#1: PURGE AND DE-CLUTTER
It’s natural to accumulate a lot of stuff after living in your home for some time. But jam-packed closets and over-stuffed drawers don’t show well. The same goes for garages that are so full of boxes and equipment that you can’t even park in them. Plan ahead and slowly go through your belongings one area or room at a time. Seasonal items that you won’t use between now and the time you sell your home can be boxed and stored off-site.
Think of it as pre-packing for your upcoming move after the successful sale of your home. Get rid of any piles of books, mail, and magazines. Try to purge or donate what you can with the goal of having near empty shelves and racks so that buyers can see the available storage space.
We offer a complimentary professional staging consultation to help you get the home in "market ready" condition.
#2: NEUTRALIZE YOUR SPACE
Buyers want to be able to visualize themselves living in your home, so it is important to neutralize your space as much as possible. To that end, reduce the amount of personal photos, mementos, and collections you have on display. Doing so allows buyers to imagine their own things in your home instead of getting distracted by your cool collection of cat figurines. Paint the red room or the blue room - warm neutral colors appeal to the most buyers.
#3: SHOW OFF YOUR HARDWOOD FLOORS
If you have high quality hardwood floors, roll up your area rugs and let those gorgeous hardwood floors shine. If the floors need a little TLC, consider spending some money to have them polished or refinished.
#4: DEEP CLEAN
Very few of us live in pristine conditions, and it’s easy to overlook the mess that you live with every day. Even so, buyers will expect your home to be as clean and spotless as a model home. Clean homes sell quicker than cluttered/dusty homes do.
Before your home goes on the market, focus on cleaning the spaces that don’t get regular attention. This is the time to wash the baseboards, remove the cobwebs from the ceiling fans, clean the inside of your refrigerator, deep clean the oven, get the dust bunnies out of the crevices in your closet, empty the bugs from the light fixtures, replace burnt out bulbs, dust under your belongings, and have the carpets professionally cleaned. Professional house cleaners can be a life saver in this regard.
#5: CONSULT WITH A PROFESSIONAL STAGER
Staging your home to sell is more than decorating. A professional stager can help you figure out how to optimize the use, look and feel of every room in your home so that it is the most appealing to potential buyers. For example, stagers can help you determine if any furniture should be stored or re-arranged to showcase your home at its best. Because it is invaluable to have someone with “fresh eyes” offer advice on how to make you home more attractive to buyers, we offer our clients a free two-hour consultation with a professional stager.
#6: MAKE MINOR REPAIRS
We all tend to procrastinate fixing the little stuff –the leaky faucet, the wobbly toilet, the peeling wallpaper, the smudge on the wall. Of course, maintenance takes time, and you don’t want to spend time during the peak of the market getting repairs done. Bring in a handyman to complete all those little fixes now so that you are prepared when the market heats up. We can recommend a handyman for any repairs needed.
#7: LET'S TALK ABOUT PETS
Everybody loves their fur babies! They are like children to us BUT many buyers are not pet friendly and the smell or evidence of pets can ruin a showing quicker than anything I have ever seen. Remove any rugs or blankets that smell like a pet. Put away any pet beds, bowls or toys. Remove pets or contain them if possible for all showings.
#8: MAKE CURB APPEAL AWESOME
Most buyers make a decision if they like a home or not when they drive by. Make sure your lawn is mowed and edged. Put fresh flowers in beds and pots and trim landscaping. Paint or stain the front door and shutters if needed for a clean, crisp first impression!
#9: CALL TAMMI!
In the end if this seems like a bit much just call me. We have all the professionals lined up ready to work for you. We will aggressively market your home and we have the experience and expertise to get you moving!
If your thinking of selling your home anywhere in Northwest Louisiana we would be happy to visit with you about maximizing your return. We offer FREE, no obligation market analysis and listing consultation.
It is possible to love your agent! Try us you will love us:)
