When people are walking through a property, they are looking for a place to call their own. If your belongings are everywhere (including on the walls), it makes it difficult for buyers to imagine the house as theirs. Since you are most likely planning on moving anyway, beginning the process by decluttering your home is a great first step. Even items that you know you will be keeping can be boxed up and set aside. Be aware that stuffing everything into a closet or cabinet doesn’t actually accomplish much, since buyers will be opening doors and looking around. Furthermore, when organizing your boxes of goods, take care not to block off access to a room or even the garage. Finding an off-site location is best.
DECLUTTERING
It’s not just the small things, it’s the furniture too. Too many furnishings can make a house look extra small or cramped. Ideally, a home ready for walk-throughs would be pared down to some basic furniture, standard amenities and well-placed, tasteful decorations.
Along with decluttering, actually organizing your possessions is helpful as well. Bookshelves or kid’s rooms should look attractive and inviting, not messy. Even straightening the shoes on the closet floor helps! Remember, as your listing agents, we will provide you with 2 extra hours of organizational help!
Keeping a home organized while you are having showings can be difficult if you lead a busy life, or have children. The goal is to have it ready at the outset so that the offers come in immediately!
CLEANING
Once you’ve dealt with any clutter, taking the next step to deep clean will be much easier. It cannot be emphasized enough that deep cleaning your house and surrounding property will make a huge difference in the likelihood of it selling quickly and for top dollar.
It is amazing how many times we’ve seen buyers walk through a property and only notice and comment on the personal possessions or piles of dishes in the sink – missing the features of the actual house entirely. It’s hard for buyers to look past a dirty bathroom or overflowing garbage bin.
Look for a deep clean checklist online as a guide, or just consider actually wiping everything down from the ceiling to the floor… It makes a bigger difference than you would imagine!
Don’t forget that ‘cleaning’ applies to the exterior as well. Power washing is a great idea for updating a property’s appearance, and being able to see easily through windows helps a lot too.
Consider hiring a cleaning service to do the deep clean or to come in weekly to maintain things if this part of selling your home seems overwhelming to you. We can help find and schedule someone for you, or be present at your home during the deep clean.
It may seem overwhelming to tackle clutter, organization and deep cleaning all while planning a life transition such as selling your home or property – but consider it as part of the moving process – a jump start on the inevitable. It’s a great time to downsize too, if that’s part of your plan, and in the end, it will help the transaction portion of the process to flow more smoothly, while also helping you get top dollar.
