How can you balance living in your home and create a “blank canvass”
that buyer’s can envision living in – all at the same time?
“Once your home is on the market, it’s really no longer your home”, say’s Donna Dazzo, President of Designed to Appeal. “You have to envision your home as a product”.
Soon, someone else’s art, books and family portaits will replace yours. To prepare for that, you need to make your property appeal to a wide audience with all kinds of tastes and styles. The goal is to have the buyer feel like this could be their home.
Preparing your home to sell should happen in stages, here are a few tips to help smooth out the process
Stage 1 – Plan
Take inventory of the Big Picture.
- Does your home have major projects that need to be done or require a significant investment? How long will they take and are you prepared for the cost?
- How quickly do you need to sell? Lay out your timetable.
- Is your Schedule such that your home will be available for regular showings?
Stage 2 – To-Do List
- Put your Buyer Eyes on, look at your home as if it was the first time, be hyper-critical. Write down everything that needs attention.
- Start at the curb and work you way back to the Front Door. Notice every detail. Clean, trim, fix, paint anything that isn’t perfect.
- Walk the entire house with your notepad. Are all of the appliances in working order. Is every nook & cranny shiny clean and spotless? If not, add it to your To-Do List.
Stage 3 – Organize
- After deciding what projects need to be done; set dates for their completion.
- Enlist the help of family and friends. Sometimes it’s easier to have someone else weed through your junk drawer.
- Now is the time to start your move; it’s decision time, anything you don’t or haven’t used in a while – Decide now whether to Donate, Give Away, Sell, Store, or Throw Away. If you decide to store, an off-sight storage facility is a good choice.
- Less is definitely more when selling your home; remove some furniture pieces to help create more open space or light in the room.
- Organize inside cupboards, closets and the garage. Neatly fold or place items on shelves, shoes organized, clothes hung by category & color.
- Clean, Clean, Super Clean cannot be over emphasized
Stage 4 – Maintain
- While your home is listed; be cognizant of odors; smoke, pet or cooking odors are the number 1 turn off for buyers.
- Kitchen – Clean and Clear Counter tops from clutter. Store small appliances out of sight.
- Bathrooms – All personal care items & trash cans out of sight.
- Home Office – Be sure your private papers are well concealed, desk is uncluttered and computer screen is closed or shut off during showings.
- Valuables – Be sure jewelry and valuables are secure and out of sight.
The Best Way to Be Ready for Showings is to Stay Ready. Avoid the last minute Fire-Drill. If you don’t already have a regular house-keeper, consider having someone come in once a week to help.
Our success in selling homes here in the desert in the shortest time and at the best price is in large part a result of following through with well-planned preparations. Don’t underestimate the details; buyers may not notice every detail, but small details add to, and affect the buyers’ overall impression of your home.
