Putting your home on the market is a big commitment. It needs to remain clean, organized and ready to show any time, which can be stressful. We’ve complied a few helpful tips for you to get your home ready to show. Once you tackle these, all you need to do is keep up with daily messes and you’re good to go!
Here are 7 tips to prepare your home for showings:
Here are 7 tips to prepare your home for showings:
1. Remove Clutter
This is the most important step! Buyers want to see a move in ready home. Remove piles of paper, stacks of receipts, collections of toys and accumulations of shoes from surfaces and floors. Decrease the number of items in your closets, drawers and cabinets. Remember, buyers will be opening closets and cabinets too.
This is the most important step! Buyers want to see a move in ready home. Remove piles of paper, stacks of receipts, collections of toys and accumulations of shoes from surfaces and floors. Decrease the number of items in your closets, drawers and cabinets. Remember, buyers will be opening closets and cabinets too.
2. Make it Look Big
Rearrange or remove a piece of furniture to completely change the look of your rooms. Create groupings in spaces to define traffic patterns and make a room feel larger. Play around with different layouts and find what works best, even if it isn’t the most livable for now.
3. Neutralize Your Paint
The bright orange wall you have sure looks nice with your couch, but it will likely put some buyers off. Before you list your home paint over brighter colors with a beige or a gray. Buyers often can’t see past bright colors. Neutral walls will help them see themselves building a life in your home.
4. Dust Everything
Before your house goes on the market dust everything, and we mean everything. Remove all objects from shelves and other surfaces, dusting each item as you go, then dust the shelves. Use a pillowcase to easily dust ceiling fan blades. Run a dryer sheet across baseboard to dust and prevent new dust from settling there. Dusting well before your home goes on the market will make it easier to keep up with before each showing.
5. Depersonalize
This is one of the hardest things to do, but it makes a tremendous impact when selling your home. Pack away sentimental items such as family photos and religious symbols. Depersonalizing helps with #1, removing clutter and it neutralizes the home. Buyers are looking to see themselves in your home, not the family who currently lives there. Depersonalizing helps with the ability for buyers to visualize..
6. Address Soft Surfaces
Sofas, pillows and beds need to be addressed before each showing. Make every bed in the home and fluff pillows on the beds and couches before showings. Clean your curtains with a vacuum and consider steaming them so they are wrinkle free. Add clean towels to the bathrooms before you leave for the day. Paying attention to the small details such as soft surfaces makes a big impact on how potential buyers see your home.
7. Replace Light Bulbs
Replace dim light bulbs with brighter, daylight style bulbs. If you have hollywood style lights in your bathrooms, make sure the bulbs all match in color and tone. Don’t forget bulbs inside of closets, the garage and basement.
Taking time to prepare before your home is on the market reduces stress once it is go time. Contact your agent with questions about getting your home ready for market!
Rearrange or remove a piece of furniture to completely change the look of your rooms. Create groupings in spaces to define traffic patterns and make a room feel larger. Play around with different layouts and find what works best, even if it isn’t the most livable for now.
3. Neutralize Your Paint
The bright orange wall you have sure looks nice with your couch, but it will likely put some buyers off. Before you list your home paint over brighter colors with a beige or a gray. Buyers often can’t see past bright colors. Neutral walls will help them see themselves building a life in your home.
4. Dust Everything
Before your house goes on the market dust everything, and we mean everything. Remove all objects from shelves and other surfaces, dusting each item as you go, then dust the shelves. Use a pillowcase to easily dust ceiling fan blades. Run a dryer sheet across baseboard to dust and prevent new dust from settling there. Dusting well before your home goes on the market will make it easier to keep up with before each showing.
5. Depersonalize
This is one of the hardest things to do, but it makes a tremendous impact when selling your home. Pack away sentimental items such as family photos and religious symbols. Depersonalizing helps with #1, removing clutter and it neutralizes the home. Buyers are looking to see themselves in your home, not the family who currently lives there. Depersonalizing helps with the ability for buyers to visualize..
6. Address Soft Surfaces
Sofas, pillows and beds need to be addressed before each showing. Make every bed in the home and fluff pillows on the beds and couches before showings. Clean your curtains with a vacuum and consider steaming them so they are wrinkle free. Add clean towels to the bathrooms before you leave for the day. Paying attention to the small details such as soft surfaces makes a big impact on how potential buyers see your home.
7. Replace Light Bulbs
Replace dim light bulbs with brighter, daylight style bulbs. If you have hollywood style lights in your bathrooms, make sure the bulbs all match in color and tone. Don’t forget bulbs inside of closets, the garage and basement.
Taking time to prepare before your home is on the market reduces stress once it is go time. Contact your agent with questions about getting your home ready for market!