Are you selling your home yet are unsure what fluff and polishing should be done? The great thing is that this is not a difficult task, it is something that many homeowners face and there is plenty of information on what should be done to clean and stage your home so it will sell fast. Here are five top tips on the subject:
1. Get Your House Cleaning On
The number one tip that experts seem to agree on is this one, cleaning and decluttering is crucial. In general, you either want to hire professional house cleaning service or you want to give the entire house your best professional cleaning, putting everything in its place. How do you professionally clean a house? Here are some specifics:
Bathrooms – Make sure they are spotless and that fresh towels are out. Make sure the mirrors sparkle and the lids of the toilet and garbage are all shut.- Air – The air must smell fresh, this does not mean light a thousand candles or use smelly air fresheners, some people are allergic to these things. Instead, open up the windows throughout the home and let fresh air in. Take out the trash, clean the litter box, wash the dog’s bed, store you pet food in a closed container, air out beds prior to making them, etc. The smell of your home is something to may be used to, especially if you have pets, but others may not like it.
- Clutter Control – There are times in which this may seem like a difficult task, however it is an important one. Try to make sure that the closest in the front hall are decluttered so guests can hang their coats up and remove as much junk off of the surfaces as you possibly can. It is important for your prospective buyer to feel as if there is sufficient room for their stuff.
2. Let There Be Light
The second most offered tip is a fix it which offers great bang for the buck: lighten and brighten things up. What this means is repair light fixtures that are broken, put new light bulbs in, move furniture are from the front of the windows, replace drapes that are dirty, open up blinds and curtains during a showing, wash windows, etc. The estimated cost associated with this fix is around $375, the expected results however could be a pop of as much as $1,550 in the price of the sale.
3. Your House: Your Stage
It is highly recommended by experts that you incorporate home staging, these include a few old fashioned tips such as making sure fresh flowers are placed out and of course some newer ones such as rearranging your furniture to provide better sightlines. There are actually realtors who offer staging services themselves, or subcontract to stagers. If this is something you prefer doing yourself than make sure to use common sense, try to only have two to three different colors of furnishings in the room. Make sure that when potential buyers walk into a room, they for not see the backs of all of the furniture. Experts claim that the return on investment can be as much as 299%.
4. Stay off the Grass
The fourth tip on our list is specifically for those who have any areas that require landscaping. Make sure that the lawn is watered and mowed, get rid of all dead leaves on your shrubs, put out some new plants as well. It may cost your around $540 to have some landscaping done, however the expected return is around $1,923.
5. Be Handy
To top off our list we have the fix it up part, make sure that all plumbing and electrical repairs are taken care of. Replace or repair leaky faucets, stop toilets form gurgling, and make sure that every electrical outlet works.
These five tips and pointers for cleaning and staging your house for sale are simple, yet when done right they can be very effective.
