You’ve found your dream home and have made the big decision to put your house on the market, so what comes next? There will be potential buyers visiting your home and you want to make the best impression you can, which means you may need to do a couple things in order to ensure the most positive and welcoming environment for the prospective new owners. Keeping in mind these tips and tricks can make a world of difference.
- De-clutter
This can be a daunting task, but it can also make the biggest difference. It is hard for buyers to focus on the various selling points and features of the house if they are bombarded by your paperwork and personal items.
Take some time to plan and prepare for this just as if you were hosting a big event. Have a date on the calendar and let your family know ahead of time so there are no excuses and everyone can pitch in. Gather the supplies you will need and separate clutter into separate piles: one to donate, one to pack, and one for trash.
If you can pack away things that are out of season to make more space in the house, this can contribute greatly to that feeling that there is enough space for all the buyer’s stuff.
- Depersonalize
When those potential buyers walk into your home, they need to be able to envision themselves living there. Moving can be an extremely sentimental process which can make it difficult to remove personal items, however doing this one simple thing can make a huge impact and create a welcoming space for buyers.
Start by taking down most, or all, of your family photos and personal mementos. Some examples of this might include children’s drawings on the fridge, trophies, sentimental items, broken or damaged furniture, eccentric art pieces or anything else that does not reflect a neutral space. You can set up a place for these things in your new home!
- Deep Clean
As people come and go from the home with each showing, it may be obvious to do a quick clean and tidy up, but what will really make your home stand out is giving it a good scrub from top to bottom so that it really sparkles. It would a be a good idea to do this as soon as you have your home listed, and you may need to do this again a couple times during the selling process.
You could hire a cleaning professional to do a thorough job, or you could tackle it yourself and perhaps enlist the help of your family. This is the time to get all those nooks and crannies that haven’t been touched in years.
For more detailed ideas and tips for deep cleaning your home, check out our other articles on the website.