I find that when selling a home, staging the house so that it appeals to a broad ranges of potential buyers is a very important, and often overlooked aspect of preparation. Yet, it can be one of the most important things you do. Here are 10 mistakes that sellers often make in the preparation of their home for sale.
1. Closets and Storage Spaces. Buyers love storage space. Remove as much of the stored stuff from your house. Take it to a friend’s house or put it in off site storage. The idea is to make the storage space in your home appear to be as large as possible. This goes for your kitchen cabinets and garage too. Finally, never use air-conditioned and heated space for storage. Buyers want as much living space as possible, and using a room for storage makes the house seem smaller.
2. Laundry Room/Area. Everyone has to do laundry and wants a neat space to do it. Make sure you remove all items that are not related to laundry from the room or area. Then, clean it thoroughly.
3. Pictures and Nicknacks. You don’t know the people that look at your home personally, and they don’t need to know you. Remove all personal photos (wedding, family, etc.) and put them in storage. Replace them with generic photos that set a feeling and tone that anyone would feel comfortable in. The same goes for nicknacks and collections. Put away any excessive amounts of items like this. They cause the home to feel more cluttered to someone who is trying to imagine their things in the home.
4. Colors. You may love your bright red bathroom, but, not everyone will. Use colors that are neutral and anyone would love. This goes for walls, floors, window treatments, etc. Your goal is to ensure that the home appeals to the broadest number of potential buyers.
5. Furniture. This is a big one. Just as no one likes to cram their things into cluttered and crowded closets, the same is true of rooms in general. Remove all excess furniture from the home. Put it in storage, or even the garage if you have to. Make sure that the living spaces have just enough furniture to make them appear decorated and usable. The idea is to increase the apparent size of the rooms.
6. Refrigerator and Pantry. Nothing can kill a potential buyer’s mood like a cluttered or dirty refrigerator or pantry. Remove all old or unnecessary items. Make sure that the pantry contains only food-related items. Remove all of the extra stuff off of the front and sides of your refrigerator. Again, visitors are looking to buy your house, not become your best friend.
7. Outside. You may spend all of your time inside your house, and haven’t been on your side yard for 3 years. But, I guarantee that a serious buyer will walk around your house. Stage the outside as much as the inside. Remove junk and unnecessary items. Clean up any signs of pets. Finally, if your home hasn’t been painted in a few years, spend the money and get it done. As with the rest of life, first impressions are important here and everyone loves curb appeal.
8. Pets. If you are serious about selling your home, you need to seriously remove any evidence whatsoever of pets from your house. No one loves your dog or cat or other pet like you do. Certainly not a potential buyer. Clean and vacuum before every showing, and take your pets with you. Even go as far as to board them, if necessary. But, do not leave them in the home during a showing.
9. Damage and Worn Items. Repair or remove all broken or damaged items in your home. This includes, fixtures, faucets, flooring, walls, etc. If you can’t repair it don’t hide it. Nothing turns a potential buyer off more than finding damage that was hidden. It is easiest to just implement a weekly plan of repair and maintenance before you list your home, or even after. Just get them fixed one by one.
10. Timing is Everything. If you aren’t ready to sell your home, don’t list it. A good way to tell if the house is presentable is to ask - Would I allow a new acquaintance I just met to visit, and not be embarrassed about anything in the home? Make sure that the house is prepared and staged in a way that makes it easy for potential buyers to imagine themselves living in the home. Isn’t this the idea?
