There are four essential steps all homeowners MUST do when selling their home here on the Crystal Coast are all about making your home look great to any buyer who comes to see it! Essential step #1 and the topic of this post is to De-Clutter and Clean! Too much clutter and lack of home preparation is one of the biggest mistakes home sellers make and many agents make this same mistake, too! Ask me how I know. Expert advice on this subject is available on the Internet, in bookstores and from professional home stagers. Feng-shui, staging, and “How to sell a home” books and articles abound. Or you can discover MY expert advice available right here, right now, in this episode. Stay to the end for an amazing FREE gift.
Cleaning and packing stuff away is without question the first and best action you can take. Rooms, closets and garages need to look neat and clean and as roomy as possible. Cluttered rooms and closets full of boxes and “stuff” make the home look smaller and make buyers wonder if their stuff will fit. The solution to the clutter is to simply get rid of it. Everything that you don't use on a DAILY basis, put in storage or at least pack them and store out of plain sight. Kitchens are the number one spot in most homes for clutter. Quick, count the appliances and other items on your counter tops. Where can you put all of them? A few weeks of inconvenience in getting them out of the house, storing them away and doing without them is well worth it. Next, go through each of your cabinets in your kitchen, all of the counter space, and all of the cupboards to make sure all are clean and devoid of “unnecessary stuff.” I’m especially fond of putting away about 2/3rds of all the coffee mugs and glasses into a box and storing them.
Remember that in your bedrooms less is more. Less stuff is more appealing. Take a close look to determine what can go. Pack away your clothes and shoes; only save the 25% to 35% that you’ve actually worn recently. Pack away the books, toys, and gadgets you have lying around. You might buy new bedspreads. Make sure there is plenty of light in each bedroom; curtains and blinds open, freshen the air if needed. Make sure all nook and crannies are clean. Bathrooms: clean out under the sink and the medicine cabinets (people will nose around.) Make sure there is plenty of light and countertops are spotless. Do you need to re-caulk the tub and sinks? No mildew allowed. Air fresheners might also be in order. Living rooms, family rooms, and dining rooms: pack away the stuff. Make them well-lit and immaculately clean. Clean or re-paint all nicks and scuffs. The newer Magic Erasers sponges work wonders on minor scuffs and may preclude the need for repainting.
Outside, the yard should be free of debris, toys and clutter too. Coil your hoses. Put tools away. What can you do to make the yard more appealing – a table and chair under a shade tree? Repainting the swing set? New mulch or flower beds? Tree or shrub trimming? A point to remember: Nice flowers can brighten up any area!
Home improvements are another matter. Newly painted walls always are appreciated, especially if coated with a neutral color. At the minute, pewter is a popular color choice. Updated kitchens generally are appreciated. However, unless the kitchen is extremely dated, I don’t recommend spending a lot of money on granite countertops, new cabinets, appliances, etc. Some real estate agents advocate spending a lot of your money without any supporting evidence that you’ll sell quicker and for more money. For example spending $15,000 in a kitchen update might only bring in $8000 at resale. However, that update also may have brought your buyer to make an offer, too!
We’ve covered a lot of ground here on essential step #1. If you are still with me, here’s a list of some additional actions I recommend that are inexpensive – but prudent – when decluttering and cleaning your home. Remember that each new buyer is “new.” They haven’t seen your home before- first impressions are critical. So, without further ado, and in order of priority, make sure that the front of your home is spotless all the way up to the front door. Consider filling in any foundation cracks in the sidewalk, patios, driveway, or walls. In my experience, a new front door might be the best home improvement to make when selling a home. Often times the buyers spend a lot of time there while they wait for their real estate agent to open the lock box. Make sure outside exterior walls are washed down and repaint and replace exterior light fixtures if necessary. No flaking paint. No wasp nests, no cobwebs. First impressions, if they are bad, are hard to alter.
Once inside, keep window coverings open and the lights on at all times during showings unless you are hiding an outside eyesore or a very close neighbor. Clean and wash all your windows, fireplaces, countertops and your tables before anybody sees your home. Replace any loose, chipped, or broken tiles in the bathrooms. Replace shower curtain with a new, clean, bright and fresh one. Repair any leaky faucets both in the bathrooms and kitchen. Speaking of leaks, if your roof leaks or is visibly damaged it may be a good idea to hire a good roofer now, especially if your home is older. A roof near the end of its life will be a problem during the inspection. Keep all stairways uncluttered and make sure all stair railings are tight and secure. Make all beds – this seems obvious but it’s amazing how many homes I’ve shown with the beds not made and the rooms a mess. You may have to bribe a teenager to keep their room clean. Pay them. Have the furnace cleaned and inspected if you haven’t done it in over a year. This always comes up during the inspection anyway. If your garage or basement is jam-packed full of “stuff” – rent a storage facility and move all the “stuff” to it immediately. Mow the grass. Trim all the edges and hedges of your yard. Re-stain wood decks if necessary. Replace any rotted wood. If you have a fence – make sure it looks good. Paint it, replace broken boards etc. Lastly, gather the operating manuals and warranties for all your major appliances and fixtures and place them in a three-ring binder and display on the kitchen countertop.
To learn more about real estate in Emerald Isle, NC, Bogue Banks or the Crystal Coast, sign up for my blog on my website, www.EIHomesforSale.com, and subscribe to Emerald Isle Vacation Home Specialist on You Tube. To receive my newsletter or my NEW book, “How to Enjoy Selling Your House,” text your email address to: 919-308-2292. Stay well and stay safe. So, come on down, and please subscribe to my blog.
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