Nationwide, the ideal time to sell your home is generally considered to be late Spring. Believe it or not, that’s right around the corner! Whether you have been preparing to sell your home for quite some time or have made a very recent decision based on market trends, staging your home is an important step to tackle before you list your home and open it up to potential buyers. Minor touch-ups, cleaning, and mindful organization can guarantee your home stands out against the rest.
Meadows Realty Group offers home staging tips as part of our services, and below we’ve compiled some important items to consider so you can feel prepared and confident when listing your home.
Think Spring…Cleaning
When preparing your home for selling, you’ll want to think about all the things you do during the normal course of a deep spring clean. Going room to room to create a checklist of all the items that need to be accomplished can make this task feel less overwhelming. As a start, some of the most universal tasks are:
- In your kitchen, scrub down the countertops, sink, stove, and the inside and outside of all cabinets.
- If you have ceiling fans, make sure to dust and clean the blades. This goes for light fixtures as well. In fact, dust everything!
- Mop all floors, clean your baseboards, and wipe down your walls.
- Keep your furniture clean and your home consistently vacuumed. This is especially important if you have pets.
- Wash your bedding often and make the bed(s) every morning. You never know when a potential buyer may schedule a viewing – completing those small tasks will go a long way.
- Bathrooms have the potential to really wow a potential buyer. Deep cleaning your bathroom and tile just prior to listing and then keeping it maintained is important.
- Clean your windows, window screens, and ensure curtains and window treatments are clean and dust-free.
- Clean out and sweep your garage, basement, and any other “bonus” spaces that can enhance your listing.
- The first thing a buyer will see when they pull up is your home’s exterior. Power washing the roof and siding can remove unseemly spiderwebs, mold, and dirt. Hiring a professional roofer to clean the roof can also add extra curb appeal.
Photo Credit: The Container Store
Declutter and Organize
It’s no secret – potential buyers will want to see every inch of your home to make sure it’s the best fit for them. That means no drawer, no closet, and no space is off limits. Decluttering your house isn’t easy work, but it is worth the time and investment.
To ensure that your entire home is appealing to buyers, you’ll want to declutter and depersonalize your space. Think Marie Kondo! Some quick tips on how to do this are:
- Remove excess clothing and accessories from your closets and drawers. You’ll want to make sure what’s left is folded and hung neatly. More space can make your closets feel bigger.
- If you have medications or other private belongings you must keep in the home, place them in locked boxes or a safe.
- Clear out unnecessary kitchen accessories and tools. Like closet space, this will make your kitchen storage areas look roomier. If you are still living in the space, invest in storage solutions that will help the cabinets and your pantry look clean and organized. Stores like The Container Store have some great ideas and options for this.
- Tidy up the Garage! Organizing your garage or shed will also impress buyers, whether they are looking to turn it into a workshop or just want a clean and clear space to keep their vehicles.
- Scale down the décor. Staging your home is important. While you want your home to look inviting, making conscious decisions to remove personalized items and leave out what best accentuates your space is key.
If you can, hiring a local Professional Organizer – like A Meaningful Space in Shelby Township – can help take some of this responsibility off your shoulders.
Paint!
A fresh coat or two of paint can go a long way. Not only does it make your home feel clean and fresh, it can also allow potential buyers to envision your house as their home as well as a a blank canvas they can make their own.
For some great advice on what colors are best when selling by room, HGTV offers some tips here.
Tackle Those Repairs
Walking through your space as if you’re a home buyer will help you identify any noticeable small repairs that need to be made. Items such as leaky faucets and loose doorknobs can be easy, and important, fixes.
However, it is important to consider several factors when determining what more costly repairs will mean in terms of return on investment. Your real estate agent is a great place to look for advice when determining what should be addressed before you list, and we would be happy to help!
Thinking About Selling?
The market is at an ALL TIME HIGH and homes are selling within days and well above asking. If ever there was a time to sell, it’s now! If you’ve been thinking about selling or know someone who is, we hope you’ll keep us in mind. Ready to go? Reach us here and let’s chat!