Preparing your house for sale requires a thorough look at the overall aesthetic condition of your home. It’s easy to overlook the clutter when you’re living in it day-to-day. This is why it’s crucial to take a step back and look at your home objectively so you can see what buyers will see when they tour your home.
Bring in help. When you are living in your home you become accustomed to the way it looks every day and it’s easy to overlook things that might stand out to buyers in a negative way. After a while you stop noticing the stack of papers on the counter, the unopened mail falling off the shelf and all those overflowing closets. Bringing in an impartial set of eyes will help you identify your blind spots. Bring in a friend or your Realtor and ask them to point out things that need to be tidied up, put away, and boxed up.
Declutter the kitchen and living room. Start with the living room and kitchen because these are the first rooms a potential buyer will see. Put away all nonessential appliances – pots and pans, cooking utensils, blenders, etc. The goal is to have your counters clean and sparse to show how nice your kitchen looks. Remove magnets, artwork and calendars from the fridge. This can be distracting for buyers who want to imagine themselves living there. Straighten up pillows on the couch, hide electric cords, remove magazines, and anything else that doesn’t add to the appeal of your living room. Think about those homes you see in catalogs and try to emulate the simplicity of those rooms.
Nostalgia is not your friend. When you start packing up old photos and memorabilia it can be easy to get derailed by sentimental feelings, but this will only slow you down. Implement a 10 second rule when you find yourself looking at old photos, cards and anything else that makes you pause. Don’t get stuck in the weeds – Pack it up and move on. This is the only way to declutter efficiently.
KonMari your house. Take a page from Marie Kondo’s trending Netflix series – visualize the destination and tackle categories not rooms. A good place to start is by sorting and donating clothes. Take a look at your entire household and identify where you can pare down your wardrobes, what you can donate and what is ready to be packed up. A good goal is to trim down your closets by one third. Off-season clothing and shoes are a quick way to jump start the packing up process.
Start the purge. Only take what you love to the new house and start donating the rest. It’s common to hold onto clothes, furniture, books, and toys past their prime, but you don’t want to lug all that stuff to your new home. Now’s a good time to start giving away items that are no longer needed or used. Doing this will help you find your way to your refreshed and clutter-free home that is show-ready.
The Bruske Team works with buyers and sellers in Arcadia, Paradise Valley, the Biltmore and the surrounding neighborhoods. Give us a call if you’re looking for tips on how to sell your home fast and for the highest price.