Staging Your Home

Staging your home

Sell the nose

Remember walking into a bakery, the aroma is heavenly. You can get the same effect in your home without the baking.

Drip a few drops of vanilla on a baking tray with some cinnamon. Heat in a warm oven , the smell will permeate your home tempting the buyers to buy it.

Staging Your Home

Preparing Your House to SELL!

In selling property, it is usually best to put the property in the best condition that money and time will allow. Nothing pays cash and time dividends quite like elbow grease. Good housekeeping, repairs, spaciousness and pleasant aromas help bring top dollar faster. On the other hand, gremlins that hurt your home-selling efforts are dirt, lack of light and space, too much disrepair and bad odors.

Don't rationalize that because people may prefer a casual lifestyle they won't mind some clutter. Even the worst housekeeper can be the fussiest and most demanding buyer.

Take a lesson from a local home builder's model home. The home builder knows how important it is to engage the buyer with an attractive model. They spend thousands of dollars decorating it, even when they are only delivering the "plain vanilla" home in the end. It's all in the presentation.

The more time and effort you Invest to make your home shine, the less time you will have to do it! As Will Rogers once said, "you will never have a second chance to make a first impression!"

The following will help you suggestions may help you prepare for your first showing. Hopefully, that's the only one you will need!

Buyers like to feel they are going to have plenty of space to live in their new home. Openness stimulates positive feelings, overstuffed rooms, closets and garages can appear to be small. You can't change the size of your home, but you can present your property so that it appears spacious. You might consider renting some mini-storage space to move out those items you don't need right away.

	Closets & Storage: All buyers want t lot of storage and closet space. Get rid of things you don't use. Summer clothes can be boxed up and put in the garage in the winter, for example.
	Counters & Cabinets: Clutter makes counter and cabinet space appear inadequate. Countertop appliances that aren't used should be stored out of sight.
	Garage: When items are moved out of the house into the garage, the next move is usually to the min-warehouse or the trash. Perhaps a garage sale could help you. IN any event, a thorough cleanup/pickup in the garage is necessary. Especially tidy up your work bench and tool storage area.

Housekeeping

	Bathrooms: Dirty bathrooms turn off buyers. Vanity, sink, mirrors and hardware seem to be where buyers look first. Soap on the tile and tub bottoms, mildewed tile grout, or missing grout should be fixed. Sliding shower door tracks, stained toilet bowls, and dirty bath mats should all be cleaned thoroughly. Repair loose towel racks or toothbrush holders.
	Kitchens: Buyers inspect kitchens thoroughly just as they do bathrooms. Clean the stove and oven, and remove any built-up grease under the burners. Remember to clean the exhaust grate over the stove. Grease here really turns off buyers. They make generalizations about your other housekeeping if they see a dirty kitchen.
	Windows: Make sure all your windows sparkle to show off your views.
	Water heater: Dust it, the furnace, and all other appliances that may be scrutinized.
	Unpleasant odors: This can really be a delicate problem to discuss, but each home has its own aroma. Remember what it is like to go into a brand new builder's home or a new car? Fresh, crisp and clean smells attract buyers. You want your hoe to have the same feeling. Some people even bake bread or cookies before a showing to give the house a homey feeling.
	Garbage: Remove all garbage from the house and, if possible, have trash removed from the house during the marketing time. If you have regular trash pickup, keep trash in cans or containers until the pick-up day. Check that there is no potato/onion spoilage under the sinks. Grind up a bit of lemon in your disposal to mask any odors.
	Laundry: During showings, keep dirty laundry out of sight.
	Pets: As a first step, move the cat's litter box out of the house. Clean it regularly if it stays inside. Clean up the pet food and water area.

Home Basics

	Floors: Interior impressions are important. Any old, damaged carpet should be replaced, especially on stairs. If your tile is old and loose, think about fixing it, and polish floors before putting the home on the market. Have all carpets professionally cleaned.
	Doors: Doors with holes should be repaired and all doors should be easy to open and close. Closet and patio doors should also receive special attention. Buyers make subconscious judgments based on how a house "works." Oil or graphite any squeaky doors. Tighten loose doorknobs and hardware on cabinets in the kitchen and bathrooms.

Exterior Attention

	Fencing: Fences in disrepair can detract from the beauty of a residence. Replace or repair missing slats or stakes. Paint or stain to really spruce things up.
	Roof: Remove debris. Have a professional check the shingles, replacing any missing ones. Be sure to save the receipt, work order and any guarantees you may receive.
	Patio & Deck: Furniture that is in good condition appeals to buyers. If yours is old and worn and you wouldn't move it to your new house, it might be better to remove it. Are repairs really necessary?

Buyers today are very aware of the proper procedure in purchasing a home. They are coached by their buyer's agents to hire an inspector to look at all the mechanical and structural aspects of your property. After the inspection is complete a written report is prepared and given to the buyer. If the report has a long list of defects the buyer can choose not to proceed with the purchaser or they can request the seller repair/replace the failing items.

It's always in a seller's best interest to complete all the repairs prior to the house being put on the market. When a buyer finds even the smallest detail, in their mind they tend to "horriblize it." It the repair cost $200 to complete, they want to knock $2000 off the price.

As a seller, it is a good idea to head the inspector off at the pass, hire one yourself to inspect your home and turn up anything that you may need to repair. By doing this you show good faith and common sense. Everyone loves a seller who takes care of his home. Your efficiency will result in no surprises later down the road.