Preparing your Capitol Hill home
Clean, neat, and tidy win the day . . .
Putting yourself in the buyer’s shoes
Picture yourself as a buyer and take a tour of your home. What would you look for as a buyer? A large, clean, and well-maintained property. You can’t make your home any bigger, but you can remove clutter and extra furniture, making it appear as large as possible. Consider touring a professionally staged home that is currently on the market. You’ll see how a minimum of furnishings can let buyers see the space and envision themselves living there.
- Curb Appeal is critical. This is the very first impression a buyer will have of your home. Make sure the entry is sparkeling clean, a nice neutral welcome mat, and if possible some potted plants at the doorway. This will be inviting and establish the feeling of home. Keep the walkway and driveway clean. Keep the lawn mowed and edged. Fresh bark will also add a nice look.
- De-clutter! Get yourself some boxes and start filling them up! You want to simplify the look of every room. Remove any unnecessary items from all rooms and closets.
- You want the buyer to picture themselves living in your home. Try to de-personalize as much as possible. Remove most personal photos, etc. so the buyers don't feel like they are invading your personal space. If you have photos up of you enjoying the house, leave a few of those so the buyers get the impression that you enjoyed the home.
- Tidy up. A great first impression will help sell your home faster. Give your home a thorough cleaning including the windows, remove extra furniture that isn’t necessary so your home will look as large as possible.
- Think about security. If open houses are going to be a large part of your selling strategy, consider the fact that there will be many strangers in your home with access to your personal belongings, so stow all medications and valuables in a safe place.
- Organize everything! Organize your closets and remove as much of the clutter as possible. If your closets are not jam-packed it will show that there is plenty of storage in the home and that you are organized. Organize the kitchen, bathrooms and laundry room. This will make every room look much more functional and show buyers how well you take care of the home.
- Traffic patterns. Take a tour of your home and note the traffic patterns. Make sure that there is a good open flow with easy access to and from each room. If you have a large piece of furnature blocking access to a room, move it or remove it altogether.
- Take care of odors! If you have had any odor problems in the home now is the time to take care of it. Strange odors are deal killers.
- Put high wattage light bulbs in the main living areas. Light and bright brings better energy to the home.
