Prepping Your Home for the Market
I know Prepping Your Home for the Market is one of the most dreadful parts of selling your home in today’s market but it is crucial. Listing without any advanced preparation is not a good look anymore especially when minor touch ups go a long way when making your home look more favorable. I’m going to give you a list of 10 things you MUST do when listing your home for sale.
#1: Clean absolutely everything.
Make sure you are dusting fans and all other surfaces, wiping
down dirty counter tops, cleaning windows, vacuuming up those dust bunnies.
Anything you might consider dirty, CLEAN IT UP!
#2: Clear absolutely everything.
No clutter. You want buyers to focus on the space of the
home not how messy it is. Get rid of that pile of shoes by the entrance, stack of
mail in the kitchen, dirty dishes in the sink, take out that garbage, put the
kids toys away and maybe fluff up those pillows a bit while you’re at it.
#3: Get rid of smells.
Anything from fresh cooked bacon (yum) or your husband’s
sweaty shoes, you need to get rid of any strong odors. Go with soft scents like
fresh linen, clean citrus, warm cinnamon, anything that will make the aroma of
a room pleasant. Oil diffusers are my favorite because they kill any smell and
look nice, candles, wall plugs or just air fresheners will do the job.
#4: No taste specific décor.
Keep it simple. Everyone has different styles and tastes so
make sure your home is as neutral and simple as you can make it. This will
attract more buyers since it will be easier for them to envision themselves living
there.
#5: Get rid of personal items.
You want your buyers to be able to envision themselves
living there now, so it is important to remove anything overly personal such as
family pictures, kid’s artwork etc.
#6: Repaint walls neutral
This is an easy option if you really want to help your house
be able to speak for itself. You want the focus to be on the space itself rather
than the harsh color on the walls. Below are some of the most popular neutral
colors I like to recommend.
#7: Faux renovation DIY
Doing a faux renovation can help make your home look a lot
more updated. Little tweaks help the overall look of your house and it can be
things as easy as replacing old light switches, door knobs, handles, faucets
and more. If you have a beaten up couch or chair put a slipcover and new
pillows over it. Got some beat up furniture, paint or stain it a different
color.
#8: Improve your curb appeal.
We all know how important first impressions are. It is
crucial you take the time to do a little TLC outside your home like trimming
shrubs and bushes, removing weeds, mowing your lawn, adding some potted
flowers, fixing peeling paint, and lastly, keeping walkways clear.
#9: Bring in light.
Open up those curtains, windows and doors. Bringing in
natural light into a room automatically makes it look bigger and more inviting
#10: Tackle those fixer uppers.
Take a weekend to tackle that pesky little to do list and tighten
up loose doorknobs, fix leaky faucets, paint over scuffs and everything else
needing fixing. It is important you take the time to fix all those little
things because that is something buyers will notice and it will detract from
the value of your home.
At the end, you want to do anything you can to make your
house feel like a home. Make it look like it has been taken care of and loved. If
you are on a tight budget, get creative and do what you can with what you got,
this is not to break the bank. If you have to choose always to spruce up the
front entrance since that is the first thing buyers will see
