Putting your home on the market can be a nerve-wracking experience. What if no buyers are interested? What if you host several open houses and show the home several times each week, but don’t get any nibbles?
What if you get an offer that’s so low it’s insulting? Particularly when you have an emotional attachment to a property, it’s tough to put it “out there” and then experience rejection.
One great way to make your home more salable is to stage it. The purpose of staging is to help buyers imagine themselves living in the home, thereby improving the number and amount of offers you’ll receive.
Not sure if you want to add yet another chore to your already long getting ready to sell checklist? Consider this: over three-quarters of real estate agents said staging a home made buyers more likely to picture themselves living in that home.
Read on to learn the simple steps of staging.
1. Declutter
First, you’ll need to make a massive sweep of your home and eliminate all the clutter. Old homework folders, discarded toys, clothes you’ll never wear again, all that excess junk in the basement and attic–it’s all got to go.
If you don’t have the time or patience to sort through your belongings, rent a temporary self-storage unit for stashing away your stuff. While you’re at it, remove all of the stored items in your home, including out-of-season clothes or sports equipment, holiday decorations, keepsakes, and so on.
This will also make moving that much easier, whether you’re relocating to a condo down the street or to one of the beautiful house and land packages Sydney has to offer.
2. Depersonalize
Next, make another pass through the home. On this trip, you’re going to remove souvenirs, artwork, family photographs, and other decor items that are personal and meaningful. Anything that could remind potential buyers that this space remains someone else’s home should be packed up.
After all, you want to present a blank slate, so that those buyers can easily picture their own family living in the home!
Be ruthless when you depersonalize. You may adore that lumpy brownish clay pencil holder that your daughter made at summer camp, but this is not the time to be unique or sentimental.
Aim for room decor that looks like an upscale hotel, or something straight out of a high-end catalog. You can certainly leave decorations out, as long as they are tasteful and neutral.
3. Deep Clean
When we say “deep clean,” we mean it. A quick Swiffering and some air freshener won’t cut it. On top of your usual spring-cleaning routine, you will need to steam-clean the carpets, draperies, and upholstery, wash down all of the walls, scrub the kitchen and bathroom from floor to ceiling, and repair any cracks or holes in the walls.
It’s worthwhile to hire a cleaning service to do this for you. Consider also giving the interior a fresh coat of paint, which will do wonders to make your home sparkle and shine.
Your Getting Ready to Sell Checklist
Once you have begun the preparation for staging, cross those items off your getting ready to sell checklist. You’re one step closer to closing the deal and moving on to a new, exciting stage of your life!
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