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Removing Clutter, Though You May Not Think of it as Clutter
This is the hardest thing for most people to do
because they are emotionally attached to
everything in the house. After years of living
in the same home, clutter collects in such a way
that may not be evident to the homeowner.
However, it does affect the way buyers see the
home, even if you do not realize it. Clutter
collects on shelves, counter tops, drawers,
closets, garages, attics, and basements.
Take a step back and pretend you are a buyer.
Let a friend help point out areas of clutter, as
long as you can accept their views without
getting defensive. Let your agent help you, too.
Kitchen
Clutter
The kitchen is a good place to start removing
clutter, because it is an easy place to start.
First, get everything off the counters.
Everything. Even the toaster. Put the toaster in
a cabinet and take it out when you use it. Find
a place where you can store everything in
cabinets and drawers. Of course, you may notice
that you do not have cabinet space to put
everything. Clean them out. The dishes, pots and
pans that rarely get used? Put them in a box and
put that box in storage, too.
You see, homebuyers will open all your cabinets
and drawers, especially in the kitchen. They
want to be sure there is enough room for their
"stuff." If your kitchen cabinets, pantries, and
drawers look jammed full, it sends a negative
message to the buyer and does not promote an
image of plentiful storage space. The best way
to do that is to have as much "empty space" as
possible.
For that reason, if you have a "junk drawer,"
get rid of the junk. If you have a rarely used
crock pot, put it in storage. Do this with every
cabinet and drawer. Create open space.
If you have a large amount of foodstuffs crammed
into the shelves or pantry, begin using them –
especially canned goods. Canned goods are heavy
and you don't want to be lugging them to a new
house, anyway - or paying a mover to do so. Let
what you have on the shelves determine your
menus and use up as much as you can.
Beneath the sink is very critical, too. Make
sure the area beneath the sink is as empty as
possible, removing all extra cleaning supplies.
You should scrub the area down as well, and
determine if there are any tell-tale signs of
water leaks that may cause a homebuyer to
hesitate in buying your home.
Closet
Clutter
Closets are great for accumulating clutter,
though you may not think of it as clutter. We
are talking about extra clothes and shoes -
things you rarely wear but cannot bear to be
without. Do without these items for a couple of
months by putting them in a box, because these
items can make your closets look "crammed full."
Sometimes there are shoeboxes full of "stuff" or
other accumulated personal items, too.
Furniture
Clutter
Many people have too much furniture in certain
rooms - not too much for your own personal
living needs – but too much to give the illusion
of space that a homebuyer would like to see. You
may want to tour some builder's models to see
how they place furniture in the model homes.
Observe how they place furniture in the models
so you get some ideas on what to remove and what
to leave in your house.
Storage
Area Clutter
Basements, garages, attics, and sheds accumulate
not only clutter, but junk. These areas should
be as empty as possible so that buyers can
imagine what they would do with the space.
Remove anything that is not essential and take
it to the storage area.
Or have a garage sale.
to
top Fixing Up the House Interior
Plumbing
and Fixtures
All your sink fixtures should look shiny and
new. If this cannot be accomplished by cleaning,
buy new ones where needed. If you don't buy
something fancy, this can be accomplished
inexpensively and they are fairly easy to
install. Make sure all the hot and cold water
knobs are easy to turn and that the faucets do
not leak. If they do, replace the washers. It is
not difficult at all.
Check to make sure you have good water pressure
and that there are no stains on any of the
porcelain. If you have a difficult stain to
remove, one trick is to hire a cleaning crew to
go through and clean your home on a one-time
basis. They seem to be wonderful at making
stains go away.
Ceilings,
Walls and Painting
Check all the ceilings for water stains.
Sometimes old leaks leave stains, even after you
have repaired the leak. Of course, if you do
have a leak, you will have to get it repaired,
whether it is a plumbing problem or the roof
leaks.
You should do the same for walls, looking for
not only stains, but also areas where dirt has
accumulated and you just may not have noticed.
Plus, you may have an outdated color scheme.
Painting can be your best investment when
selling your home. It is not a very expensive
operation and often you can do it yourself. Do
not choose colors based on your own preferences,
but based on what would appeal to the widest
possible number of buyers. You should almost
always choose an off-white color because white
helps your rooms appear bright and spacious.
Carpet and
Flooring
Unless your carpet appears old and worn, or it
is definitely an outdated style or color, you
probably should do nothing more than hire a good
carpet cleaner. If you do choose to replace it,
do so with something inexpensive in a fairly
neutral color.
Repair or replace broken floor tiles, but do not
spend a lot of money on anything. Remember, you
are not fixing up the place for yourself. You
want to move. Your goal is simply to have as few
negative impressions upon those who may want to
purchase your property.
Windows
and Doors
Check all of your windows to make sure they open
and close easily. If not, a spray of WD40 often
helps. Make sure there are no cracked or broken
windowpanes. If there are, replace them before
you begin showing your home.
Do the same things with the doors – make sure
they open and close properly, without creaking.
If they do, a shot of WD40 on the hinges usually
makes the creak go away. Be sure the doorknobs
turn easily, and that they are cleaned and
polished to look sharp. As buyers go from room
to room, someone opens each door and you want to
do everything necessary to create a positive
impression.
Odor
Control
For those who smoke, you might want to minimize
smoking indoors while trying to sell your home.
You could also purchase an ozone spray that
helps to remove odors without creating a masking
odor.
Pets of all kinds create odors that you may have
become used to, but are immediately noticeable
to those with more finely tuned olfactory
senses. For those with cats, be sure to empty
kitty litter boxes daily. There are also
products that you can sprinkle in a layer below
the kitty litter that helps to control odor. For
those with dogs, keep the dog outdoors as much
as possible. You might also try sprinkling
carpet freshener on the carpet on a periodic
basis.
Costs of
Repairs
Do not do anything expensive, such as
remodeling. If possible, use savings to pay for
any repairs and improvements – do not go
charging up credit cards or obtaining new loans.
Remember that part of selling a house is also
preparing to buy your next home. You do not want
to do anything that will affect your credit
scores or hurt your ability to qualify for your
next mortgage.
to
top Fixing Up Outside the House
Most real estate advice tells you to work on the
outside of the house first, but unless there is
a major project involved, we believe it is best
to do it last. There are two main reasons for
this. First, the first steps in preparing the
interior of the house are easier. They also help
develop the proper mind set required for selling
- beginning to think of your "home" as a
marketable commodity. Second, the exterior is
the most important. A homebuyer's first
impression is based on his or her view of the
house from the real estate agent's car.
So take a walk across the street and take a good
look at your house. Look at nearby houses, too,
and see how yours compares.
Landscaping
Is your landscaping at least average for the
neighborhood? If it is not, buy a few bushes and
plant them. Do not put in trees. Mature trees
are expensive, and you will not get back your
investment. Also, immature trees do not really
add much to the appearance value of the home.
If you have an area for flowers, buy mature
colorful flowers and plant them. They add a
splash of vibrancy and color, creating a
favorable first impression. Do not buy bulbs or
seeds and plant them. They will not mature fast
enough to create the desired effect and you
certainly don't want a patch of brown earth for
homebuyers to view.
Your lawn should be evenly cut, freshly edged,
well watered, and free of brown spots. If there
are problems with your lawn, you should probably
take care of them before working on the inside
of your home. This is because certain areas may
need re-soding, and you want to give it a chance
to grow so that re-sod areas are not immediately
apparent. Plus, you might want to give
fertilizer enough time to be effective.
Always rake up loose leaves and grass cuttings.
House
Exterior
The big decision is whether to paint or not to
paint. When you look at your house from across
the street, does it look tired and faded? If so,
a paint job may be in order. It is often a very
good investment and really spruces up the
appearance of a house, adding dollars to offers
from potential homebuyers.
When choosing a color, it should not be
something garish and unusual, but a color that
fits well in your neighborhood. Of course, the
color also depends on the style of your house,
too. For some reason, different shades of yellow
seem to elicit the best response in homebuyers,
whether it is in the trim or the basic color of
the house.
As for the roof, if you know your house has an
old leaky roof, replace it. If you do not
replace a leaky roof, you are going to have to
disclose it and the buyer will want a new roof,
anyway. Otherwise, wait and see what the home
inspector says. Why spend money unnecessarily?
The Back
Yard
The back yard should be tidy. If you have a pool
or spa, keep it freshly maintained and
constantly cleaned. For those that have dogs, be
sure to constantly keep the area clear of
"debris." If you have swing sets or anything
elaborate for your kids, it probably makes more
sense to remove them than to leave them in
place. They take up room, and you want your back
yard to appear as spacious as possible,
especially in newer homes where the yards are
not as large.
The Front
Door & Entryway
The front door should be especially sharp, since
it is the entryway into the house. Polish the
door fixture so it gleams. If the door needs
refinishing or repainting, make sure to get that
done.
If you have a cute little plaque or shingle with
your family name on it, remove it. Even if it is
just on the mailbox. You can always put it up
again once you move. Get a new plush door mat,
too. This is something else you can take with
you once you move.
Make sure the lock works easily and the key fits
properly. When a homebuyer comes to visit your
home, the agent uses the key from the lock box
to unlock the door. If there is trouble working
the lock while everyone else stands around
twiddling their thumbs, this sends a negative
first impression to prospective homebuyers.
to
top Top 10 Ways to Make Home Buyers Hate Your House
From
Janet Wickell
Selling a
Home? Avoid these Home Buyer Turnoffs
Are you selling
a home? Did you know that even though home
buyers are all looking for something different,
the majority of them will turn around and walk
back out of your door if they notice one or more
of these Top 10 problems.
1. Odors
House odors
are number one on the home selling uh-oh
list. And narrowing it down, odors from
cigarette smoke and pets take top billing, with
mildew not far behind.
If you smoke
indoors--the house smells like cigarettes. If
you have pets, the house might smell
bad--even if you don't notice it. Ask someone
who doesn't live there to take a sniff, and
don't get angry when they tell you the truth.
Eradicate
the odors so that you can present potential
buyers with a clean, fresh atmosphere--not
a house that's full of perfumes to cover up the
odors
2.
Dogs that Meet You at the Door or in the
Driveway
Dogs frighten
some people and irritate others. You'll have a
much better response from showings if you
control your pets--dogs, cats, whatever.
You say you
plan to put them in a bedroom or garage and then
ask people not to open the door to that area?
Bad idea. Would you buy a house you can't
inspect? Of course not.
Remove pets
during showings if possible. If you can't,
contain them in crates for their own safety and
to show respect for the feelings of potential
buyers.
3. Dirty
Bathrooms
Grimy
bathrooms are an instant turnoff. Scrub them,
paint them, buy a new shower curtain, rugs and
towels--do what it takes to make them shine. If
you're serious about selling the home, the extra
work is a must.
4. Dimly Lit
Rooms
Dark homes
are a turnoff to most home buyers, so try to
brighten them up:
-
Replace dim light fixtures
-
Install additional light fixtures
-
Install (quality) sun tunnels or skylights
-
Remove heavy drapes to let the light stream through windows
-
Repaint some rooms with colors that reflect light
-
Trim tree limbs that shadow the house
Dirty and
fogged windows are another buyer turnoff. Clean
them inside and out to bring in more light. If
possible, replace any double-pane windows with
broken seals. You can find them by looking for a
foggy residue that cannot be removed.
5. A House
Full of Busy Wallpaper
Busy
wallpaper in every room turns off most
buyers, and even people who love wallpaper
rarely like what you've chosen. It's a personal
decorative touch that they want to select
themselves.
It's the
masses you must appeal to when you're selling a
home, so take a hard look at your wallpaper and
decide if it should be removed and replaced with
paint. Don't paint over it, because it
will be obvious that you did--and buyers know
that makes removing it even more difficult.
6. Damp
Basements
Dampness or
damp smells in the basement throw up a red flag
to buyers that the foundation leaks!
Most problems
we see are not caused by faulty foundations.
They occur because rainwater is being diverted
towards the foundation instead of away from it.
-
Clogged underground drains
-
No rain gutters along roofline
-
Downspouts aimed the wrong way
Go outside
the next time it rains and determine where
runoff water is going.
7. Bugs
Roaches,
spiders, any insect that shouldn't be in
the house. Get rid of them.
8. Poor Curb
Appeal
You must
grab a buyer's interest from the curb if you
want to sell the home for top dollar. Home
buyers often refuse to go into a house with an
unkempt yard, sagging doors or peeling paint.
You say you can't afford to paint? Okay, but get
that yard in tip-top shape and grab a
screwdriver to fix those doors.
9. Gutters
with Plants Growing in Them
I'm serious.
Some people never clean their gutters, and it
always makes buyers wonder what else hasn't
been maintained.
Remember the
drainage issue in #6? Cleaning packed gutters
might help.
10. Sellers
Who Hang Around for Showings
Yes, you...
leave the house during showings. Home buyers
feel awkward about opening closet doors and
lingering for a really good look at the house if
the seller is home.
If you're
selling by owner, give them some space, don't
hover.
Parting
Words
Most of the
Top 10 problems are home selling issues you can
correct without spending a lot of money. Do it
now, before you put the house on the market,
because if your house develops a reputation
among agents as the house that smells,
the house with the huge barking dog or
the house where the owner won't leave people
alone, it will be too late. Your house will
be last on their list to show potential buyers.
to
top
Do you have additional questions?
Feel Free to contact Tucson
Staged Homes for all your
Staging® needs
(520)631-5370
info@TucsonStagedHomes.com
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