We would like to share with you tips on how you can get your home ready to sell for top dollar, with very little out of pocket. These are tips for any market. Even if your home is expected to sell fast, missing these steps could cost you thousands in profit. Investing your time, energy, and resources into the suggestions from this video will help your home sell faster, with better terms for you.
Did you know that the average home showing is only 15 minutes long? It’s not uncommon for buyers to already know if they want to write an offer on your home before they ever step foot inside because they’ve studied the photos in the video before they ever set up their showing. So if your home doesn’t show great in photos or they are poor quality, you could be missing out on many potential buyers. These tips will help prepare your home to sell once you list your home. Think of it as an investment you’re trying to get top dollar for. You’ll want your home to appeal to as many buyers as possible. That will only happen if they can picture their belongings in your house. You’ll want your home to be fresh, light, bright, smelling good, and clean. It may be worth the investment of having professional cleaners to come through the home to get your home show ready.
Boxes. A big part of the adventure you’re about to embark on involves reducing clutter, so grab some free boxes on Facebook Marketplace or pick up some boxes from the store. Think of it as getting a head start on moving. You’ll want your home clutter free so the new owner can picture themselves living there. So box up anything you’re not using, organize closets, and pantries. Think of your last visit to a model home. Less is more. Consider storing any boxes, clutter, bulky furniture pieces and toys in a storage unit or neatly in your garage. If your furniture is old, damaged, and worn it may be best to show that room empty. We will help you put together a plan for any furniture that may need to be removed or relocated.
Entrance to the home. Make sure your entrance and front yard are clean, decluttered, and inviting. Paint your front door, if needed. Invest in fresh throw pillows, or cushions on your patio furniture, add fresh flowers to a pot, and pull weeds. You want to put away your hose, your trash cans, check out Target for fresh new affordable welcome mats or a simple wreath for your front door. You can also power wash the exterior and driveway if needed, and keep the front porch swept before showings. This will make a huge difference. Ensure your yard is free of weeds and clean and inviting.
Kitchen. The kitchen is one of the rooms that buyers are most attracted to. You will want the counters to be as clear as possible. Clean inside the oven, the microwave, the fridge, and remove all of the magnets and photos from the refrigerator. You may also want to clear the decor on top of the cabinets which can be distracting and collect dust. Consider investing in some fresh flowers and maybe a white or clear bowl of some fresh fruit on the counter. Less is more.
Living Room. Clean the sofa and the chairs. You may want to even invest in some new light colored throw pillows. Hide the magazine rack and all of the clutter that you may have in your living room. And now look at your TV. Can you see those wires hanging down from your TV? If you can, please hide them for your photo shoot. That includes any speaker wires. And we actually like family photos. We feel like it can make your home feel more welcoming but you don’t want too many photos. For example, if you have 50 photos on one dresser, maybe pack up 49 of them and just save one picture. You’ll want to remove the kids’ homework and the piles of stuff that are on the dining room table. And make a plan for the kids’ stuff. I love kids. I have kids myself, but most buyers don’t want to look at a ton of kid’s toys or paintings up on the wall, so it may help to store those extra items in the closet or garage. The theme here is just taking out that clutter.
Donate vs. Throw Away. It’s a pain and expensive to store all of the stuff you don’t need, so when you’re preparing your home for sale, don’t pack anything that you don’t plan to bring to the next house. Consider donating anything you do not want or things you haven’t used in over a year including clothing. Have a garage sale or post items for sale or free on local Facebook pages. Goodwill is a great option for donations.
Bedrooms. These should be inviting. That means cleaning and decluttering. Invest in a few props if needed. If you don’t already have one, invest in a neutral colored duvet cover or a fluffy white down comforter. Amazon is a great resource for that. Think of your last visit to a luxury hotel and ensure all of the beds have a minimum of four pillows with crisp white sheets. Remove any bulky furniture that may make your room look smaller.
Master Closet. While we don’t typically take photos of the master closet, it is still important to spend some time in this area before showings. Take a close look at what you have not worn in over a year including shoes and it may be a good idea to pack up those items or donate them. Less clothing hanging and folded on the shelves will help your closet appear larger.
Bathrooms. Remove all toiletries you have on display. Make sure your counters are clear- think white and bright. Invest in some new white towels for the towel racks and all of the bathrooms and your shower curtain should be light and neutral.
Laundry Room. This should be cleaned and organized. Think of that shelf above your washer and dryer. If you’ve got a bunch of random stuff on that, consider getting three matching bins and hide those items in there. Check out Pinterest for laundry room inspiration.
Plumbing. Take care of any known faucet leaks or plumbing issues. Update your dated faucets if you want to and switching out the kitchen faucet can be a low price option to freshen up your kitchen.
Windows. Investing in professional window cleaning before your photo and video day is well worth it. Did you know that over time your windows build up a layer of dirt, water deposit, and streaks and smudges and fingerprints? This grime can really affect the incoming light coming in through your windows, so having a professional window cleaner out makes a difference.
Lighting. It’s easy to forget about the bulbs that have burnt out over the years, but you’ll want your home to be as bright as possible and lighting makes an incredible difference. Please ensure every bulb is working including lamps, your pool light, landscaping lights, and the lights over your oven. You’ll also want to ensure all of your bulbs match. This is an easy change that makes a big difference.
Flooring. You may need to get your carpets professionally cleaned unless they’re brand new. You want to have them steam cleaned and you will be amazed at what a difference this makes. If your tile grout is discolored, you may want to consider having that professionally cleaned as well. The final clean is important. Once you’re done with all of this, the next final step is bringing in professional cleaners who will make sure to clean all of the spots that you don’t. It may also be wise to keep a cleaning service going while your home is on the market to keep it as fresh as possible for showings. You will also want to make plans for your pets. Prospective buyers may not love your pets as much as you do so make a plan to have your pets out of the house for showings if possible. And before that photo shoot you’ll want to remove all signs of pets like the bowls, litter boxes, and crates. Hide those in the garage so they are not showing in those photos.
Paint. Paint touch ups and repainting is important. A fresh coat of paint is one of the cheapest ways to freshen up your home. Bold colors are bound to be a turn off to some buyers, so to appeal to the most people possible, take time to repaint if needed. Especially in the kitchen and main living areas. They should have neutral colors. Light colors will help small rooms look bigger. Bedrooms can always kind of get away with a bolder color, but our team will help walk you through that and give suggestions if things need to be repainted. Don’t forget about the baseboards and the ceilings. If those need fresh white paint, it may be worth the investment. Make a list of all the little stuff you’ve been avoiding repairing including the leaky faucet, the picture holes in the wall, and complete that before listing. If you aren’t handy yourself, bring in a handyman to help you take care of it and also don’t forget to replace the air filters.
Staging There are certain situations where some light or full staging may be recommended. I will discuss this option with you in more detail during the walkthrough. If you’re listing with our team, we invest a lot of time into the photos and videos and marketing because our listings are seen by thousands of people. When your home is ready, it’s time for the big photo and video day. This is when our photographer will work their magic to make your home look amazing. This will happen a few days before you list your home for sale. Natural light is very important so plan to have all of the lights on and all the blinds up for this day. We like to shoot in the best lighting possible. If there’s rain or severe clouds we may need to reschedule the shoot. We can typically have your home’s website live and listed within 48 hours after we shoot your photos and video. We promise that all of your hard work will be worth it. The final once over is really important too so before your photo and video shoot go through each room. Do you see anything that might distract or turn off a buyer? And when it’s time for showings you’ll want to consider leaving some bottled water and snacks out for the potential buyers. Some people have even left a note neatly on the kitchen counter. Buyers love this. So open the blinds, let the natural light in, turn on some light music, and all the lights if possible. It really makes the difference for those showings. You’ll also want to secure valuable items including medication, cash, and jewelry.
Smell Good. It’s important for home sellers to be honest with themselves about the smells in their homes and take care of the root cause of the smell rather than simply masking the smell. A clean smell and deodorized smell are two different things. A strong scent can distract the buyer’s ability to make a decision. You may want to also limit cooking certain things that leave a strong odor before showings. Vanilla and citrus are some of the best scents. Essential oils are a great option too, but smell is really really important.
Conclusion. I know this can all seem overwhelming and you may question if all of this is worth it in this current real estate market, but trust us you will see a return on your efforts. We’ve helped clients accomplish everything from this video in as little as four days. We’re here to help with every step of the way. We are a team and if you need any help or have questions or need additional referrals, we have you covered. You can learn more about us at pilcherrealestate.com and don’t forget to follow me on Instagram @heatherpilcher1.