Selling your home usually doesn't have to be a last minute scramble, the earlier you start to prepare the better. We're going to go over a few ways you can get your home ready to list, to ensure that it shows the absolute best it can.
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1. DECLUTTERING
The first thing I recommend doing is to take a look around at all your stuff. How much stuff have you accumulated over the years that you no longer need? It's time to get rid of all the extra. This includes personal items like family photos and things like that as well.
Sell it, donate it, put it in storage or the trash, it doesn't matter to me to the buyers of your home, it just needs to be gone. We want just enough furniture and decor to make look nice, but you don't want any more than necessary. This step can start many months in advance, as the things you're removing will likely be things you haven't touched in a while.
Now, don't forget the outside of your home. Do you have a pile of building materials beside your home, or under your deck? Make sure all the clutter outdoors is taken are of too.
2. REPAIRS
As you're going through your home, take note of any repairs that need to be done before putting your home on the market. You may already know about some of the bigger jobs that need to happen, but sometimes the simple repairs make a big difference. For example, maybe you have some loose or squeaky hinges on doors or cabinets, or a door/lock that sticks, people do notice these little things as they walk through your house. These kinds of repairs are relatively cheap, so fix them now and avoid giving a bad impression later.
3. STAGING
Step number three is to get a staging consultation done. Many people have a good idea of what looks good and what doesn't, but bringing in a professional stager to do an unbiased consultation brings it to that next level. For all of my listings, I have my stager go through the house at my cost and she'll write up a report of what can be done in each room to help it show better from a design standpoint.
This can be done anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months prior to listing your home. At this point, you want the bulk of the decluttering to be done so that they can go in and fine tune and not have to look past items. Keep in mind that depending on how much decor you have left, they may suggest taking more out or adding in a couple pieces.
4. PAINT
I can't think of a single thing that will give you a better return on your investment than a can of paint. This is especially true if you have multiple dings or scratches on your walls, or some funky colours that won't appeal to the masses. I hear a lot of people say "I'm not going to paint, because the buyer can just paint it whatever colour they want and it's easy to look past", now both of those aspects make sense.
Although it's fairly inexpensive and easy to change, the majority of buyers out there can't picture a space a different colour than it is right now. Buying a home is a very emotionally charged experience, so walking into a room with loud or a dated paint job my not allow them to have that connection.
5. LANDSCAPING
Here in Alberta, your exterior work is going to depend on the time of year, but regardless you want to make sure it comes across as being maintained. If you have grass be sure to fertilize it, mow it, and water it as often as allowed so your lawn is lush and green. You'll also want to stay on top of any trees and shrubs, so that they are pruned accordingly and aren't overgrown or blocking any paths. It goes without saying, but a simple weeding of the garden goes a long way as well.
If it hasn't been done in a while, pressure washing various areas or the entirety of your house makes a huge difference when it comes to curb appeal and cleaning out those gutters helps during inspection time. Also take a look at your deck and see if it could use a refresh from a coat of paint or stain.
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6. WINDOWS
Whether you hire this out or do it yourself, cleaning your windows inside makes showings that much smoother. Clean windows often won't go recognized, but dirty windows will almost always be mentioned. When we're trying to capture the buyers attention we don't want them focusing on the negatives. I'd do this a week of 2 leading up to listing.
7. FRESH AIR/BAKING
Fresh air is always going to be better than any air freshener you can put in your home. When the buyers come in and smell a strong air freshener, they consistently say "what are these people trying to hide?". If you want to take this a step further in addition to opening those windows, the next best thing is the smell of fresh baking. If you're not a good baker, get a box of those uncooked cookies from Costco and pop them in the oven and take them out before your showings.
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- Brad Walker
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