Cleanliness and decluttering won’t make a home sell for more than it’s worth, but it can make your home inviting to a larger number of potential buyers.
Want your home to sell faster and for top dollar? Of course!
Two things every homeowner selling a home can do to help their selling agent is to remove clutter throughout the home, garage, and yard plus make sure your home is spotless. A clean and decluttered home will sell faster than one which is tidy and tired-looking. Buyers have a lot on their minds when they are moving into a new home. They do not want to think about having to do a deep-cleaning before they unpack.
One DIY Project You Can’t Ignore
If you only do one project getting your home ready to sell, this is it. Declutter every room, every space, every closet. Take down the family photos and pack up the collections. If you have 12 of something, it might be okay to keep one!
Remember, once you decide to sell your home, you need to look at everything with your “Marketing Hat” on. It’s all about marketing your home to potential buyers and that’s different than living in your home. Anything that gets in the way of that objective makes it more difficult and may cost you.
This is the time to distance yourself from all of the personal touches added over the years. Remove the family photos and replace them with one landscape or floral picture. If you’ve collected spoons or teacups or whatever, go ahead and pack your favorite collections for your upcoming move. Not only will your treasures be protected from breakage but you’re creating a clean palette for the future homeowners to imagine their own collection inside your home. The bonus: you get a headstart on your own packing.
Moving On to Clean
Once you have decluttered, you need to clean every surface, every wall, every shelf in every room. A spotlessly clean home is more important than new appliances. Every morning you need to make sure your home is ready for showings; you never know when your buyer will come. If you truly want to sell your home, you need to be ready at a moment’s notice.
Let’s take a room-by-room tour for some decluttering tips you can do yourself.
Kitchen & Dining Room
- Clean off countertops and tabletops.
- Cabinets will be opened so take a moment to organize the contents. Remove some of the contents so the kitchen drawers and cabinets do not appear stuffed and crowded.
- Clean all light fixtures and ceiling fans.
- Clean any grease marks from the cooktop and appliances.
- Remove countertop small appliances such as the coffee maker, toaster, microwave, mixer, etc. These crowd the view and make a counter area feel small.
- Set the table and any table/bar areas in the home. Buyers can imagine themselves living in this property better when they see the place settings arranged.
- Make sure all kitchen and table seating are in place so a buyer can estimate how many family members and friends can join them around the table during holidays and when entertaining.
- Condense the dining table as small as possible to make the room look larger.
Bathroom
- Clean the mirror, shower tiles, and faucets.
- Add fresh towels before each house showing.
- Clean off the countertop to show how much available space is here.
- For a small investment, go ahead and replace the shower curtain and liner.
- If possible, replace the bulbs for a brighter appearance. This is not the time to use energy-efficient bulbs.
Bedroom
- For a small investment, repaint bold, dark colors to lighter more serene, neutral shades. Ask your REALTOR® about color trends and what buyers are seeking.
- Tidy your closets by removing at least half of its contents. This can equal removing all of the out-of-season clothing.
- Scale back the number of furnishings in each bedroom to the bed, 1-2 nightstands, and a dresser. Remove any extra seating or furnishings. If you need, consider renting a storage locker to promote extra room in the house.
Living Areas
- Arrange furnishings showing good flow around the room.
- Minimize the artwork and wall hangings. Bare walls feel less busy and widen a room.
- Clean all window blinds, shades, and curtains. Check to be sure all are working properly.
Whole House
- Be sure to clean the carpet and flooring throughout.
- Remove any throw rugs. Rugs break up the flooring to make it appear smaller.
- Give the whole house the sniff test. Tackle any odors from cooking, from pets, or odd smells from furnishings or carpets.
- Try to pack up each room by 30%. Fewer things in each room will create a bigger feel to a room.
- Decorate and use accessory accents potential buyers will find appealing. Would your potential buyers like modern touches, kid-friendly, historically accurate architectural elements?
- Pack up family photos and personal items as well as collections of memorabilia. Buyers need to be able to picture themselves in your home and it’s hard to do when they see you and your family throughout.
- Hide the utility items, e.g. keyholders, message boards, coat racks, vacuum, storage bins, etc.
- For a small investment, add fresh flowers. Vases in the bedroom, on the kitchen counter or dining table, in the living room, and bedroom, as well as fresh potted plants on the porch, add a nice touch.
Potential buyers will notice your efforts. We want your home to show well. Let’s schedule an appointment today to discuss your listing and how home staging will work for your home.
The post Clutter-Free & Shiny-Clean Sells Homes appeared first on Active Adults Delaware Blog.