How To Declutter Your Home Like A Boss Pt 1 of 6 Preparing Your Home For Sale
Step one and the most vital in selling your home for maximum dollar is decluttering! Don't be afraid to reclaim the space in your house from years of collecting and storing. This is where the "BOSS" part of the title comes in. You are the immediate supervisor of your situation!! You get to choose, what stays and what goes.
The more you declutter, the cleaner and more spacious your home will appear to qualified buyers. Another reason this is an important step is for professional real estate photography. The secret to this process is making your home "look staged" with items you already have.
Mimic this as you declutter. Keep out the items that help make your home look minimal and modern, while still living there.
TIPS ON HOW TO DECLUTTER
Be Prepared - Have garbage bags and boxes on hand.
Split Room Into Sections - Go through them one at a time. Break it up, could be starting on the bookcase, cabinet, desk...or it could be a corner or segment of a room. Ask yourself these three questions:
Hire Someone - if the task seems to be too daunting or you just don't have time then hire someone.
For the bathroom, remove your toiletries and daily bathroom supplies, don't forget the shower. Buyer's really don't want to ee your personal hygiene products (awkward). Your buyer's want a luxurius bathroom experience, clean thoroughly. This will help create the 'new' vibe that buyer's will pay a premium for. Invest in a brand new towel set and keep them for 'show' purposes only, put them away after showings or open houses, this will keep them looking fresh and crisp.
Flowers or plants in both of these spaces can have a big impact. Fresh flowers make spaces come alive and the bathroom or kitchen is no exception. You can make a dramatic statement by adding lots of color and texture or tone it down with an elegant single stem rose in a small decorative vase.
Great examples of staged kitchens - thes are the model homes located in The Village of Escaya in Chula Vista.
Living Rooms and Bedrooms
These spaces in your home should be tranquil and zen, these rooms need to be clutter free. Take a look at your shelving and display areas, do you really LOVE everything being displayed? Keep your most coveted items and donate the rest. If you don't LOVE or NEED it then get rid of it. Your most treasured items should always be packed away for Open Houses!
Minimize furniture & items that make the room look small or cramped. Remove large furniture and personal items such as family photos, awards, books, DVD collections, etc. Fewer items make these rooms appear larger and cleaner. The goal is for potential home buyers to be able to envision their own items in the space.
Play up your windows, don't hide them behind heavy drapes. Sheers work wonders and provide a sense of openness. Letting the light in and keeping the peeping Tom's out by providing some privacy. Window treatments can instantly change the look and feel of a room. Clean lines make the living space feel warm and inviting.
Garage
When it comes to the garage make sure you allocate enough time to complete the task at hand. Depending on the size and accumulated clutter will determine whether this is two-day task or a roll up your sleeves and get it done Saturday morning. Sometimes our garage becomes the dumping ground for all types of things, you are not alone if it feels like a hot mess situation!!
Overwhelmed?!?! Start in sections, one wall at time. Buyers are looking in the garage, they could be assessing several things at this point. One that comes to mind, when buyers put an offer on a home they are expecting to move rather quickly 30-45 days. If it looks like it could take the seller forever to move, they might take the high road and on to the next house. Or worse, put in a low offer.
Clean and organized screams, "this home has been well maintained".
Ideally, pull everything out into the driveway. As you are doing this have trash cans nearby and start discarding items you don't need or want. Not sure? Ask yourself when was the last time you actually used it?
This is also a great time to start packing up the garage. A homeowner that goes through the steps of Preparing Your Home For Sale will sell fast! Getting a head start on the garage is always a good idea.
{6 Enticing Tips To Sell Your Home Like Nobody Else}
Pt 2 of 6: FIND YOUR INNER CLEAN FREAK
Split Room Into Sections - Go through them one at a time. Break it up, could be starting on the bookcase, cabinet, desk...or it could be a corner or segment of a room. Ask yourself these three questions:
- Is this garbage?
- Am I using it? Will I ever?
- If it went missing would you even notice? or care?
Hire Someone - if the task seems to be too daunting or you just don't have time then hire someone.
Declutter All Rooms
Yes, I repeat...you have to declutter ALL rooms...and shoving items in the nearest, closest drawer does not constitute as cleaning up. The definition of declutter is to remove unnecessary items from (an untidy or overcrowded place).
Start one room at a time and get to sectioning off or employ kids and friends to help with the process. Offer up some mojitos and dinner to your besties and make it fun!
Quick Steps To An Immaculate Palace & Few Staging Tips
Kitchen and Bathroom
Start with a blank canvas, clear everything out. Clean out medicine cabinets, closets, cupboards, pantries and drawers. This also give you the opportunity to wipe it down, buyers don't want to open up drawers and see crumbs..I'm just sayin'. Only put back items we absolutely can't live without, perfect time to pack up or give away the items you don't use that often. This will help make packing and moving a cinch.
At this point, kitchen and bathroom counters should be empty.
For the kitchen, pack up your countertop appliances, no more than one appliance, for me it's the coffee maker. If you don't have a built-in microwave it must be put away, its bulky and taking up precious counter space. Decorative canisters or a bowl of fruit is okay, think minimal.
For the bathroom, remove your toiletries and daily bathroom supplies, don't forget the shower. Buyer's really don't want to ee your personal hygiene products (awkward). Your buyer's want a luxurius bathroom experience, clean thoroughly. This will help create the 'new' vibe that buyer's will pay a premium for. Invest in a brand new towel set and keep them for 'show' purposes only, put them away after showings or open houses, this will keep them looking fresh and crisp.
Flowers or plants in both of these spaces can have a big impact. Fresh flowers make spaces come alive and the bathroom or kitchen is no exception. You can make a dramatic statement by adding lots of color and texture or tone it down with an elegant single stem rose in a small decorative vase.
Great examples of staged kitchens - thes are the model homes located in The Village of Escaya in Chula Vista.
Living Rooms and Bedrooms
These spaces in your home should be tranquil and zen, these rooms need to be clutter free. Take a look at your shelving and display areas, do you really LOVE everything being displayed? Keep your most coveted items and donate the rest. If you don't LOVE or NEED it then get rid of it. Your most treasured items should always be packed away for Open Houses!
Minimize furniture & items that make the room look small or cramped. Remove large furniture and personal items such as family photos, awards, books, DVD collections, etc. Fewer items make these rooms appear larger and cleaner. The goal is for potential home buyers to be able to envision their own items in the space.
Play up your windows, don't hide them behind heavy drapes. Sheers work wonders and provide a sense of openness. Letting the light in and keeping the peeping Tom's out by providing some privacy. Window treatments can instantly change the look and feel of a room. Clean lines make the living space feel warm and inviting.
Garage
When it comes to the garage make sure you allocate enough time to complete the task at hand. Depending on the size and accumulated clutter will determine whether this is two-day task or a roll up your sleeves and get it done Saturday morning. Sometimes our garage becomes the dumping ground for all types of things, you are not alone if it feels like a hot mess situation!!
Overwhelmed?!?! Start in sections, one wall at time. Buyers are looking in the garage, they could be assessing several things at this point. One that comes to mind, when buyers put an offer on a home they are expecting to move rather quickly 30-45 days. If it looks like it could take the seller forever to move, they might take the high road and on to the next house. Or worse, put in a low offer.
Clean and organized screams, "this home has been well maintained".
Ideally, pull everything out into the driveway. As you are doing this have trash cans nearby and start discarding items you don't need or want. Not sure? Ask yourself when was the last time you actually used it?
This is also a great time to start packing up the garage. A homeowner that goes through the steps of Preparing Your Home For Sale will sell fast! Getting a head start on the garage is always a good idea.
4 Quick Tips For Packing Your Garage
- Sort and have a garage sale before moving.
- Get the right moving boxes and packing supplies.
- Know what NOT to pack - hazardous materials can't be moved by moving companies for safety purposes.
- Label everything as you go! (Very Important)
Got Pets?
Last but not least, remove any evidence of your furry family member (i.e. pet toys, pet hair on furniture, litter boxes, pet odors).
Almost everyone loves animals....except for the potential buyer who wants your house! Don't let the pet ruin it.
Ready, set, GO!! Its time to fight off your inner pack rat and find your true neat freak selfie! You can do it, remember the end goal is to sell your home at a premium price.
First impressions are EVERYTHING, to the consumer and believe it or not, your REALTOR® too! We are forming opinions of what your home is worth and how it compares to other homes on the market from the second we walk in the front door. Influence us! Get top dollar for your home.
Giving your REALTOR a tour of your home is imperative for pricing your home to sell, ready to schedule a viewing time for an accurate market analysis?
Ready for step number two in our blogging series?{6 Enticing Tips To Sell Your Home Like Nobody Else}
Pt 2 of 6: FIND YOUR INNER CLEAN FREAK
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