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Getting
Your Home Ready to Sell
You would never dream of inviting guests to your house without making
certain preparations, so don't invite potential buyers without first
making the necessary updates by preparing your home to sell.
If you are like most sellers, you want to get as much as possible for
your home and you want to do it as quickly as possible.
Letting
Go
After you've lived in a house, it becomes much more than four walls and
a ceiling. It's a home and it has a lot of good
memories. Your first step to preparing your home to sell is
to realize that you will take these memories with you wherever you go,
but you won't be taking the house. It can be difficult to let
go, but the task will be much easier if you start to think of it as a
new beginning rather than an ending.
Cleaning
House
An important part of getting your home ready to sell is in staging the
decor for potential buyers. When you stage a home, you create
an environment that is free of any personal items, such as photos
and/or anything that stands out as being customized for you or your
family. When a potential buyer walks through your home, they
need to envision their belongings and decor without being distracted by
yours. While these items may be special to you, they could
possibly prevent the buyer from being able to imagine their own style
complimenting the home.
In addition to removing any personal items, make sure that you remove
any clutter from the home. A clean home seems larger and more
inviting, whereas a lot of stuff lying around could give the impression
that the home is too small or cramped for storage. Pack up
any knickknacks, remove your children's drawings from the refrigerator
and clean up your counter space in both the kitchen and bathrooms.
Staging
Your Home
Now that your house is clean, it's time to put the finishing touches on
the staging process. A solid, neutral shade in a tablecloth
should be selected for the dining room table. Depending on
your decor and wall coloring, a solid white, sand or ivory covering
will work well. In the center of the table, a vase with fresh
cut flowers (or silk, if you have allergies) will add a nice
accent. Did you know that the kitchen and bathroom are two of
the main selling points to any home? Keep this in mind when
preparing your home for potential buyers.
The living room should have one focal point, whether it be a fireplace
or breathtaking view of the outside world. If you have too
many features screaming out at potential buyers, they may feel
overwhelmed, so focus on one aspect and make it shine. If you
have a mantle, line it with three candles that match your decor in
color. Place a large candle in the center with one smaller
one on each end, which will be reminiscent of a perfectly matched
bookend set. A home with a stunning view should have window
dressings that accent the positive, instead of hiding it. If
your furniture has a design of any kind, mask it with a solid slipcover
to compliment the flooring or wall color. Some homeowners
also add a fresh coat of paint to their home, which will bring life
back into a fading color. Turn on the lights and open the
blinds and draperies to create a bright and inviting environment
throughout your home.
Where to
Store Your Stuff
Now that you know how important it is to remove any clutter and
oversized or bulky furniture, you need to know where to put
it. If you already have a new home, you can simply move it
there. Otherwise, you can put it into storage until you are
ready to move. It's important to leave some essentials in
your former home for potential buyers to see, such as a dining room
table, a sofa and chairs, bed, etc. Any additional
furnishings that seem to interrupt the flow of your home, or make it
feel cramped, should be removed. You do not want potential
buyers to feel as though the house is too small.
Details,
Details, Details . . .
As a final strategy to prepare your home to sell, make sure that you
have any carpet stains removed, windows cleaned, fresh linens placed in
the bedrooms and bathrooms, etc. You would be surprised how
many people pay attention to even the smallest of details, so be sure
to fix any small repairs that could be a turnoff for buyers.
Last but not least, make sure your home looks just as good on the
outside as it does on the inside. This means that your lawn
should be cared for, flower beds must be maintained and any outdoor
clutter must be removed.
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www.jolynnashomes.com
Jolynna McCune
I'm in
Your Neighborhood
