I can hardly believe that it’s December!! Can you believe the whole year is behind us
and 2023 is practically here? While you are wrapping up all those holiday gift packages, I
thought now would be a great time to give you some pointers and tips on the best way you can
present your home for sale.
Here are a few of my go to pointers for helping sellers stage their homes to highlight all
the best features you have, and the best news for you is that these are all FREE!! That’s right,
all of these recommendations will make a big impact on showings of your home and will not cost
you a dime!
The first thing I recommend you do is depersonalize and minimize your decorations and
furniture. Make sure that you don’t have any family pictures, monograms, framed awards, etc.
Remove any and all items displayed on your fridge, all “extra” furniture that is along walls or in
common pathways. I think anything that you are using for extra storage should be cleaned out
and removed. This could be actual furniture or storage accessories. The worst message you
can send to your potential buyers is a lack of storage or space. You want everything to feel and
look simplified, spacious and organized.
The next thing you should do is clean out an declutter EVERY closet, cabinet and
drawer!! I see a ton of homes where the home is “staged” well but once you open a closet,
cover your head! Newsflash, every buyer who looks at your home is going to look in your
cabinets and closets. They should be clean and neat with the very least amount of items stored
in them. Don’t stack 30 cups and 40 containers from top to bottom y’all, or have a million towels
and blankets crammed in a closet. Have the minimum normally needed to survive and PACK
what you can’t live without up and store it in the attic or garage. We should see extra space in
all these areas when you are done. They need to give the illusion you haven’t even used all
your available real estate! DISCLAIMER- This process will likely end in a trip to the goodwill
drop off!
The last thing I recommend you do is deep clean. This is not a standard or normal
cleaning. I want you to wash all your walls, doors and trim. Inside and outside. I want you to
windex every piece of glass, window or mirror you own. I want you to clean behind your stove,
fridge, washer and dryer and EVERY piece of furniture you own. This is the kind of cleaning you
would do if you had a serious OCD disorder and were concerned for your life if anything was left
untouched. If you need a list, I have one I can send you!
For those who are dedicated enough to complete this list before selling your home, I can
promise you it will payoff big and you will be glad you did it! I wish you all the best as you
prepare for the new year, and as always, I offer a complimentary consultation if you need help
making your list of to do’s.