Jumpstart the Sale of Your Home
When you get ready to put your house on the market, the “to do” list can seem daunting. So many things need to be addressed, improved or fixed to get your home in tip-top shape. The process can be overwhelming, and you may not even know where to start.
Fortunately, you can focus on the basics to jumpstart the sale of your home. These steps will help focus you in the right direction.
Clean Everything
Long before any open houses or showings, you will want to clean everything — emphasis on everything — in your house. Potential buyers want to see space that sparkles and shines. Plus, an immaculate house gives potential buyers the impression that the house has been well cared for by its current owner.
Target cleaning efforts toward areas where grime and dust tend to build up, such as on doors, doorknobs and doorframes as well as baseboards and ceiling fans. Wipe away fingerprints and smudges from light switches, appliances and blinds or plantation shutters. And, of course, any and all light fixtures should be scoured clean and polished.
Must-clean items also include all windows, windowsills and screens. Doing so will enable the sunshine to stream in, flooding your space with light.
In addition, all floors should be thoroughly cleaned. Steam clean carpets to remove dirt and any offending stains. Hardwood floors will gleam once deep cleaned while tiled floors will benefit from extra emphasis on brightening any discolored grout lines. Even your garage floor will greatly benefit from a thorough cleaning with a pressure washer.
You can tackle the cleaning yourself or, better yet, hire a professional cleaning service to do a one-time deep clean of your house. The latter definitely would be money well spent and you won’t believe how clean your home will be!
You also might consider having the cleaning service come in on a periodic basis to keep things looking spic and span while your house is on the market.
Clear the Clutter
Aside from cleaning everything, get a handle on the clutter in your home. Potential buyers want to be able to envision living in the space presented to them. They do not want to see your “stuff” nor do they want to see a “lived in” look.
Start by removing everything from your kitchen countertops and replacing only a few select items. Perhaps you have some attractive cookbooks or a stack of cutting boards that can look crisp and orderly setting out. Put away all small appliances to visually make the counters seem as large as possible. Be sure to remove any pictures, artwork or notes tacked to the refrigerator door.
Similarly, purge stuff from the counters in your bathrooms. Remove all remnants of daily living. No one wants to see your deodorant and toothbrush. Instead, leave an apothecary jar filled with soaps or a few rolled towels, items that are neutral and will make the space seem more spa-like.
Pare down items sitting on bookshelves, tables and other remaining surfaces. Adopt a “less is more” mantra, again keeping the focus on creating more of a neutral look with your décor. This will help potential buyers envision themselves making your house their home.
Conclusion
With this plan in hand, start chipping away at what needs to be done to get your home market ready.
Are you thinking of selling?
With the housing inventory low in and around the Wake Forest and Raleigh area, and due to interest rates being historically low for buyers in the market, now may be a great time for you to sell your home. If you’re curious on what your home is worth, or what the process would entail, let’s schedule a time to discuss your goals and the best direction for your specific situation.
I can be reached at 919-395-6186 or via email at [email protected].