Is your house for sale? Or are you getting ready to put your house on the market? It is important to know that a potential buyer’s first impression can mean the difference of literally thousands of dollars in emotional appeal to a buyer - or make the difference of whether the property sells or sits on the market for months.

In “5 Curb Appeal Tips to Help Sell Your Home“, I provided tips for enhancing the outside of your property and popping up the curb appeal. Now it is time to focus on the inside of your home - and your 3 main objectives are to:
De-clutter, De-personalize, and Clean-Clean-Clean!

1. PAINTING INSIDE - Use light, neutral colors; it gives the feeling of spaciousness and cleanliness. Two popular wall colors are Sherwin Williams ‘Navajo White’ and ‘Rice Grain.’

2.  CARPETS - Do they need to be replaced (with a neutral beige color) or at least steam-cleaned and deodorized? Did you know that buyers spend most of their time looking down? Make sure that your floors and carpets are clean and in good shape.

3. ENTRY - Add a large mirror to give a spacious feeling.

4. KITCHEN - Clean counter tops of crumbs and clutter, box
up and remove extra or unwanted appliances or utensils. Clean
or replace the nasty, crummy toaster or coffee pot if they need
to sit out on the counter. Potential buyers must be able to see
clean and clutter free counters and floors.

5. BATHROOMS - Replace shower curtain. Clean everything to the “Mr. Clean” shine! Re-caulk around tubs, showers, sinks. Fix plumbing leaks. Everything must look like new - especially the sinks, toilets (replace the seats), faucets, doorknobs, cabinets or other built-ins. Countertops clear and clean. Scented soap and fresh or new towels - make sure towels are hung properly.

6. BEDROOMS - Tone down the personalization of teenagers’ rooms. Neat and spacious. All the beds made.

7. CLOSETS - If winter, remove all summer clothing. If summer, remove all winter clothing so that closets look spacious. Closets must be almost empty and organized to feel large.

8. FAMILY AND LIVING ROOMS - Spacious, airy, remove extra pictures, magazines, etc. Rooms should have a “clear
definition” of function so potential buyers don’t have to do any guess work. Simplify to sell! Make sure that buyers are getting the square footage advertised by packing away the clutter.
Trick the eye - use color schemes, window treatments, and
furniture to make spaces seem larger.

9. WHEN SHOWING - Get the family involved. TV off, soft
music on, pets out. Everything picked up, use sprays and deodorizers sparingly, open drapes/blinds and turn lights on. Toilet lids down. Place flowers throughout the home. Make sure entrances to a room are accessible and bright. Create a “showroom” feel.

10. SOMETHING EXTRA-  For showing, bake cinnamon rolls or chocolate chip cookies or boil herbs and spices for aroma. These smells bring warm fuzzies to the potential buyers’ minds.

Bonus Home Staging Action Plan

Quick Reference Guidelines for selling your home:

1. Start with the outside or your home, then work in from the front door.
2. Painting is the first thing that most agents recommend to home sellers. It’s the quickest and most inexpensive way to freshen the outside as well as the interior.
3. Make sure that your home is neat and clean. A well-kept appearance makes a favorable impression.
4. To sell your house, make sure it is the one that:

• appears to be the most spacious
• feels the most cheerful
• has the most curb appeal
• is the best possible choice in that price range and lets the buyers imagine living in your home!

-Vicki Honeycutt
Realtor, Home Staging and Feng Shui Expert, Trend Funnel Blogger
vickihoneycutt@remax.net
www.VickiHoneycuttRealty.com

Please feel free to ask questions or leave comments about this post below. Vicki would love to hear from you!

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Tags: de-cluttering your home, Designed to Sell, Greensboro NC Realtor, Home Staging Expert, How To Advice, Realtor Tips for Balanced Living, tips for selling a home in winter

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This entry was posted on Monday, March 15th, 2010 at 10:13 pm and is filed under Realtor Tips for Balanced Living. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response below.