In today’s competitive real estate market sellers must do everything they can to prepare their home for a sale. Aside from pricing your home correctly, home staging is next best way to attract potential buyers. Here’s a few low cost tips to get you started turning your house into a show home.
Curb Appeal
This is the critical first impression as buyers drive up to the home. Wipe down or power wash your exterior including the front door, porch, outside railings and steps. It’s cheaper than repainting and makes a world of difference. Once the outside entrance is clean, decide if the paint really needs a touch up. Rake up old leaves and pine needles and trim the shrubs.
Clear Out The Clutter
Clean out one room and one closet at a time so the job won’t be so overwhelming. Even if you’re planning to have a garage sale pick a charity and donate as much as possible. You want to create the illusion of space and show potential buyers how much storage you have, so give till it hurts. If you still have things you can’t part with place them in storage.
Look Through The Eyes Of A Buyer
Walk into every room and check where your eye is drawn (better yet, ask a critical friend or family member). If the eye is drawn to the chipped white paint on the door frame, take some “white out” and fill it in. If there’s old nail holes in the wall a dab of toothpaste will cover them up. If the touch ups don’t do the trick you may have to paint. But painting is an inexpensive way to freshen up your rooms.
Cleanliness Is Crucial
This can be one of the more stressful aspects of having your home on the market— but it’s worth the effort to sell your home for top dollar. You can hire a professional service to come in and deep clean everything then take 20-30 minutes each day to maintain it. Appliances should sparkle even if you’re not including them with the house. After all, you might throw them in later as a negotiating tool. Counter tops, taps, sinks and bathtubs should be shiny and free of water spots. And don’t forget to clean the windows and screens – it makes a big difference.
If It’s Broken – Fix It
Like most homeowners you’ve probably ignored a few obvious repairs around the house. Guess what? It’s time to get them fixed. Make a list of the things you never got around to fixing and decide which ones might be distracting to potential buyers. If you’re not up to the task there are plenty of Big Bear handymen willing to help you out.
Let The Light And Fresh Air In
Now that your windows are clean open the blinds and let as much natural light into the home as possible. Small rooms look bigger when well lit. Open the windows for at least 15 minutes per day to let the fresh air in. Even if you don’t smoke or own pets the fresh air will circulate the stale air out of the house.
The Final Touches
Set the dinner table as if you’re expecting guests. Arrange the living and family rooms in a conversational way. Try different arrangements until you get the best fit. Replace or cover worn furniture as needed. Consider adding some flowers or house plants. When people naturally want to sit down and spend time in the room you’ve achieved your goal.
Now that your home is in shape it’s time to call the Big Bear real estate professionals at Tyler Wood Group. Our agents have been helping Big Bear buyers and sellers achieve their goals for over 30 years, and in this market you can’t afford to settle for second best.
More Tips for Selling Your Big Bear Home;
- 5 Ways to Give Your Home a Rustic Touch – Jan 2, 2009 … Loading Fetching blurbs now… please stand by …. Juliet Johnson is a Home
- Home Staging: The Winning Way To Sell Your House –
- Real Estate Home Staging News Roundup Week of 9/26/2011 … – Color Trends and Inspiration Chic Color Combo – Pink, White, and Grey I have never used a lot of pink in my home decor, even my four-year-old daughter’s.
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