You most likely fell in love with your home the second you saw it. Now it’s time to sell and move on to new adventures, and you want new buyers to experience the full force of the impact you felt when you laid eyes on it. These tips will help you achieve your aim.
Capture attention with curb appeal
Potential buyers form an idea about how much they like your house when they pull up in front of it. Before they step out of their car, they view the outside of the property and get a “hunch” about whether it could be right for them.
First impressions are important, so make sure the yard and front porch or steps aren’t full of clutter, and the area is inviting.
Before a showing: Trim hedges and potted plants, put gardening tools out of sight, and turn on lighting (depending on the time of day). Buyers might not always view the property in daylight, and you want it to look welcoming rather than dark and dismal.
Brighten up and clean the interior
Take a look around each level of your home to ensure it is fresh and gleaming. Buyers like spotless properties reflecting that it has been impeccably maintained, even if they wouldn’t keep it as flawless themselves. No doubt, your home is clean, but it’s best to convey pristine organization and cleanliness to make a good impression.
The best way to highlight freshness is by polishing, clearing clutter, and dispersing a pleasant crisp scent. Don’t go overboard, as potential buyers will be suspicious that the scent is an attempt to cover up bad odors. Vanilla, bergamot, cinnamon, or lavender essential oils are good choices, when used sparingly since many people enjoy them.
Before a showing: Do a quick polish to shine up surfaces, including sinks, the kitchen drainer, and the stovetop. If you have stainless steel appliances, be sure to remove streaks and fingerprints. And don’t forget to “sniff test” the air in the house.
Update fixtures and essential goods
As you’re preparing to list, you may wish to consider staging your home, and you will want to change old fixtures and essential elements that need upgrading. Items such as new doorknobs and handles, light switches, and lighting will make a fresh, yet subtle impression. This will make it much easier to swiftly prepare your home when you get “the call” or “the text” for a showing.
Before a showing: Look around your home with fresh eyes. Imagine you’re a potential buyer. Do you notice worn, tarnished accessories that spoil the ambiance? Put them out of sight, or, if they are inexpensive to replace, do so (maybe even while your potential buyers are touring your home!).
Create a sense of space
If you’ve cleared the clutter from rooms and cleaned the windows, your job is almost done. You can add the illusion of extra space, however, with long-legged furniture to accentuate height. Colorful prints and paintings on walls will draw the buyer’s gaze upward. You can also use mirrors to reflect large spaces and brighten dim hallways.
Before a showing: Make sure spaces are clear and views are unobstructed. Open blinds or draperies to bring in light and showcase the room’s full space.
Be organized
Consider how impressed you’d be if you test drove a car you considered purchasing, and the current owner was super-organized – items were neatly stored in the glove compartment, manuals in their proper place, receipts for additional repairs or new tires are neatly filed – you get the idea! You would consider this a sign they cared for the vehicle and properly maintained it.
The same is true when people come to see your home. If you’re able to provide receipts for routine maintenance or major new purchases (i.e. a new well or septic system), you’re providing evidence to show the property’s well-maintained, and everything is in working order.
Since showings can happen on short notice (especially in today’s market!) having an organized checklist or plan for what you need to do before a showing, will help you maximize your preparation time, and ultimately the impact your home leaves on potential buyers. Don’t forget to have a plan in place about how to manage children and pets when a showing occurs, so you know what to do.
Before a showing: Have a folder available to showcase any major purchases, for example, new windows or roof repairs that were completed on the home.
I wish you the best of luck as you’re in the home selling process, and hope you find the just-right buyer to see all of the potential in your home that you did initially!
Image credit: Feverpitched | iStock | Getty Images Plus
