Homes are important to us all. They are the basis of our shelter, family, and comfort. Keeping our homes in good order has a positive impact on our lives. Sometimes it becomes necessary to expand that space to accommodate ever-changing needs: whether it is to give us more room as our families grow or as we desire to update and modernize our existing structures or perhaps even downsize that space.

Preparing Your Home For Sale

When you are ready to sell your home, you want to attract as many potential buyers as possible, and you will want to do this in the shortest amount of time. First impressions count. You probably only have a minute to speak to that buyer’s interest. If they leave your home unimpressed, they probably won’t be back. Make your home as visually attractive as possible, inside and out. A potential buyer will already be making a judgment when driving up to your home and approaching the front door.

But don't panic. Usually you will just need to take a few easy, inexpensive steps to prepare your home for showing. Of course, don’t overlook any obvious signs of neglect that will need attention, such as broken windows, doors, cabinets, tiles, etc., or basically any product or system that is inoperable.

When planning on selling your home, there are a few things you can do to help leave a good impression.

Clean: Scrub and scour every nook and cranny of your home, especially the kitchen and bathrooms.

De-clutter: Too much clutter makes the house look smaller and disorganized. Pack away unnecessary items and try to keep countertops and vanities clutter-free. Store necessary items in baskets that can be easily hidden in a cabinet when showing the home.

Deodorize: Cooking smells and pet odors can become so commonplace that the homeowner may not even be aware of them. But a potential buyer will certainly notice. Have carpets and drapery cleaned, wash down walls with a bleach/water solution, or better yet, repaint and open windows whenever possible for fresh air. Try to avoid heavily scented sprays, candles, and potpourri. A fresh coat of a neutral color paint will certainly freshen and brighten up your home.

In addition to cleaning your home, you should consider hiring the services of a professional home stager. Home staging is the art of preparing a home for sale, inside and out, by focusing on improving a property to make it appeal to the largest number of buyers and transforming the home into a welcoming, appealing, and attractive product for sale. Staging works with curb appeal, the flow of a home, eliminating clutter, emphasizing cleanliness, editing and arranging furniture, and basically de-personalizing a home to market it as a product. A potential homebuyer wants to visualize how they might fit into the home. Oftentimes they cannot look beyond the homeowner’s “stuff” to see how the home might suit them. These simple, relatively inexpensive steps can help maximize your home’s appeal and ability to sell in a timely manner and for the most profit.

If you have any questions or needs regarding real estate or home staging, please feel free to contact:

- Lucy Paul, Broker/Home Staging Consultant

Charles Rutenberg Realty

E-mail: lpaul1234@comcast.net

Phone: (630) 531-1268