We’ve moved a few times in our marriage. Okay, a lot. I keep a pretty clean and organized home but there is always more to do when preparing to sell. Here are my Top 5 Tips for preparing to sell your home:
*Curb Appeal- The first thing a potential buyer sees is the front of your house. Make sure the obvious is taken care of: pull weeds, trim bushes and trees, add fresh mulch, add some potted flowers to the porch, paint the front door, make sure your house numbers are seen and change them if you need too, clean up the entry lights and make sure the bulbs work.
*Declutter, declutter, declutter- I don’t know if this can be emphasized enough. When you think you have decluttered go around your home and do it again and then one more time for good measure. Having too much stuff can make your home feel small even if it’s not. Try to have 20% unused space in closets and cabinets. I am against storage units for everyday living but while you are selling your home it might be a good idea to store some of your things.
*Take down and store personal items and pictures- You want potential buyers to be able to picture their family living in the home. One of the biggest compliments you can get is when someone walking through your home starts talking like it’s theirs. You want them to be able to picture their family eating in the dining room and hanging out in the family room. If they’re talking about where to put their furniture then you know it’s going well.
*Clean it up and keep it clean- You are going to have a hard time selling a house that doesn’t look and smell clean. I know it’s hard to keep a house spotless with children but it’s a must. I would even consider hiring a professional to do the deep cleaning and you just focus on the everyday cleaning. Don’t forget to keep all horizontal surfaces clean and clutter-free.
*Present your home at its best- Take incredible pictures during the day with lots of light. When showing your home turn on lights and open all the shutters, blinds and curtains. Make sure it’s clean but not sterile, so it’s welcoming. Have the kids and animals out of the house when showing. Make sure it smells nice. Make any repairs (seen and unseen). Pretend you’re a potential buyer and walk through your home and make any adjustments.
If you’ve taken the steps to get your home ready to sell you will probably have no problem selling it for sale by owner. I wish I would’ve known about Fizber a year ago when we were trying to sell our home. I think the whole process would’ve been a lot less frustrating.
Selling our home was a tough process! It was several years ago, but this would have helped. Thanks for sharing!
Oh thanks for all the great tips!
It’s so hard to keep the house decluttered when you have kids but you are so right, it’s so important! Great tips, thanks!
These are great tips Leanne! Thank you. 🙂
Great tips Leanne!
Yes decluttering is such a big one for sure!!!