Candles. A pot of simmering cinnamon sticks. A pie ready to come out of the oven. Fresh flowers on the table, or fresh fruit. A baby crib with a picture of a baby in a bedroom of a house owned by people with no children.
All of these are ideas I have seen people use to show that their home is ready for sale. They want to suggest that home is comfortable, inviting, a great place for a family.
These ideas are great, but they are getting a little common. In getting your home ready for sale, don’t forget to attend to the basics while stirring those cinnamon sticks.
You want to communicate to the buyer that the house has been well maintained, and that life in this house is good. You also want to show that the house has been “lived in” – but nicely.
Let’s start with the yard. Is the lawn mowed? Hedges clipped? Sidewalks in good repair? What about that tree root that everyone trips over? You want the buyer to see a well maintained house on the first impression that is created before they even open the door. Make sure at bare minimum that the lawn is mowed and all bushes are trimmed. Unless you are in an area where wilderness is valued, overgrowth indicates neglect and future problems. Plantings that have been done for privacy should be trimmed and maintained neatly.
What does the buyer see when they first walk up to your house? Do you need a new coat of paint, or are the shutters crooked? Do you need a new front or back door? Make sure that screen doors work properly and that screens are in place. If the driveway or masonry need repair, now is the time to do it. Your home will sell more quickly, and the buyer will not be looking for what else is wrong.
Inside the house, make sure that the dishes are washed and out of the sink, laundry is in the hamper and not on the floor, and beds are made. The house is lived in, not flopped in. A fresh coat of paint in a neutral color does wonders for showing a buyer that this house is bright, beautiful, clean, and ready for them.
Get rid of what you do not need, or pack it up. You want the house to be as clear as possible for the buyer to see themselves in it. Your realtor might suggest rearranging the furniture to show off an architectural detail, or putting some items in storage. Remember that you are showing and selling a home, not your special collection or artwork. Sometimes removing the posts from a 4 poster bed will make a small bedroom seem larger, or getting rid of the matching loveseat will help people to notice the beautifully unique craftsman era built in cabinets.
The three Rs of preparing a home for sale are:
Keep the home in good REPAIR
REDUCE clutter and junk
RENEW the beauty of your home with fresh paint, clean rooms, polished floors, or whatever it takes to make the place appealing.