Preparing your house for sale is key if you want to sell it quickly and for its true value. But what goes into preparing a home for sale?
Do a “walk through” of your own home
It’ll help if you can put yourself in the buyer’s shoes. Before you list your home – or start any true preparation – walk through your home and try to imagine you’re seeing it for the first time.
Pay extra attention to the little details. What would you notice if you were looking to buy the home? Make a note of any little imperfection you spot and add it to your list of things you need to repair before listing your home.
For example, is there a door knob that’s a pain to use? Look for chipped paint, stains on the carpet, etc. his step should also include any chore on your “honey-do” list: Replacing light bulbs, fixing a leaky faucet, replacing torn blinds, etc.
Repair time
After you’ve completed your walk through, it’s time to tackle all of the repairs. Think of it kind of like a mini-renovation of your home. Pay extra attention to things that are easy to replace, such as faucets, shower heads, toilet seats, etc. You don’t want the little things to turn a buyer away!
Get rid of that clutter
Think of this part like your Spring cleaning. Now’s a great time to get rid of anything you don’t really need. Go through your home and separate your stuff into piles of trash, donations, and recycling. Just think of anything you’d feel it’s a waste to use a box on to move to your new home – donate old clothes, books, toys, etc. After you finish sorting through stuff to trash, donate and recycle, take a look around. If your place still looks pretty cluttered, you may consider renting a storage unit until you’ve moved into your next home.
Clean like you’ve never cleaned before
You want to put in so much elbow grease that your house literally sparkles. This part should be a deep clean of your floors, the walls, the windows, ceiling fans, fireplace mantles, cabinets, sinks, toilets, etc. If you’re selling your home with the appliances – or even leaving them in place for the open house – make sure you do a deep clean of those, too. If you have the budget, it’s not a bad idea to hire a professional just to make sure your house is sparkling clean.
Remove bulky/extra furniture
Make sure your home is easy to walk through and has furniture that actually fits the space. If you have a couch that’s a bit too big for the room, an extra coffee table or end table, extra chairs for your kitchen table, etc., either sell, donate, or put the furniture in storage.
Apply some fresh paint
After patching any holes and giving the walls a good scrub, apply a fresh coat of paint throughout your home. It’s best to use a neutral color before selling – buyers want to picture themselves in your home, and that can be difficult to do if your hot pink kids’ room isn’t quite their style.
Take out most of your personal items and add simple decor
Now that your home is sparkling clean, de-cluttered and has fresh paint, it’s time to start really “staging” your home. This should be the beginning of your moving process – it’s time to box up your clothes and most of your personal items. That includes the majority of your kitchen and bathroom stuff.
After you’ve boxed up most of your decor and left your home fairly empty – minus your carefully placed furniture – start adding back some simple decor. Make the beds with your best bedding sets. Carefully stack a few towels in the bathroom, add some clean matching bath mats and maybe a few candles and fancy soap.
Add a few framed photos or some simple art throughout the home; just make sure you don’t add anything too personal or too “loud.” Think a classic painting of flowers, photos of a nearby beach or another landscape, a canvas of the Harbour Town lighthouse, etc.
Work on your curb appeal
While a lot of the focus certainly should be on the inside of your home, don’t forget about the outside! After all, the buyers’ first impression will be what they see before they walk into your front door. Check your home’s roof and siding/brick/etc. Make sure there aren’t any major issues that you need to fix/replace. Power wash your home if you need to. Scrub the outsides of all windows. Then focus on your landscaping: Make sure your grass is mowed, the weeds are pulled, shrubs are trimmed. And, if you don’t have many plants already, consider adding a few seasonal potted plants near the front door or walkway just to make your home look a little more cheerful.
(And, since we’re talking about Sea Pines here, if you have a front porch and have been eyeing some rocking chairs or other patio furniture that you want for your next home – it might be worth it to splurge on it now. We know how much everyone loves a cute front porch in the Lowcountry).
List your home!
You’re ready! It’s time to list your home! If you’d like Lindsay as your realtor, just give her a call at (843) 816-6142 or send her an email.
Prepare for an open house
You’ve made it to the final step – the open house. By this point, your home should be pretty much staged and ready to go. But now’s the time to pay extra attention to detail. And pay extra attention to smells! With all of the cleaning, you don’t want your home to look or smell too sterile. Add some fresh flowers throughout your home. Bake some cookies or another sweet treat – not only for guests to enjoy, but also just to make your house smell that much more “homey.” Candles would work, too. Open all of the blinds and curtains to let the natural light in. Make sure all of those personal items/extra clutter you boxed up are out of the house. Add a cute wreathe or welcome sign to your front door, and maybe a matching door mat, too. Now’s the time to focus on those simple touches that scream, “Welcome home!”
After you finish the final “staging,” it wouldn’t hurt to do a final quick clean – do a little dusting, mop the floors again, run the vacuum over the carpet one last time, wipe down those kitchen counters. Then just put your signs outside and you’re ready to go!
For more information on selling your Sea Pines property, click here.
