Table of Contents
As you gear up to sell your home, you’re probably spending a lot of time preparing for showings and open houses. One of the most important things you should know about property showings is they will leave you with many feelings. Strangers touring your home will be peeking into your closets, medicine cabinets, and that not-so-secret junk drawer in your kitchen. They’ll be making snap decisions about you, your family, and how you live, based on what they see or even what they don’t see. Remember to take none of that personally. The number one goal of your property showing should be to get your house sold for the most money, so you and your family can move on to the next house of your dreams.
This means you’ll have to pack away treasured family photographs and other personalized items lying around your house so potential buyers can visualize their own treasures there. Staging your home for showings also involves more than just having an open furniture design, having sparkling living and sleeping spaces, or a kitchen so clean you can eat off the floors. You should also be prepared with questions that might be asked, paperwork and inspection notices that want to be seen, and what loan or mortgage might be applicable for interested buyers.
As you prepare important paperwork and financial information, you also have to balance showing the actual space. Below are some things you may have not been told been told about showing your property and how to present it properly.
There is No Chance to Make a Second Impression
What potential buyers see when they initially pull up to your home will color their impressions before they even walk through the door. Make sure your lawn is mowed, shrubbery trimmed, and that there is no trash lying around. The front door should boast a new coat of paint as well. Don’t forget to place colorful flowering plants in containers. Replace that rusty mailbox and those tarnished house numbers as well. Curb appeal will set the stage and invite interested parties in, no matter what the interior looks like.
Get Those Small Spaces
How your garage, basement, and attic look is important. Clean out the clutter in these often-overlooked rooms so the buyer can picture the space better and visualize their things there or the transformation that will take place when your home becomes theirs. If possible, move out some of your extra supplies into a storage facility just to make room and clear up the storage spaces. If possible, add in extra shelves, corner cabinets, or new storage space to make the space more utilitarian.
Get in the Details
Don’t forget those closets and cabinets. Clear them out where you can so potential buyers have a feel for the storage space that’s available in your home. You don’t have to make each one spotless but clean up and minimize junk, so you can give new buyers a feel of what can be stored where.
Getting your home ready for showings can be an emotional experience. After all, you’ve made memories here, but think of the memories you’ll make in your new place as you clean up and clear out your old junk!
Resources:
https://www.hgtv.com/shows/curb-appeal
https://for-small-spaces.com/product-category/corner-storage/corner-armoire/
https://www.getwhatyouwant.ca/30-day-guide-to-preparing-your-house-for-sale
