You know, I’ve found that people have no VISION. If they walk into a home that needs some TLC, they cannot see what it COULD be.
I know I’ve mentioned that my wife and I have remodeled lots of houses during our marriage, and one thing we had was VISION. We could walk into the ugliest, dumpiest house on the block and just see the finished product. And these were the days before the Fixer Upper, Pinterest, and HGTV craze. Of course, in her mind, her favorite and number 1 solution was ALWAYS, “let’s knock out that wall. And that wall. And let’s move that one over there” (I must also add that I totally dread the words ‘I saw this on Pinterest’!). We share a passion for turning the worst house on the street into the best house on the street.
Conversely, the majority of people can’t do that. When they walk into an ‘ugly house’, they see….UGLY. And most of the time, they turn around and walk right back out. So when you get ready to sell your home, how can you keep this about face from happening AND get top dollar? STAGE. YOUR. HOME. What does that mean and how much will it cost you?? Read on.
You wanna lure people in? Start outside. Curb appeal is huge. Clean up the yard…no trash! Make sure the grass is mowed regularly while your home is on the market. Trim the hedges and weed the flower beds! Sweep down the cobwebs under the porch and garage! Make sure your outdoor lights work….lighted homes look warm and inviting. Go the extra mile with a few fresh potted plants and a new doormat!
This is only the beginning! Once you get them in the door, you don’t want them to run back out! How can you keep them there? First, get rid of CLUTTER! That is a huge turnoff for most people and you want them to see your house in all its glory! Clear surfaces as much as possible and organize your closet! Space, especially storage space, is a key component on most people’s Dream Home list. Once you’ve gotten that out of the way, CLEAN IT UP! Wash your windows. Clean the grout in your tile. Scrub the floors. Wipe down the mirrors. Keep the furniture dusted. Be careful with pet odors…some people are very sensitive to this, so be diligent in your cleaning efforts.
Now I know you’re thinking, “But we LIVE here”. That’s ok. You don’t have to have a museum. Find a balance between “we live here” and “pigs live here”.
Are you an overachiever? You’ve done all I’ve suggested and still want to do more? Great! In our next blog, we’ll discuss further how to make your listing the hottest on the market!
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