by Donn J. Sinclair, MBA May 10, 2022
Curb to Door Appeal
The first impression that your home makes on prospective buyers as they approach your home should entice them to step out of their car and enjoy the upcoming showing. Clean, or have someone clean the gutters so they are free of any visible leaves and debris. Your roof should not look like it is need of imminent replacement. You or someone should hose down the exterior, plus use a soft brush or sponge mop to clean hard to reach soffit and fascia, plus the doors, windows and frames. Your front entryway should sparkle. Thoroughly clean the doors, replace any tarnished hardware, and replace any dingy or burnt out lighting. A new front doormat might be just the final touch.
Do your window and door frames need a quick coat of paint ? Brighter more current trim colors can definitely update your home’s curb appeal. Fertilize your lawn to bring out the green ! Plant bright vibrant flowers in beds and planters. Trim back shrubs and trees to make your home and yard appear larger. All fencing, lawn ornaments, porch furniture should look like new. Fresh mulch is always a plus to accentuate colorful plants and flowers.
Your Rooms Set the Stage
Your #1 objective in staging is to have prospective buyers imagine that your home is their next home. Start in your main living areas and thoroughly clean, polish, and de-clutter every room in your home. This is a great time to start the process of eliminating those items that will not make the move with you. Sell, pass on, or pitch those items that no longer serve your needs. If it looks worn to you, then it probably will to buyers and needs to move on. Maximize your floor and visual space when you clear high traffic areas of excess furnishings. More space and light allow prospects to imagine the possibilities. Less is more, and visually expands and brightens your home.
This definitely applies to cabinets and closets. Once again, if the item is not going to make the move, then move it out now. Your closets, cabinets, and drawers should be a third to one half empty. This makes them appear larger and more spacious. Besides, do you really need to keep those broken toys and mismatched socks ?
Also start to pack up your family photos, trophies, posters, etcetera throughout your home. You want buyers to envision their special photos and memorabilia in your rooms. Set the stage for buyers to envision your rooms as their rooms. Your home as their home. Visualize their furnishings in your home. Now clean and clear your way back through your home so that your home really sparkles and shines.
Repair and Maintenance
Most buyers are not looking for a fixer-upper. Rather buyers want to bring their stuff, move in, and have friends and family over and show off their new home. They want to close on their loan and start the next chapter in their life. From light bulbs to the sink disposal, everything that should work – everything must work. Your buyer should be visualizing enjoying themselves in your home – not making a projects to do list. Send a positive message that your home has been well maintained and there are no deferred maintenance items. First tackle the least expensive and easiest repairs to whittle down your list. Know your limits and acquire or hire help for those projects beyond your abilities. Very very important – this is repair and maintenance – not remodel and renovate. Why spend time and money to update for your tastes. Your buyers will have their own tastes. Let them make those choices.
Trash or Treasure
Because this is Soooo Very Important, let’s return to those cabinets, closets, drawers, built-in shelves, attics, basements, and garages. They all look and feel much larger and more spacious with less stuff. Larger and more spacious with less stuff sells faster. The fastest, easiest, and nearly painless way to de-clutter is to sort to five classifications: move, maybe move, donate and pass down, and trash.
The easiest place to start is to “Trash the Trash and Don’t Look Back”. Place the donated items in your vehicle and immediately donate these items. Phone today to schedule pickups for larger donated items. Start to pack both the non-essential move and maybe move items. It would be great if they can they be stored for a short while with family, friends, or at a self-storage facility. Just the thought of storage may shift some items from your move or maybe move lists. Remember that less is more, and the object is to stage and showcase your home, and not yesteryear’s treasures. Merry Moving to You and Yours !!!
Cleaned, Cleared and Closing from Charlotte NC and Rock Hill SC
by Donn J. Sinclair, MBA (803)329-0609
May 10, 2022