The kids are grown and launched; you’re getting divorced; you’re ready to downsize and reduce the repair and maintenance time and costs. Whatever the reason, you’re ready to put that house on the market. Before you plant that for sale sign in your yard, step back and take a look at these tips that will get you the best price. After all, you do want the highest offer, no?
Let’s get on with your checklist and what you need to do.
Rent A Storage Unit
Yes, this is your first step. Why? Because you are going to declutter your entire home, and if you are not sure what you’re going to keep or sell, you need some place to put everything. More on decluttering later.
Tell Your Kids To Come Get Their Stuff
They have left any number of things with you. Time for them to come and take any items they may want from their bedrooms or the basement with the understanding that you plan to sell or donate anything they leave.
Think Curb Appeal
This is the first impression any homebuyer gets. When they drive up, what will they see? If you have overgrown bushes and shrubs, now is the time to trim, dig up, and just generally spruce things up. The outside should look neat, trim, and like it has been cared for.
Plant some colorful flowers, mulch those gardens, and paint that front door.
Declutter Your Entire Living Space
This is why the first tip was renting that storage unit. When your home is stuffed with stuff, it makes everything look smaller – something you don’t want when prospective buyers come through. Clean sweep everything that is not necessary right now – countertops, cupboards, closets, tabletops. (When was the last time you used that breadmaker that you just had to have?).
The other benefit? If you have packed all of this stuff and moved it out, it’s already packed when you move to your new place.
Depersonalize
Pack up those family photos that adorn your tables and walls. Prospective buyers want to envision their own personal things in their new home, not yours. Make your home a “blank canvas” so they can see their own things in the space.
If you have some wild and different artwork or furniture, get it out. It will detract from the appeal.
Repaint
That orange accent wall that you thought was so cool? It has to go. Again, we’re talking about a “blank canvas” here. Repaint with neutral colors – this lets buyers envision what they might do with colors and accents to make it their own.
Do The Small Stuff
Do you have drippy faucets or old looking fixtures? Are their scuff marks and dings on baseboards? Are there loose handles or missing lights in ceiling fixtures? Taking care of these small repairs and updates makes the home look well-cared for, and that is the “look” you want. Buyers need to see it as move-in ready, not be making a list of “to-dos” as they make their tour.
Add Some Plants
This is a simple but appealing feature. If you have removed pieces of furniture, for example, substitute a great indoor plant in that space. It’s neutral and appealing. A centerpiece on the dining room table, even if artificial, adds to appeal.
Check Out Odors
When you live in a place for a long time, you get used to odors that others may find bad. Does your kitchen small? Is there residual smoking odors? You can try to mask these with scented candles, but that coverup rarely works. Invite a friend over to conduct a sniff test. If they identify potentially offensive odors, get thee to a company that specializes in removing such odors. If you smoke, you won’t be doing that in the house any longer.
The inside air needs to smell fresh and clean, not perfumy.
Spic And Span Rules The Day
Your house cannot be clean enough. Either you will do this deep cleaning, or, if the time is not possible, hire a cleaning service to do the deep cleaning you don’t have time for. The house must look spotless, and the cost of hiring someone will be well worth it in the end.
Think About Staging
Home staging has become a fast-growing industry, and these pros know what they are doing. If you have already moved and your home is vacant, they will bring in pieces that will showcase the space. If you are still living in the home, they will tell you what to take out and bring in pieces that will be more appealing.
If you can afford a professional stager, use one.
The House Is Sold – Your New Journey Begins
This is the final piece of that divorce and you are in your new digs and ready to find a single woman or man to start a new dating life. Or you have dumped that large family home and can start a new journey without the repair, maintenance, and costs of the old place. It feels liberating, and it should. You are free to roam about your new lifestyle.
