Getting Your Home Ready to Show

To get top dollar and sell quickly, you must prepare your home and property so that it’s in top-notch, move-in condition. Take a look at your house as if you were seeing it for the first time. You may not notice crowded closets and untidy flower beds, but potential buyers will.

Curb Appeal

First impressions are hard to break, and the way your home looks from the street (“curb appeal”) can make or break the sale. Does it look a little dingy or dull? Give it a face-lift with a good old-fashioned paint job or power wash. Keep the grass mowed and the weeds pulled. Trim trees and bushes. Plant flowers to add a touch of color. Replace a weather-beaten mailbox, and add visual interest by positioning rocks and potted plants around it.

Remove grease or oil spots in your driveway. Make sure your doorbell works. Repair torn screens. Clean outdoor light fixtures. Repair loose roof shingles and fill cracks in the walk and drive way. Obvious visible defects and neglect in maintenance will make the buyer suspicious as to the true maintenance and condition of unseen, hidden aspects of the home. And once the potential buyer is out of the car, continue the allure with a friendly front door. Restore its luster with a few coats of varnish or spiff it up with a rich, new accent color. In other words, make your entire property a showpiece.

Home Staging For Success

The way you live in your home and the way it is staged to sell, are two different things for most of us!

They’re ready to open the door. Is your home in order? Start by getting rid of the clutter (don’t forget the garage), leaving a blank canvas for buyers to fill in with their own ideas.

Clear out closets and cupboards. Declutter. Remove knickknacks from tables, countertops and bookshelves. Remove all unnecessary furniture to make your rooms seem more spacious. Brighten rooms with a fresh coat of paint. Choose neutral shades of white, off-white, beige or light pastels that will coordinate with most decors. We have the StagedHomes.com official suggested color palette of Sherwin Williams paint colors for you upon request. Give your home an open, airy feel by opening the curtains and pulling up the blinds. Turn on as many lights as possible.

Kitchens should be absolutely spotless. Pack up all excess kitchen appliances. Clean the oven inside and out. Run a lemon though the garbage disposal for a fresh smell. Make sure all appliances are working. Remove magnets and pictures from the refrigerator door.

Bathrooms are just as important. Remove stains from bathroom fixtures, repair dripping faucets and polish mirrors. Add sanitizers to toilet bowls and keep lids down. Wash and fluff bathroom rugs, hang colorful fresh towels. Potpourri and scented soaps add a nice fragrance to the air. But, Please do not ‘over-candle or wall plug-in’ your home for showings. Chances are very good that the prospective buyer may have respiratory issues, or allergies, and very sensitive to intense smells. Pet odors MUST be eradicated, attempting to cover up those odors does not work. There should be no pet bowls, litter boxes, cages, etc visible for any showings.

And as a final touch, appeal to the home buyer’s senses by playing soft background music while people tour your home, and baking cookie or bread just before they arrive. This is much better than ‘over-candling’ a home for showings.

Ask your Integrity Real Estate agent for additional tips on getting you home ready to sell. Also, let your Integrity Real Estate agent show the house. He or she knows the business and will present your property to its best advantage. Plus, potential buyers usually feel more comfortable when the owners are not present.