Prepping a Home for
Sale:
Simple Staging Tips for
Inside and Out
FOR THE INSIDE
·
Clear all unnecessary objects from furniture
throughout the house. Keep accessories
and objects on the furniture restricted to groups of 1, 3, or 5 items. In general, a de-cluttered home helps the
buyer mentally “move in” with their won things.
Rearrange or remove some of the furniture in your home, if necessary. Many times home owners have too much
furniture in a room. When it comes to
selling your home, thin out overcrowded rooms to make the rooms appear larger.
·
Clear all unnecessary objects from the kitchen
countertops. If it hasn’t been used for
three months…put it away! Clear
refrigerator fronts of messages, magnets, pictures, etc.
·
In the bathroom, remove any unnecessary items
from the countertops, tub, shower stall, and commode top. Keep only the most necessary cosmetics,
brushes, perfumes, etc., in one small group on the counter. Coordinate towels in one or two colors only.
·
Take down, reduce, or rearrange pictures and
object on walls. Patch and paint all
walls, if necessary.
·
Review the house interior, room by room, and…..
1. Paint any room needing paint.
2. Clean carpet and draperies that need it.
3. Clean windows.
·
Pack up and store. If you need room to store extra possessions,
get a storage unit.
·
Leave on certain lights during the day. During showings turn on ALL lights and lamps.
·
Set a background tune. Play light FM music every day in the house,
for all viewings.
FOR THE OUTSIDE
·
Go around the perimeter of the house and move
all garbage cans, discarded wood scraps, extra building materials, etc., to the
garage or, if applicable, take them to the dump.
·
Check gutters and roof for dry rot and
moss. Make sure they are swept and
cleaned.
·
Examine all plants. Plants are like children… they grow so
fast. Prune bushes and trees. Keep plants from blocking windows: “You can’t
sell a house if you can’t see it!”
·
Remove any dead plants, weed all planting areas,
and put down fresh mulching material.
·
Keep your lawn freshly cut, edged, and
fertilized during the growing season.
·
Clear patios or decks of all small items, such
as little planters, flower pots, charcoal, barbeques, toys, etc.
·
Check the condition of the paint on your home,
especially the trim and the front door.
The first impression, or “curb appeal,” is very important.
IN GENERAL
Try to look at your
house “through a buyer’s eyes,” as though you’ve never seen it before. This exercise will help you see what needs to
be done. Any time and money invested on
these items will usually bring you the return of more money and quicker sale.
# posted by
Shelia Swaim @ 10:21 AM
