From the Blog
Top 5 Tips for Selling your Home
Thursday, January 5 2012
Staging by Robin Borrelli, Del Mar, CA
Making preparations to sell your home can be challenging. So many things to do before you can even think about moving into a new home. Packing, cleaning, donating and recycling unwanted goods, making repairs, and sprucing up landscaping are important tasks for your to-do list.
So, before you get overwhelmed with all there is to do, here are my top 5 tips for preparing your home for selling success!
- De-clutter! Knick-knacks, family photos, travel souvenirs, and refrigerator magnets may give you joy, but they are not the first things a potential buyer wants to see. Potential buyers want to be able to imagine their mementos in the house, not see yours. The best thing to do is to box these items up and store until you set up in your new home.
- Create a sense of calm with color. Maybe your kids love the lime green walls they painted last year, or that red dining room is your idea of a romantic color to enjoy meals with your significant other, but like personal mementos, color is quite subjective.
Most buyers can envision a space that is painted in neutral tones of creams, tans, off-whites, and other versatile tones. Consider painting over the bright and bold walls, it will pay off in more buyers who show interest in your home!
- Let in fresh air, lots of light! Open those curtains (do they need laundering?) and blinds to let in the light and the windows to let in fresh air. If you have pets or a smoker in the home, this is imperative—and if you have carpets and upholstered furniture, have them professionally cleaned. Good deals can be found, check your local weekly paper for these services. It’s important that your home smell fresh and look light and bright for prospective buyers.
- Clean, clean, and clean again. Check behind and under furniture, grout and tile in bathrooms and kitchens, and baseboards. Ask a trusted friend to walk through your home and see it through their eyes. Often, we are so used to living in our homes, that we are no longer objective about the details. And remove those cobwebs!
- Curb Appeal. This cannot be overstated—the first impression potential buyers have of your home is when they pull up to it. Some potential buyers will drive away if the exterior home looks unkempt. Are yard debris, dead plants, broken pavers, toys, and other clutter keeping your home from enticing people in the front door? If so, clean up, trim, mow, and plant a few inexpensive, but colorful shrubs and flowers. Touch up, or completely repaint the exterior—especially the window trim.
Of course, the trick is to keep your home and yard in tip-top shape as you wait to sell your home—but it’s so much easier to maintain once you complete all five tips above.
I offer complimentary home staging to all my clients and I know several qualified service providers that can help you get your home show ready. Contact me today and let’s get your home sold!
1 Comment »
It’s so easy to get overwhelmed with the home selling process and these are great (and such practical) tips. Thank you!
Comment by sd — January 6, 2012 @ 5:12 pm