves and remove 1/2 of everything on them. Go through your entire house and you will be suprised how much “stuff” you can pack in advance.
7) De-personalize your home. You have a beautiful family and have created a beautiful home together. Now that you have decided that you are going to sell your home it’s time to start moving out. You don’t want potential buyers envisioning your family in the family room watching T.V.; You want them to envision their family eating popcorn and watching their favorite movie in their new house. I recommend that all pictures of the family be taken down and replaced with something else (or maybe no picture is needed there at all).
8) Clean, Clean, CLEAN. Once again I will use the concept of a Marine Corps white glove inspection. Clean every place in the home like it has never been cleaned before. For some of you that are thinking about selling your homes, this won’t be too much of a problem. For others, well let’s just say you need a little help. Make the beds every morning. You never know when you might get a showing. Do the dishes as needed. I’m not saying to do the dishes when the sink gets full, more like clean them as you use them. Make sure your vents, window sills, walls, artwork… actually how about if we put it this way - make sure everything in your home is simply beyond clean.
9) If it’s broken, FIX IT! If there is anything in the house that is in need of repair, now is the time to put those handyman skills of yours to work. Everything from the loose cabinet handle to the leaky faucet needs to be addressed. I know that you have been putting off these little projects for quite some time and they aren’t a necessity to have finished. Just remember that potential buyers will find these little defects and judge how you maintain a home by them.
10) Paint it and replace it. Some of the greatest fixes that you can do to maximize the amount of money that you receive when your house sells are also the least expensive. A fresh coat of paint can do wonders to the look and feel of a home. Sure it takes a little time and you have to be patient and do your corners correctly, but it give you great benefits. Things to consider when picking out your paint colors: Lighter colors tend to brighten up a room and give it a larger feel. Bold colors can be very pleasing to your eye, but will they please the potential buyer? If your color palet is challenged (and you know who you are), seek help from a professional. As for the replace it part of this paragraph, your house will shine with new carpets. If your carpets aren’t that old and are in decent shape you can just have them shampooed. If they are torn or tattered, get them replaced. You will recoup the cost of flooring in your main living spaces 99% of the time.
Do you have some questions, comments, or concerns about what I have proposed to you here? Post them here for answers and review. Selling real estate can be a much less stressful proposition if you have taken the time to make sure that your home is ready to be sold. If you would like some recommendations of local professionals in the St Cloud area that can stage your home, feel free to post here.
Jason Tangen
www.stcloudedina.com
www.stcloudedina.com/blog - REAL ANSWERS for REAL ESTATE in St. Cloud, MN
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