So you want to sell your home and get the best return on your investment? From my experiences, buyers are looking for a well maintained home. Studies have shown that most buyers make a decision about purchasing a house within 15 seconds of walking through the door. Many buyers have made a decision before getting out of the car! Your furniture and personal décor style are not important to a potential buyer. For that reason, home staging is on the rise. The goal of staging is to make a home appealing to the highest number of potential buyers, thereby selling a property more swiftly and for more money. Staging techniques focus on improving a property’s appeal by transforming it into a welcoming, attractive product that anyone might want.

I’ve put together some simple touches that will peak the interests of the average buyer. The first impression will have a huge impact. When the buyer turns into your driveway, he/she should immediately be interested in seeing the inside.

Simple Touches for the Outside of the Home

• manicure your lawn and shrubs

• repair cracks in driveway and walkway

• remove oil stains in the driveway

• repair any chipped paint on shutters and siding

• remove old TV antennas from the roof

• power wash the brick exterior and add a fresh coat of paint to any wood siding

• check your gutters for proper drainage

• wash your windows inside and out

• keep walkway and doorway clutter free

• add a seasonal pot of flowers or plants near the front door (welcoming them in)

• spruce up your back yard. Buyers are attracted to back yards with a nice deck or patio. Eliminate any clutter and plan your outdoor furniture to give an impression of plenty of space for dining, grilling and entertaining.

• if you show your home in the summer months, have an exterminator spray patio and decks for ants. If your back yard is child friendly, spruce it up with a play area, sand box, etc. Buyers listen to their children. If you have a pool, make sure it is clean. If you have pets, make sure there are no signs of dog poop out there.

Simple Touches for the Inside of the Home

• eliminate any dusk and clutter. You want your home clean and smelling fresh. Clean from ceiling to floor, i.e., crown moldings (looking for spider webs), blades in the ceiling fans, walls, base boards to floors. If possible, hire a professional team to clean your home. It will be well worth the investment.

• repair any signs of leaks, wall cracks, dripping faucets, and lighting fixtures.

• clear counter-tops in kitchen and bath. Clean all appliances inside and out. Remove any appliances that do not work properly. You are not obligated to sell your appliances with the home. Place waste containers away out of sight.

• Remove all notes, magnets, pictures from the refrigerator door. What if a buyer detests this look?

• re-caulk around bath tub and any loose tiles. Invest in replacing towel bars and rings if they look old and tired. Remember to get rid of all clutter. Clutter on counter-tops close in a space and make it appear smaller. Don’t just throw it in cabinets and closets – buyers look at everything. Keep faucets and knobs shining.

• a fresh coat of paint speaks volumes. Generally, neutral colors appeal to a larger population, but I simply adore color!

• pay attention to your floors. Squeaks will tell on you. Replace torn rugs, carpets or linoleum. It’s worth the investment to have on worn floors refinished.

  

  • illuminate the interior by opening blinds and curtains. Wash blinds and curtains so they are fresh. In our last home, there were no window coverings at all on most of our windows  creating an open and airy feeling.
  • open your interior space by getting rid of furniture you don’t plan to take with you. Keep attics, basements, and crawl spaces clutter free. The buyer will look for plenty of storage. Garages house your cars and is not a place for storing everything.
  • be sure your furniture is the right scale for the size if the room and pieces are in balance. For example, don’t have a king-sized bed in a small bedroom and visa-versa.
  • clean out closets of all clothes and items you no longer use. Remove any items from the floors so air will circulate. Organized closets appear larger.
  • use scented potpourri and fresh flowers in kitchen and bath. Electric fragrances are dangerous and have been known to cause fires.
  • make sure there are no offensive pet odors. If you have pets, it may be a good idea to have a relative or friend to pet-sit them during the time you home is be shown. What if the buyer hates pets? The idea that one lived there could turn them from the sale. 
    • • before the buyers arrive, bake fresh bread or cinnamon rolls to give the space a welcoming aroma. Not a baker, boil cinnamon sticks in a pot just 10 minutes before they arrive. Remember to remove all pots from the burners to avoid the look of clutter.
      • make the home look as bright as possible by leaving all the lights on during the day hours.

    
    Don’t leave all of the leg work to your realtor. Check out the market selling price of similar homes in your area. Put yourself in the buyer’s shoes. How would you make a home purchase, from your head or from your heart? Follow suit. Congratulations. You’ve just graduated from “for sale” to “sold!”

I always enjoy sharing my passion with you, and I equally enjoy your comments. 

Sharing my passion,

Deana

Needing a home stager to help you sell your home?
I can coach you all the way from for sale to sold!
Call my office at 877.313.8797 today! 

Check out our amazing virtual interior design service at:
http://www.deanamurphy.com/success-store/home-design-redefined/

©2010 Deana Murphy. All rights Reserved. No parts may be duplicated
without permission.  www.DeanaMurphy.com  http://designingfortheking.com