Readying your home to sell!

Sweeney Southern Homes

You’re thinking of selling your home, but you’re looking around, not sure where to start.  Of course, the most important part of the process is to get an agent who will work hard for you, working for your best interests, so call me!  Next, you have to start getting your home ready. 

The hardest step for any home seller is disassociating from your home.  Look at it as a product, instead of with the emotional attachment of your home. Step back, say goodbye, and say hello to a glorious future!

Think about when you were looking for your home.  When you walked through the house, did you want to picture the family that lived there previously, or did you want to picture your own family there?  You wanted to imagine the home as you would have it yourself.  So step back, take a deep breath, and remove yourself from the emotional attachment and history.  Look at it as if you were selling a product.  You want it to be inviting and attractive, yet show it’s functionality without the personal fluff. It’s important to make your home photogenic as well, as most buyers these days preview their potential home choices on line.  I’m going to help you get started with the process, give you a simple step-by-step guide to help you achieve your goal of preparing your home for sale, helping you to achieve the price you would like for that sale.

1. First impressions.  We have all heard the term “curb appeal,” but it’s true.  First impressions are key.  Whether or not your buyer likes it from the car will determine if he or she gets out of the car to go inside.  Make sure your home has been pressure washed, paint any trim that is worn.  Keep your lawn mowed, edged, and manicured with fresh mulch.  Trim bushes and plant flowers.  Make sure gutters are cleaned out and any dips that collect water in the driveway, sidewalk, or yard are taken care of.  Clean and refresh outside furniture, get rid of old outside furniture that looks worn.  Make sure that the windows are clean, and remove any screens while you are in the selling process.  Screens can cast shadows which make windows appear dirty.  Make sure that any children’s toys, trash cans, etc., are out of sight.  Remember, the mantra during the home selling process is neat, uncluttered, clean.  You want the outside of your house to look that way, too. 

1. Depersonalize and get rid of the clutter.  Pack away the family photos, the knick-knack collections, the family heirlooms.  Use accents to differentiate rooms for internet shoppers. Don’t use the same comforter in all the bedrooms, for example, as it will be hard to tell which is the master bedroom, and which is the third bedroom.  Shoppers do not want to think about the current family who lives there, they want to see themselves living there.  Also, replace those items that are not going with the house.  Buyers will assume that certain appliances, fixtures, and window coverings will convey with the house.  It’s better to let them see what will be actually staying with the house, rather than wish they had what was there.  If they fall in love with your great-grandmother’s chandelier in the dining room, and find out it isn’t staying, it could break a deal later on.

Everyone has clutter, so what better way to start packing than to clean it out?  You may want to consider a storage unit. If you haven’t used it in a year, it’s probably time for it to go. Minimize the furniture, but tastefully. A bed, nightstand, and dresser in the master bedroom is enough furniture.   Remember, people want to see how their stuff will look in your house.  They don’t want to see an empty house; nor do they want an over-furnished one. Let your 20 year old recliner take a break in the storage unit for a little while. You want everything to look neat, uncluttered, and clean.  Have essential items and accessories in each room to give it distinction.  Clear off kitchen counters and flat surfaces, empty bookshelves.  Store little things like remote controls and kitchen utensils in a small box, and place in the closet for when you do need them.

Buyers are nosey, so remember the inside of closets, cabinets, and built-in drawers.  Arrange clothing neatly in closets, hanging them in the same direction, with shirts, pants, and longer items separated, not crammed.  Line up shoes neatly.  If it’s summer, pack up your winter clothing, and put it in that storage unit.  In the kitchen, stack dishes neatly. Put like glasses together, and turn coffee cups so that their handles are turning in the same direction.  Put spices in alphabetical order, and minimize your pan collection, placing them neatly in the cabinet.  Empty your junk drawer.

1. Paint and take care of minor repairs.  There’s nothing like a fresh coat of paint to make a house shine!  Pick neutral colors, such as an ivory or beige.  If a prospective buyer sees neon orange, pink, or some other color that they don’t like, it could make them turn around and walk out, or at least think that they have to repaint before they can move in.  You don’t want buyers to remember your house as the one with the purple and pink polka dotted living room!  Buyers want a house to be move-in-ready.  Fix the broken tile in the bathroom, patch the hole in the wall, fix the squeaky door, replace burnt out light bulbs, broken knobs.

4.      CLEAN!!!  Make your house sparkle!  A clean house sells much faster than one that is dirty.  Remember, too, that buyers will breathe in the scent of your home.  You don’t want them to turn up their nose and walk out!  Dust and clean baseboards, trim, fixtures, ceiling fans, furniture. Bleach grout in the bathrooms, clean out the refrigerator and oven.  Wax floors, clean carpets, replace worn rugs.  Wash the inside and outside of all windows.  Pressure-wash the exterior of the home.  Clean cobwebs from porches, garages, outdoor living spaces. Place fresh new towels in the bathroom.  Keep trash empty.  You may consider investing in a cleaning company to do a thorough cleaning for you, if you don’t have the time.  Dust, sweep, vacuum daily.  Keep it neat and clean.

1. When everything is done, step back, enlist a friend, or have your agent do a pre-listing walk-through with you.  Be subjective.  Pretend that you are looking at the home as a buyer. Take a notepad.  Drive by your home, as if you were a prospective buyer.  Is there anything out of place, anything that needs repaired?  Is anything not appealing? How do the window coverings look from the outside? Are they level? Is there a broken blind? Can you tell who, if anyone, lives there?  If the answer is no, then you are almost done.   

Now, walk in the front door.  Is it inviting, homey? Breathe.  Do you smell anything offensive? Check each room thoroughly, as a buyer would.  Check furniture arrangements, and make changes as needed.   Does each room invite you in? Is it appealing? Check your notes, and make any changes as necessary. 

It’s really important to make sure your home is ready before you list.  The home that is selling-ready is much more likely to go quickly and at the desired price than one that is put on the market unprepared.  If you would like an assessment of your home, call me today!

At Sweeney Southern Homes, I specialize in providing outstanding personalized service every client.  Constant communication, understanding, and attention to detail is what I do.  An Air Force veteran, I am also an asset to military members who PCS in or out of Joint Base Charleston.  Buying or selling your home is one of the biggest events of your life! I am your trusted Charleston Real Estate professional … nothing is more satisfying than helping people achieve their dreams – and I love what I do!  Call 843-300-2636, Facebook, or email today!

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