3-Step Process for Preparing Your Home For Sale Like a Pro
WARNING: The content in this article is not for the faint of heart! When you’re done taking these suggestions, you may look around your newly made-over home and ask yourself if you really want to put it up for sale! In all seriousness, what I’m about to suggest is uncomfortable for most people. It requires packing up sentimental items that you are used to seeing daily, rearranging furniture (some of which has been in the same places for decades!), and living in a constant state of complete tidiness. It’s important to keep your end goal in mind: you want to sell your home for top dollar, as quickly as possible. These suggestions will go a long way to getting you there.
Here’s the goal: make your home look as new and clean as possible. When you put it up for sale, the first impression is critical, and often that first impression is happening online with photos and videos. This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone, but 9 out of 10 home buyers today rely on the internet as one of their primary research sources and start their search online prior to ever speaking with an agent. If your home doesn’t look incredible in pictures, you are reducing the buyer pool that will be interested in purchasing it.
Step 1: De-clutter and remove (most) items from your home
Decide on storage options. You are going to remove so much from your home, and you need to have a place to put it all. If you have a two-car garage, you can start there. It’s not important that people ‘tour’ your garage (unless it’s converted and used daily for a home office and that is part of the marketing of the home). If the garage is not an option, consider renting a storage pod or a local storage unit. Lastly, if you know you are going to have bulky items that should go to the dump, call 1-800-GOT-JUNK and they will come and haul away everything for you!
De-personalize your living space. That’s right! Pack up all of the family photos and personal mementos (trophies from sports leagues, souvenirs from last summer’s vacation). You need the buyer to feel as though the home is a clean, blank slate - ready for them to add their personal touches! It will still feel like a stranger’s home if your pictures are all over.
Clean off all surfaces. Pack up the little tchotchkes and small decorative pieces. Be ruthless. Go to every windowsill, end table, countertop, credenza, and remove everything. The less stuff the better. Check out your bookshelves - are they packed with so many books, they are spilling out? Are there little items stacked up alongside the books? Clear them off, remove half of your books, and put them in storage.
Clear off all countertops in the kitchen. That’s right! Clear off those countertops - remove the appliances entirely and if your cabinets are jammed full, empty those out, too. Everyone wants ample storage space and if your cabinets are packed full, it may look like the home is lacking in space. Yes, this may make it difficult to cook often. It doesn’t matter. You may have buyers coming by to view your home and it shouldn’t smell strongly like a freshly cooked meal anyway. Just remember: this is temporary.
Empty the closets. I told you you’d need storage space outside of the home! Again, buyers are going to be peeking inside each cabinet, drawer, and hallway closet asking themselves if there is enough space for their belongings. No one wants to see old boxes and cluttered or jam-packed closets. Here is what should be in your closet: a few pieces of clothing, hanging neatly, each hanger spaced an inch apart. If you have a shelf at the top, maybe a single small box.
Remove furniture. It’s wise to do this with your agent, or a professional home staging expert, or an interior decorator who understands the art of home staging. You should remove at least a few bulky furniture items from every single room. Remove that extra end table, get rid of the credenza. The fewer items in a room, the larger it feels. Make it feel super spacious, even if the room is not entirely “livable” by the end of this editing session.
Hide toiletries. Make your bathroom look like a hotel bathroom. Nothing on the sinks - no personal effects. Maybe invest in some under-sink storage items so you have easy access to them when you, you know, wake up and need to brush your teeth every day. It must look like no one uses the bathroom.
Edit the amount and type of artwork on your walls. Typically speaking, having a few, large decorative items in each room is nice and it makes it feel more spacious. Numerous small items make a room feel cluttered and heavy. The walls need to feel like blank canvases, so buyers can imagine their artwork hanging there. If you do have artwork hanging, it should be neutral. Steer clear of any images depicting anything too racy or controversial.
Step 2: Organize!
Closets. Hang clothing items with space in between each hanger. It makes the closet appear larger (if you cannot do this, remove half of the clothes you’re storing in there). Line up shoes neatly in a single row. Fold all linens in tidy stacks.
Designate an area for mail. Trash or shred sensitive items and store important papers in one place, out of sight.
Sort through your pantry. Stack cans. Line things up neatly. Put the grains with the grains, the condiments with the condiments. Buy a few organizing bins for loose items.
Hide toiletries. I know, I already listed this, but it’s worth mentioning again. While you’re at it, clean out your shower. Use a shower caddy to hold everything you use in one tidy space. If a shower caddy does not work, get a bin to store everything under the sink. You must hide hairbrushes and razors and messy soaps.
Books, Newspapers, Magazines. They can either be stacked neatly on a bookshelf or hidden away in a box in the garage. No stacks of paper or newspaper should be seen anywhere.
Entryway and Hallways. After ensuring it’s entirely clutter-free, make sure it’s warm and inviting. Remove any hanging coats or stacked up shoes. Remove anything more than 1-2 pieces of art hanging from the walls. You want the hallways to feel wide open and spacious.
Pet accessories. Get a bin that can easily hide all pet accessories. This is so crucial. Not everyone likes animals and no one wants to buy a house where they see chewed up toys and fur-covered dog beds strewn about.
Step 3: Deep Clean Like You’ve Never Cleaned Before
Hire a professional window washer to clean and wash every square inch of every window in your home.
Hire a professional cleaning crew (or prepare to roll up your sleeves and do this on your own) to clean and wash every nook and cranny of your home. I’m talking about washing your oven (especially the glass window on the oven door), the stove grates, switch plates, the INSIDE of glass light fixtures, the tops of fan blades, shutters, every single kitchen cabinet door. Focus on the kitchen and the bathrooms. Clean the toilets - inside and out. Wipe down and clean the shower walls and glass door.
Rent a power washer from Home Depot and go to town on the exterior of your home.
Ensure your front porch is spotless! No spider webs or overgrown foliage.
Have your carpets professionally cleaned.
Bonus Round: Inexpensive Upgrades to Give Your Clean Home a Mini-Makeover
Most of this article has given you ideas on how to fix up your home for FREE… In this bonus round, I make some suggestions for inexpensive upgrades that could significantly help you sell your home faster and for more money. I strongly suggest doing this with the assistance of your real estate agent. They can tell you what your home really needs help with and what trends buyers are favoring at the moment.
Curb appeal. It’s all about first impressions! How do you want potential buyers to feel when they pull up to tour your home? Freshen up your landscaping. Re-paint your picket fence. Make sure your lawn is freshly mowed. Replace your front door if it’s old and worn. Buy a new doormat.
Paint the interior and/or exterior of your home. Fresh paint goes a long way. Although this may cost upwards of a few thousand dollars, you get the biggest bang for your buck with this upgrade. Ask your agent if they have a referral. Make sure you use very neutral, complimentary colors. In fact, if you have bright green or purple walls inside, consider this mandatory.
Replace all old, broken switch plates with fresh ones!
Paint your kitchen cabinets with a light, bright color (white is great!).
Update cabinet handles.
Get rid of the popcorn ceiling.
Make sure you have ample lighting in each room. The brighter the better! Swap out old fixtures for upgrades ones and add a floor lamp or two if necessary.
Add large mirrors to your walls. Don’t go overboard, and make sure to remove some artwork before doing this. You don’t want the walls feeling too cluttered. Replacing with mirrors can make any room feel much more spacious!
Buy some cheap colorful throw pillows for your couches. TJ Maxx or HomeGoods is a great place to shop for items like this.
Dress up your backyard with extra seating and bistro string lighting!
Swap out your old shower curtain for a brand new one.
Buy some potted green leafy plants for accent pieces.
Install some soft, inexpensive lighting under your kitchen cabinets. Adding light to your kitchen is always a good move.