The Garage - aka Clutter Stockpile. This where it all ends up as we go to clean out the rest of the house. But don't be deceived into thinking the Garage is not important to stage like the rest of the house. Eliminate all that stuff youv'e been meaning to get rid of. If you can hold a Garage Sale (weather permitting) do it before you put the house on the market for sale. After all you are planning to move - do you really want to carry it all with you? again? A garage is for parking your car, believe it or not. So make sure it looks like you can fit a car or two in there. Cleaning up the Garage will make it look bigger and tell Buyers you really care about your living space. For a lot of men the Garage is their territory and they want a space for hobbies, car repairs and lots of toys (oops I mean equipment). Buyers do notice a clean garage with ample and organized storage space. A clean garage looks larger and that's what Buyers are looking for. Take a whole day for it and use the driveway as a sorting area. Start with three piles - keep, toss and give away. Put the "keep" away and get rid of the two other piles on the same day. Do not move anything back into the Garage you are planning on getting rid of. If you have too much keep - take it to storage. So let's look at the list.
Toys & Tools
- Hang bicycles on bicycle hooks
- Hang tools on peg board
- Hange rakes, shovels brooms, etc from hooks
- Clean off the work bench
- Organize the gardening equipment
- Place all sporting balls in bins to contain them
- Put like with like, toys, strollers, wagons, sport stuff, garden items in one spot
Floors
- Sweep the floors (after you found them from de-cluttering)
- Clean any oil and rust stains from the floor
- Powerwash if necessary
Trash Cans
- Clean them throughly to remove any unpleasant smells
- Does the area you are keeping them in look like it suits the purpose?
- Recycle old newspapers and magazines
Windows
- Clean them inside and out
- Replace or repair any cracked or broken window glass
Ceilings & Walls
- Remove any cobwebs
- Put up shelves for paint cans, containers of nails/screws, etc
- Consider putting up kitchen cabinets for more storage. Buyers love ample storage
- Do you need to paint?
- Could you drywall? Never run the drywall all the way to the floor in a garage as it readily sucks up moisture and spawns mold growth
Doors
- Does the garage door open and close easily?
- Do the automatic garage doors openers work?
- Put a new doomat in front of the inside door
- Put a boot tray or shoe cleaner near the door
- Powerwash the ouside doors
- Do you need to replace the garage door?
Lighting
- Increase the wattage of all bulbs
- Replace or clean the switchplate(s)
- Replace all the outlet covers with a sharply contrasting color to play up the fact that there are lots of outlets
Ok - so this is going to be a long day but it is so worth it! Eat a good hearty breakfast and get to work. You will be paid back in so many ways from a higher selling price to having to move less stuff to your new home. Think "keep, toss, giveaway" as your new mantra. You are moving anyways - so get moving!
So that completes Living Rooms, Kitchens, Bathrooms and now Garages. Next time let's look at the Bedroom!
Shannon Aldrich, Keller Williams Coastal Realty Portsmouth NH
"Your Seacoast Second Home & Vacation Home Specialist"
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