If you know you are going to be selling your home this spring then now is the time to plan that move. Here are 10 tips to help you organize your move and to help you sell faster and for more money.
1. Call a Realtor and let him or her know that you plan to move this spring. Find out when he or she recommends you put the sign in your front yard. Make that your target date. The Realtor know the community history and knows when you will have the best chance for success. Ask your Realtor to tell you what to do to get your home ready for the market. If they cannot be specific, then call another agent. This is critical and helps you make the right choices.
2. Declutter! I know you hear that all the time but if you did nothing else but declutter, you would make more and sell faster. Declutter it all. Do not have more than three decorative items on table tops or bookcases. Declutter closets. Give your hangers space between each hanger. Declutter bathrooms and bathroom cabinets. Plan to have a basket in your bathroom. When you get a call saying your home is being shown, put hair dryers and makeup and any loose items that take up space on your counters in the basket and put out of site
3. Replace worn rugs in bathrooms. Go smaller so more floor space shows, Replace shower curtain or make sure it is clean and fresh.
4. Get a pod or a storage unit and start packing. Pack now or pack when your home sells. If you pack now, your home will show better.
5. Garages. Make sure they are tidy even if they are used for storage areas. Declutter to make the garage look larger. It is amazing what a coat of concrete paint will do for your garage floor.
6. Do not paint anything in your home until you have talked to your agent. I see people painting and choosing colors that do not work in today’s market. Let your Realtor guide you. A Realtor knows the hot buttons for today’s buyer and what colors that are more inviting. The wrong shutter color could keep a buyer from walking in your front door.
7. Landscape. Look at your landscape and meet with a landscape designer. Mature landscape can age a home. Sometimes you need to remove all the front shrubbery in order to provide the curb appeal you need to welcome buyers. Bushes should not cover windows. If trees block the view of your home, they may need to come down.
8. Smells. If you have an animal then you need to know if your home smells. If you smoke then you need to stop smoking inside your home today. If you cook a lot and use heavy spices you should be aware of the odors in your home. If you do not address odors today, you may not have enough time when you are ready to list. This is a must do ! As we say in the business, “If you can smell it, you cannot sell it.”
9. Furniture placement. Find out what furniture needs to go. Is your furniture big? Do you walk around furniture to go to another room? All of these things need to be addressed today. Ask your Realtor about the services of a home-staging professional.
10. Photos and wall hangings. Do not have clusters of photos and groupings of art. Eliminate personal photos. Eliminate school banners and eliminate political and religious articles. You want your home to be a home that the buyer can identify with. If their view is different, then they may not be able to see themselves in your home. Give them a space that allows them to place their family or lifestyle in it.
These are the top 10 items to help get your home ready to sell and if you start on them today they will help you have a successful spring sale. Isn’t it wonderful that you can plan for spring on cold January day? Happy Selling!
New on the market this week is 3855 Winters Hill Drive.
Open House Sunday Jan.27, 2013 from 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. 5950 Webster Circle.
