Five Things You Should Put In Storage While Selling Your Home
When your home is on the market but you are still living there, you can’t very well make it a model show home. Still, there are a few things you should think about putting in storage while your home is for sale in order to make it as appealing as possible to buyers. Here are the top five things you should consider putting out of sight. Excess Family Photos Buyers want to picture themselves in the house, and a slew of family photos hung all over the place can make that difficult. If all they can see is you and your family, they won’t be able to easily envision their own family there. Your Liquor Cabinet A nice wine rack or a few bottles displayed near the wet bar are fine, but if you keep a lot of liquor in the house put it somewhere out of sight. While it may seem illogical, buyers who share different lifestyle views might be put off by it. Your Pet’s Toys Chewed up tennis balls, smelly stuffed animals, and half-digested bones are part of life with a dog, but people coming to see your house will find it unattractive. It will also tell them your pet has the run of the house, and they will wonder what damage might have been done. Signs Of Repairs Put away the plunger and similar items when you are selling. It will prevent buyers from wondering if something is wrong with the plumbing, even if you only keep it around as a precaution. Anything That Clutters A Room So the extra bedroom is used as an office/exercise room/guest bedroom? Versatility is great, but all that stuff in there will just look like there isn’t enough space in the house for everything you-or a buyer-needs. Get rid of the exercise equipment and the desk, and leave the guest bed. Extra bedrooms are more of a selling point than an office or exercise room. It might be annoying to have to put some of your personal items away while you sell your home, but it can mean a faster sale and a larger profit. Buyers need to see a home as a place where they can live, not the place where you live.
Simple Ideas To Make Your Home More Welcoming To Buyers
It may seem obvious, but many sellers fail to recognize that a home that feels, looks, and smells welcoming and homey will more likely raise a buyer’s interest when they come for a showing. Of course, you think your home is pretty comfortable and welcoming already, but there are a few things you can do to make buyers feel right at home from the moment they walk in the door. Lead With The Nose If your home smells good, it will make buyers want to stick around longer. The sense of smell is the strongest of all the five senses in its connection to our emotions. Certain smells simply make us feel comfortable and at home no matter where we are. There are a few smells that are almost universal. Try a flameless scented burner that is safe but releases a wonderful fragrance in your home. Choose scents like vanilla or spices, smells that remind people of home cooking and sweet treats. Be sure your fragrance isn’t overwhelming, however, and don’t use it to mask other odors like cat litter or food smells. Buyers will know right away you are trying to hide something! Let The Light Shine In Clean your windows and open all of the blinds and curtains to let the sunshine into the home. The warm feeling will make your buyers want to settle in and bask in the glow. A brightly lit home looks bigger, too, while a dark home will appear smaller. Be sure you replace burnt out light bulbs so your home will be fully lit and have a welcoming glow even in the evening or on a cloudy day. Set The Table It may seem odd, but a table set as though a family is about to sit down to a meal makes the home feel lived in and comfortable without being cluttered or too personal. Set the table with matching dishes and a nice but simple centerpiece, to give the dining room that ready to sit down feel. Making buyers see your house as a home is important in getting them really interested in making it their home. With just a few simple adjustments, you can create a feeling that welcomes buyers to settle in-they will want to make an offer so they never have to leave!
Home Staging: Create Appeal By Maximizing Space And Minimizing Clutter
It’s a good idea to start by storing personal pictures, knickknacks, boxes, piles of mail, and any other eye-catching distractions. Expert organizers suggest sorting through collections of books, magazines, CDs and newspapers, and getting rid of those you no longer want or use. Choose containers that are as practical as they are pretty to organize magazines, toys, kitchen utensils, and other items that can’t be stored away. Don’t forget to organize closets and drawers-buyers look everywhere! Consider buying or renting a bookshelf, armoire or entertainment center from a furniture rental store to organize everything from electronic equipment to seasonal clothes.
Home Staging: Curb Appeal-Make The Best First Impression!
Manicure the yard. Clean the windows, doors, and front entry. Plant flowers-tastefully, and abundantly! Pressure clean the exterior. Enhance and beautify with lighting. Reseal the driveways. Paint your house. Focus on the front door. Don’t forget the shutters.
Home Staging: Fragrance, Smells, and Odors
Nothing smells better than clean! The source of the most common problem odors: pets, smoking, cooking, and mold or mildew. A zippered pillowcase filled with cedar chips, placed under a pet’s pillow bed, will absorb most of the unpleasant odors. Boiling an apple, a teaspoon of cinnamon, and a few drops of vanilla on the stove will remove burnt smells in the kitchen. Add orange peels to make a simmering potpourri. Sprinkle baking soda directly onto carpets, rugs, and sofas to eliminate odors-then let it sit for at least 30 minutes before vacuuming. A bowl of vinegar placed in a room for a day or two will help neutralize smoke odors. Small cotton balls with a few drops of your favorite perfume or cologne, tucked discreetly around the home, can freshen a room. Candles, plug-ins, and home fragrance sprays can work wonders when the scent is well chosen, and not overdone.
Home Staging: The Ten Best Do-It-Yourself Tips For $100 Or Less
Potted Plants, small or large, are one of the easiest and least expensive ways to create visual appeal. Home Fragrance such as scented candles, sprays, and plug-in type fragrance gadgets in delicate scents can work wonders. Steam Cleaning-Rather than investing in a professional service, rent the machine for one day, and rejuvenate carpets and drapes. Baskets and Decorative Containers can help organize scattered items and eliminate clutter. Light Bulbs and Dimmer Switches-Brighten dark areas and rooms or soften harsh light with dimmers and the newer soft light bulbs. Paint over unusual colors or update stark white walls with a contemporary neutral tone. Fresh Flowers-Inexpensive arrangements in vases you already own look beautiful and will smell naturally fresh. Throw Pillows will instantly update an old sofa or chair or make a plain bed look luxurious. Maid Service can be costly, but hiring one for a day or a few hours is affordable-and it’s worth it to make a kitchen or bathroom sparkle! Snacks! A bowl of polished apples, a bunch of grapes or a plate of fresh cookies makes your home look warm and inviting.
Home Staging: The Top Seven Sales Killers That May Keep A Home From Selling!
An Unkempt Lawn Chipping or Peeling Paint Worn or Dirty Carpets and Flooring Poor Housekeeping-Dust, Stains, and Dirt Junk, Clutter, and Disorganization Unpleasant Odors-Pets, Tobacco, and Garbage Unusual or Odd Paint Colors
The Top Ten Professional Home Staging Tips Every Homeowner Should Know
Create the illusion of space by rearranging the furniture. Try different combinations or remove and store pieces that make it feel crowded. Arrange the furniture in living areas into intimate groupings that suggest entertaining and ideal conversational settings. Consider rental furniture, especially when the pieces you have don’t match, are badly worn, or are in any state of disrepair. Add decorative pillows and slipcovers in warm neutral tones to hide flaws and make pieces blend. Eliminate clutter. Store or get rid of appliances, gadgets, newspapers, mail or anything that takes up space or distracts attention. De-personalize your home so buyers can imagine living in it. Store pictures, awards, trophies, collectibles, and other personal keepsakes. Paint walls in inviting neutral colors to cover flaws and freshen rooms. Add small luxurious touches to bathrooms and bedrooms. Think plush towels, fresh flowers, high-end bed linens, and pretty bath soaps. Eliminate unpleasant odors and smells that can kill a sale. Fragrant candles, plug-ins, and home sprays can help, but nothing smells better than clean. Plants add an aura of softness and warmth to any room. Large or small, real or silk-they’re a favorite of professional stagers.
Home Staging: Transforming A Room With Paint
Avoid bright colors, fluorescent and neon shades, or colors that are very dark. The hottest trends in paint colors are soft creams, taupes, and pale buttery yellow tones. Neutral colors have a universal appeal-both men and women give them favorable ratings. Don’t be tempted to keep the wallpaper. Generally, buyers are put off by it. They view the removal process as another chore if they buy your home. A room will appear larger when you paint it the same color as the room adjacent to it. It can give the illusion of one big open space. Another favorite designer tip, to give the illusion of more space, is to paint the walls the same color as the drapes. It creates a seamless, contemporary look.
