Is it time to sell your house? The first thing you’ll want to do is to stage it properly. This means that you will do small things to the home in order for it to show the best and appeal to the broadest range of potential buyers. Below are a few tips to help you do this successfully.
1. If you have a bookshelf, try re-arranging it. Place some of them horizontally instead of vertically. Take some out and put in a plant or statue or something. Mix it up a bit.
2. How the furniture is organized in a home makes a really big difference. Most homes do not have their furniture placed in the optimal position. For bigger rooms, try placing couches and chairs a few feet from the walls. You don’t want huge spaces in the middle. On the other hand, smaller rooms look better when the furniture is up against the walls so it maximizes the size appearance of the room. Look through magazines and online to get ideas.
3. Too much or too little furniture are both things to avoid. A crowded room with too many pieces or furniture looks small and cramped. An empty room looks uninviting and uncomfortable. So see if you can move things around a bit. Take some furniture out of the crowded rooms and put them in the less crowded rooms. If that’s not possible then just get rid of it temporarily. Put them in storage if you have to. You want your home to be as inviting and open as possible but yet not to have an empty feel to it.
4. Take a look at your drapes and curtains and check to see how much light they are letting into the room. If you have a really heavy material that the drapes are made out of it may reduce the amount of light that is allowed into the room. You’ll want to change that. The more light that comes into a room, the more inviting it is and the larger it makes the room appear.
5. Speaking of lighting, it is a very important element for all rooms. Try adding different lights to a room to brighten it up. End table lights, accent lights, pedestal lights, etc. Think of the movie industry: “Lights, Camera, Action”. Everything starts with the light!
6. Bathrooms should all be accessorized with baskets that have perhaps some decorative soap, folded towels, perfume, etc. You want your home to stand out from the average home. What would you see in a high-end hotel? Try to duplicate that image.
7. Make a lasting first impression! What is the first thing people see when they look at your home? The front of it obviously! Does your home say “Welcome home, come on in”? or does it say “This place is a dump, keep on driving”? Give your buyers a reason to want to see what’s inside. A well groomed yard says a lot about a house. Generally if the yard is nice, the inside will be too. You don’t have to be a professional gardener either! Remember, the simple little things win the game. Throw some fertilizer on the lawn, make sure it’s cut, plant some extra flowers, clean the oil off the driveway. Look for all the little ways you can make it that much nicer. You’ll be glad you did.
8. Time to de-personalize your house. Some family photos and personal items are ok to have on the walls but too many is a very bad idea. You may love Jesus but your buyer may be an atheist. You may love motorcycles but your buyer may hate them. You may love your grand kids, but your buyers just don’t care! None of those items of yours are a bad thing, but you’ll want to go as generic as possible when decorating the walls. Try visiting some model homes in your area to get ideas. They all hire professional designers that know how to decorate to appeal to the biggest range of buyers. You should do the same.
9. Do you have a cat, dog, or other pet that lives in the house? They may need to take a little hiatus! Many people are allergic to animals and/or just don’t like them. Fur on the furniture, odors, or dog poop on the lawn could be really offensive to a prospective buyer. So if it’s possible to shack the family pet up with a neighbor or family member while you try to sell your home, all the better. If that’s not a possibility then at least keep the place spotless for heavens sake! Make darn sure that there are no bad smells and make sure you clean up after your pet. And if there is any chance that the pet will make a scene when strangers walk through your house, then at least make arrangements to have the pet gone during a walk through. As always, this is a little thing that can make a big difference.
10. You don’t have to do a complete remodel to your home to sell it but you MUST do the small things. Fix the leaky faucet, patch up the small hole in the wall, touch up the baseboards with a fresh coat of paint, etc. etc. Spending a Saturday or two on the small things will go a LONG way when showing your home!
As a final note, try to think of a few extra things you can do that maybe the house across the street didn’t think of. You want your home to make a strong impression. Try having some fresh baked cookies on the counter when the buyers arrive. Leave a note that tells them to take some. Leave some comment cards and ask for their honest feedback. Put scented candles in some of the rooms. Perhaps some light background music? Remember, it’s all about the feeling. Most people are emotional buyers and you’ll want to make your house as comfortable as possible. Literally make them feel at home. As you do these 10 things you will definitely sell your home faster and get more money for it. Best of luck to you!
Judy Allen has been selling real estate for 28 years. She is an expert in the Bountiful Homes and Centerville Homes markets and can help you find the home of your dreams. Unique version for reprint here: 10 Simple Ways You Can Help To Sell Your Home Faster.
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Tags: Home, Real Estate, Selling a home, Utah Homes, Utah Homes for Sale, Utah Real Estate