When it comes time to sell your home, it is important to stage your home properly and effectively for the market. You only have one opportunity to make agreat first impression- Don't let it slip through yoru fingers. While most agents are well versed in home staging techniques, and will offer some advice, some other agents may refer you to home staging specialists. I for one,bring my 28 years of expertise to the table, and even "stage your home for digital marketing, which has a somewhat different strategy.
If you happen to be doing research on getting your home ready to go on the market, one thing is for certain- whenever you see an article on staging, the top of the list always seems to be "cleaning and/or de-cluttering".
That's for good reason, and if you only did ONE thing to help you sell your home besides pricing it properly, with the help of a great agent (like me) cleaning and de-cluttering would be the single best way for you to help your home sell as quickly as possible, and for as much money as the market will bear. We have put together our Top Ten list of areas to clean and declutter for your convenience.
The Top Ten Cleaning and Decluttering Areas of Your Home to Pay Attention to, in Order of Importance:
1. Your Home's Front Entrance: Remove leaves, snow , dirt, cobwebs, or excess anything on your front porch and front yard.
2. Your Home's Interior Front entry area: Keep your entrance sparkling clean, and make sure the front hall closet is NOT overstuffed with various items.
3. The Kitchen: There are many things to do in the kitchen. Take as many items off the countertop as you can, remove any and all refrigerator magnets, and visible dishcloths and sponges. Clean the inside of your cabinets and remove rarely used items so that it appears you have a lot of storage. Keep the kitchen spotless!
4. The Bath(s): The bathroom should be sparkling clean at all times- no ifs, and, or buts.
5. Closets: The most forgotten about staging tip. A jam packed closet gives the subliminal message that you don't have enough room in there. For linen closets, keep your finest linens in the closet, and store the others. Make sure items are neatly stacked and folded. For bedroom closets, store clothing and shoes that are rarely worn in another location, so that the closet looks as big as it possibly can.
6. Family Room: Remove excess magazines, remotes, and "chachke". Sparse decor is actually better- it won't detract or distract from the room. Ditto for the living room, by the way.
7. Bedrooms: Remove excess items from the top of dressers, bureaus, and tables, and any collections of stuffed animals, or bric-a-brac that may be distracting.
8. Yard: Maintain your yard in show-condition. And here's an unpopular tip but a wise one- If your immediate neighbor is not that concerned about his/her yard, you may want to approach them and do some maintenance for them on their yard. Buyers judge everything- even your neighbors
9. Basement: DO NOT PAINT THE BASEMENT FLOOR. It will look like you are trying to hide something. If you have a lot of boxes, arrange them neatly, and make sure that a buyer can walk through your basement without feeling like they are walking through a maze. Contrary to what you might think, a few boxes in the basement is actually a good thing. It lets buyers know that you are unconcerned about moisture or water damage to whatever you have stored down there.
10. Garage: Make sure your garage is clean and uncluttered. Organization is key in this area. So is a clean swept floor.
In general, remove most or all personal effects from every room in the house. For safety and security reasons, remove prescription drugs, jewelry and small valuables from reasonable view.
And a note From Judy: If you have a question about buying or selling a home in Fairfield County, and are in need of an Realtor to represent you, I invite you to contact me, and if you have an idea for a topic that you would like to see on The CT Realty Blog, please include it in the "Post a Comment" section link below this post. We appreciate the feedback and look forward to providing you with the best real estate content, advice and service in Fairfield County, Connecticut.