Ready to Sell?
Preparing your home before coordinating visits from potential buyers can really
maximize and speed up the process of selling your home. A few tweaks can make a
big difference in making a good impression on potential buyers.
First, go through every room in your home as a buyer would and consider what you
could repair, clean, replace, or get rid of. You should focus on:
- Smells. Make sure to get rid of persisting pet and food odors.
- Trash Cans. Empty and wash them with disinfectant, at least once a week.
- Clutter. Get rid of objects that block passages and make your home look
messy, especially on stairs, entrances, and cabinets. The goal is to highlight
the advantages of your property, not to attract attention because it's messy,
dirty and/or abandoned.
- Paint. Neutral colors, like white, are best. This allows potential buyers to
focus on the spaces of your home instead of the colors.
- Personal Belongings. Remove family photos, artwork your children created,
etc. from walls and appliances so that potential buyers can see themselves
living in your home.
- Lighting. Open the curtains and drapes on windows to let in natural light.
Add floor and table lamps, when possible, to soften the areas and make the
house feel wider and more spacious.
- Furniture. Remove bulky furniture. Large pieces make spaces seem smaller.
- Organize. Organizing the closets and investing in organizers will help you make these
spaces appear spacious and comfortable.
- Bathrooms. Pay special attention to the bathrooms and try to create a clean,
pleasant, and relaxing environment. Add scented candles, artificial plants, put
out a set of white towels, bathmats, etc.
- Toilets. Most important! Clean and disinfect the toilet, sink, and shower
space, including the tub, if you have one.