Prepare Your Home Inside and Out:
Inside
- De-Clutter – Get rid of as much clutter as possible. Put away toys, clothing, towels, etc. Box up and put in storage if you can anything you don’t use on a regular basis.
- De-Personalize – The object of the exercise is to stage your home so that potential buyers can see themselves in the space. While everyone’s tastes in furniture are different, removing personal photos, any personal art, and other personal objects can make your home easier for a buyer to visualize their family in the home (not yours) which leads to more offers!
- Dust, vacuum, make the beds and fluff the pillows.
- Clear the Kitchen Counters – remove all appliances like toasters, toaster ovens and coffee makers, etc. Clean the sink and put away the dishes. Wipe down the counters. If you have natural stone countertops, give them a good cleaning and make them shine!
- Clear Personal Items from the Bathrooms – Put out the good guest towels and put all the toilet seats down (after cleaning the toilets of course!). Clean vanity tops of personal items, put away shampoo, conditioner, and body washes, etc., from the shower (for photos, not needed for showings).
- Replace any burned out light bulbs.
- Got pets? Hide the food and water bowls, pet beds and toys.
- Consider putting vases with fresh flowers.
- Hide all trash cans (for photos, not needed for showings), papers or pictures out or on the fridge.
Outside
- Have lawns cleaned to a professional level. Rake leaves, prune trees and bushes and apply fresh mulch.
- Clean up after any pets.
- Put away garbage cans, hoses, sprinklers, garden tools, bikes, etc.
- Hide garden gnomes and other “cute” yard decorations.
- Open any patio umbrellas, uncover the grill and clean patio furniture (for photos, not needed for showings).
- Consider addition pots of brightly colored flowers to your landscape.
- Take a final look around, if it’s dirty, clean it, if there’s something laying around, put it away out of sight!
FOR PHOTOS and each SHOWING:
· Turn on all the lights, including under-cabinet lights in the kitchen.
· Open all blinds and curtains in the daytime.
· Keep pets secured out of the home if possible.
·Move vehicles away from your home, out of the driveway, and clear the street in front of the house if possible.
· Light the fireplace (if seasonally appropriate).
· Infuse home with a comforting scent like apple spice, cookies or vanilla.
·One last tip, keep valuables in a secure location and out of sight while the home is on the market.
Please, please, please vacate the property while it is being shown or inspected!
