The Paseo Financial Group
Every seller wants his or her home to sell quickly and for a large profit, but it takes more than luck to make that happen. It involves careful planning and knowing how to professionally prepare your home to convince buyers to pull out their checkbooks.
Here are a few steps you can take to make sure your house sells quickly and for top dollar.
Disassociate from Your House
Letting go of your home can be difficult. You’ve lived there, possibly for years, and the house holds many memories. To detach from it emotionally, you must realize that without you in it, the house is just a shell to be filled by other occupants. Look to the future, where you can make new memories in your next home.
Depersonalize Your House
Pack up your personal photographs, family heirlooms, and other objects and clutter that might distract potential buyers and hurt a possible sale. You want to present buyers with an impersonal, clean environment so they can imagine the home perhaps decorated with their own photographs, furniture, and art objects. Depersonalizing your home makes it easier for potential buyers to visualize how the home might look filled with their own items.
Regarding furniture, only leave understated pieces that are not a distraction and don’t create an unintended impression. For example, it would be difficult for a buyer to visualize their own antique furnishings in place of the existing zebra couch and bright yellow chair. The goal is to make it easy for a potential buyer to see the house as their future home.
Declutter Your House
People tend to collect an amazing quantity of items over the years. However, for many items, if you haven’t used them in over a year, you probably don’t need them.
Discard items in a useful way by donating them to a charity or nonprofit organization. Not only will these items help those in need, but some are tax-deductible. For items that are not accepted, call your town to inquire whether the items can be picked up. Many towns schedule this service once or twice a month.
Remove books and other knickknacks from bookcases, and clean everything off your kitchen counters. Essential items that you use daily can be tucked away in small boxes that you can place in a closet when they’re not in use. Consider this process an efficient start to your packing.
Organize Storage Areas
Buyers will be curious about storage space and will check closets and cabinets. It’s important to ensure these are organized, as it sends a negative message if your storage spaces are cluttered.
When a buyer sees everything organized, it shows that you take care of your possessions and likely took good care of the house. In kitchen cabinets, neatly stack dishes and turn the coffee cup handles so they’re facing the same way. In closets, shirts should be buttoned and hung together, and shoes should be lined up neatly.
Read part 2 of this article in next month’s SaddleBrooke Ranch Round Up.
Douglas Sedam is the Owner/Broker of SBRanchRealty & The Home Loan Pros. He can be contacted at 520-829-5219 or [email protected].