Preparing your Home for Sale Part 1. I am a home stager as well as a real estate broker and many people ask me what is home staging or what do I do as a stager. In general, home staging is preparing a home for sale. I have written posts about this before in a general way and tried to hit alot of points without getting to bogged down. I have decided to write this blog in steps to hopefully educate consumers and brokers alike.
Preparing your Home for Sale Part 1 starts with cleaning. Yes, cleaning. I know this sounds basic and simple and obvious but I know both stagers and brokers alike run into this issue all the time. I have created a cleaning guidelines handout for my own clients that spells out exactly what I mean by clean. I have learned the hardway not everyone has the same definition of clean. So here it goes.
Preparing your home for sale: Jennifer's Cleaning Guidelines
1. Professionally shampoo carpets (furniture if necessary)
2. Clean all rooms top to bottom; wipe crown molding, baseboards, window sills. doors, blinds, ceiling fans, light fixtures and windex windows.
3. Replace broken or soiled outlet covers/light switch covers and replace burned out light bulbs.
4. Move furniture and vacumn underneath.
5. Mop all hard floor surfaces(move furniture and rugs) clean around the bottom of toilets.
6. Wipe down kitchen and bathroom cabinets with a wood cleaner, clean appliances inside and out. Replace stained burner pans on stove, clean exhaust fans, filters and hoods, wipe down countertops and backsplashes.
7. Clean tubs, toilets, sinks with a disinfecting cleanser, make sure grout is clean and nothing drips or runs.
8. Windex all glass and mirror surfaces.
9. Dust all had surface furniture and use a wood cleaner or furniture polish.
10. Clean out your fireplace if wood burning, clean glass doors on fireplace.
11. Replace all A/C filters and wipe vents.
12. Keep garbage cans as empty as possible.
Preparing your Home for Sale Part 1 is relatively easy and inexpensive if you do the work yourself. If sellers are unable to do this, it is relatively easy to hire someone to do it for them. To some sellers this is extreme, to me it is a good old fashioned spring cleaning. It is also a deal breaker for me as a listing agent, No clean-Me No take your listing.
Stay tuned for Preparing your Home for Sale Part 2, decluttering.
If you want to learn more about Staging your Charlotte, NC home to sell contact Jennifer Manchester at www.JenniferManchester.com and make an appointment to give your home a competitive edge and use the ultimate home seller's marketing tool to beat out your competition and get your home sold faster.
If you would like to search homes for sale in the greater Charlotte, Matthews, Mint Hill and surrounding areas, you can see for yourself what is available. If you would like to meet with Jennifer Manchester to discuss buying or selling your home in the greater Charlotte, Matthews, Mint Hill area visit her at www.JenniferManchester.com to schedule an appointment today!
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