Consider your Senses: Smell, Sound, and Touch
Turn on lights, bake cookies, play soft music, have a clean and welcoming entrance!
Remove clutter and clear off countertops. Stow away most of your small decorative items, replace personal pictures with neutral ones or remove them all together. Put excess furniture in storage, and remove out-of-season clothing items that are cramping closet space. Don’t forget to clean out the garage, too.
Wash your windows and screens. This will help get more light into the interior of the home.
Keep everything extra clean. A clean house will make a strong first impression and send a message to buyers that the home has been well-cared for. Wash fingerprints from light switch plates and kitchen appliances, mop and wax floors, clean the stove/refrigerator/microwave and make sure the sink is empty of dirty dishes. It’s worth hiring a cleaning service if you can afford it. Sweep the entrance of any leaves, debris, cobwebs, etc.
Eliminate smells. Clean carpeting, drapes and blankets to eliminate cooking odors, smoke, and pet smells. Open the windows to air out the house. Plug-in air fresheners or scented candles can help.
Brighten your rooms. Put higher wattage bulbs in light fixtures to brighten up rooms and basements. Replace any burned-out bulbs in closets. Clean the walls, or better yet, brush on a fresh coat of neutral paint.
Take care of minor repairs. Small problems such as sticky doors, torn screens, cracked caulking, or a dripping faucet may seem trivial, but they’ll give buyers the impression that the house isn’t well-maintained.
Tidy your yard. Cut the grass, rake the leaves, add new mulch, trim the bushes, edge the walkways, and clean the gutters. For added curb appeal, place a pot of bright flowers near the entryway.
Patch holes. Repair any holes/cracks in your driveway and reapply sealant, if applicable.
Ensure beds are made. Make all beds and make sure bedroom floors are cleared to show space.
Set the scene. Set the table with dishes and candles, and create other vignettes throughout the home to help buyers picture themselves living there.
Replace heavy curtains with sheer ones that let in more light. Show off the view if you have one.
Make the bathrooms feel luxurious. Put away those old towels and toothbrushes. When buyers enter your bathroom, they should feel pampered. Add a new shower curtain, new towels, and fancy guest soap. Make sure your personal toiletry items are out of sight.
Send your pets to a neighbor or take them outside. If that’s not possible, crate them or confine them to one room (ideally in the basement), and let the real estate agent know where they’ll be to eliminate surprises.
Lock up valuables, jewelry, money and prescription medication. While a real estate agent will be on site during the showing or open house, it’s impossible to watch everyone all of the time.
Leave the home. It’s usually best if the sellers are not at home. It’s awkward for prospective buyers to look in your closets and express their opinions of your home with you there.
Let us know if you need any help with staging! We would be happy to share individualized ideas for your home or even hire a professional stager.
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