A buyers’ first impressions are set as they approach the house. Therefore, make your home more attractive and purchase-worthy starts in the front yard. To spruce up the yard: Make sure plants are of varied heights and sizes; add color, particularly pink, purple, blue and white flowers; thin out bushes; trim trees; and seed and fertilize the lawn. Put gravel in any thin strip of property between homes. This will make the space look cleaner and less neglected. Also, place mulch around plants. Among the many benefits, it’s aesthetically pleasing and provides unity in the yard.
Current buyers want homes that are well maintained and move-in ready. They may not have the money to make improvements, so go ahead and repair, repaint, update, clean and stage. Repaint in a neutral color. Remove clutter and lighten up spaces by getting rid of heavy curtains and adding new lighting fixtures. Have the windows professionally cleaned. Place fresh, plush spa-like towels in bathrooms.
Buyers will inspect all closets. Clean them out and leave them one-third empty, particularly in older homes with smaller closets. This is one of my favorite tips. Buyers open a closet, see all the empty spaces and think “This home has a lot of storage” … they never think “The sellers must have had a stager come into the home who told them to clean out the closets to give the appearance to more storage space.” The human mind just doesn’t work that way.
Finally, depersonalize the home so potential buyers can imagine themselves in the space. Once the house is model-ready, have professional photos taken. Unflattering photos are a huge red flag. Some buyers are wary of flippers, so avoid anything that might lead buyers to think that quick and possible shoddy work has been done to the house.
Much of this can seem overwhelming to some sellers. If that’s you, call in a professional stager like me to help you through the process. Better yet call in a Realtor who also knows staging (ME) and get the job done so you can move onto the next chapter in your life.