When you decide to sell your home, it can be an emotional process, especially if you’ve lived there for many years. You make so many memories in your home that it can be hard to let it go.
With all the stress of selling your home comes the added stress of getting it ready. You want to make as much money as you can off of the sale. Preparing your house for a showing is one way to help.
What do you do to get your house ready to show potential buyers? Follow the guide below to get you started.
Start Cleaning
The first thing to do is to begin cleaning the entire house. No one wants to walk into a dirty and cluttered house if they’re thinking of buying it. They want to picture their family in your living room, and it’s hard to do that if your stuff is lying around everywhere.
Dust every nook and cranny you can find. Don’t forget about any railings, both inside and outside. They can collect a lot of dust and often get forgotten about.
Organize Your Closets
Potential buyers want to see every aspect of your home, including the closet. Although it may be snoopy to some, many viewers will open up closet doors to see what’s behind the door. Be prepared for this. Organize and declutter the closet. You don’t want junk falling out when someone opens the door. Nor do you want any personal items visible that you want to be kept private.
Repair Any Minor Damages
You want to show your house in the best condition possible. If you spot any minor damages, try to fix them before the showing. Anything that is major, you can either fix it or have the realtor make a note that it will get discussed in the deal.
Take Down Items Moving With You
Since you want your potential buyers to picture themselves living in your home, you should remove any items that you’ll take with you. Avoid any awkward conversations over an item that was around in the showing, but you instead took it with you. The buyer can’t dispute an item if he or she never saw it in the first place.
Check the Curb Appeal
When a buyer drives up, they’ll make their first impression of your home based on the front yard. Picture yourself as someone first approaching the property. What do you see and how does it make you feel? If there are children’s toys lying around everywhere and the grass looks like a jungle, it doesn’t give off a good first impression.
Set a Comfortable Temperature
You want to have the temperature in your home at a comfortable level. Set it to a level that keeps the potential buyer inside. If it’s summer, your home should be a place of relief from the heat. During the winter, the warmth should make them want to continue walking through your home.
Create a Pleasant Smell
The smell of your home will factor in the appeal of it. A good tip is to bake a fresh batch of cookies or have some citrus fruit in a display bowl. Be careful about candles and air fresheners, as many people have allergies to the fragrances.
