Less is More in Both Make-up and Clutter

Less is More in Both Make-up and Clutter

I admit that less is NOT always more in make-up because at what stage of application  is it significant?  When you first look in the mirror and start on that beautiful face?  Probably not… but something I read many years ago, I have found to be true and that is that as we age, less is more in the amount of make-up that we wear. 

BUT less is ALWAYS more when it comes to clutter when preparing your home to be on the market and shown to potential buyers.  There are some other areas of preparation for selling that less is more.  Those are:

•  Less is often more in the amount of furniture in the home.  You want each room to clearly be representative of its purpose, i. e. , bedrooms should have beds in them and a place for a lamp, something that has drawers in it for clothing that doesn’t hang in the closet. Some things though can be stored in low see-through containers designed to fit under the bed. 
•        Less is more in the display of personal photographs displayed. You’ve heard it said or have read it a million times, you want buyers to bond with your home when they view it, to view themselves living in it so remove the personal photographs.
•        Less is more in the amount of items stuffed into your closet.  Organize your stuff.  Items that you’re not going to wear any time soon, store in boxes or totes. Make sure that everything remaining is hung, folded, etc.. it has a place and the closet does not look overstuffed with items poised to come tumbling out when the door opens.
•        Less is more in yard ornaments. Prepare your yard in the same way you do your home.  Tasteful organized landscaping/plants and a few well-chosen accessories that define any different areas of your yard and/or patio.
•       Less is more in what you say about your home for sale,whether in person to people or online.  Tell them your home is for sale, give them the name and phone number of your agent.  DO NOT discuss price or your situation, etc.  Telling others your motivation for selling can hurt you in negotiations during an offer and counteroffer sequence.  Ask your agent if it’s OK for you to share a link to your home from their website, or from their facebook page.  Usually that’s fine as long as you do not start a conversation about the house that could lead you into discussing things that are better discussed by your agent. I had a Seller Client one time that could not refrain from showing up when I was showing his home and then he would talk about the divorce that he was going through with the sadness seeping through his words…  NOT GOOD when trying to sell a home.
•        Less is more in signs of wear and tear and use…  paint rooms that need it, or a soffit that needs it.  CLEAN, CLEAN, CLEAN… just as location, location, location is the three most important factors in determining desirabily of real estate; cleaning is the most important and least costly thing you can do to prepare your home to sell. Clean the front door, removing smudges, and then repaint if it needs it..  Clean bathrooms and kitchens especially! Wash the outside of your home, windows, etc.
•        Less is more in what you’ve stuck in your garage over the years and then got used to it being there so you walk past it every day without really seeing it.  ORGANIZE, box up what you really want to keep, have a yard/garage sale to get rid of things that you are not going to use from your home, garage, and yard.
•        Less is more in odors, smells, scents, or whatever you want to call them.   Not everyone likes the smell of that new scented candle that you bought.       
• Less is more in sounds...PLEASE do not leave your TV playing.  It’s not a big deal if  you do, your agent is probably going to get there early before buyers show up, turn the tv off, open the blinds etc..  Many people leave the tv playing so people will think someone is home…. to discourage invaders.
•      Less is more in clutter in your frig also..  having leftover food in your frig that is on it’s way to making penicillin can say more to Buyers about how you take care of things, than you want to say to them.

You can probably think of a few more areas of home that is for sale, where less would be more but I believe the point has been made.. 

Buying or Selling a home or land in Idabel, OK or surrounding areas, call Integrity Real Estate Services at 580-212-5946.  Don, Judi, and Chassy; The Integrity Team, stand ready to assist you.