By Naoji Moriuchi, The Moriuchi Group/Keller Williams Moorestown
Moorestown Living | February 2019
Often the first question future sellers ask is “what should I do to get my home ready to list?” Let’s jump start that part of the process. If listing in the spring is on your mind, here are the top 5 things a seller should do to make their home near show ready.
DEPERSONALIZE
Potential buyers want to walk into your home and imagine themselves living there. They will mentally try to place their furniture and décor throughout when viewing your home. Besides for privacy reasons, it is highly encouraged to remove family photos throughout so that buyers’ imaginations can work full throttle. So take all of the images of the beautiful memories and start packing them up so you have one less thing to box before your move.
PURGE AND ORGANIZE THE CLUTTER
It’s time for that pile of magazine stacking up knee high to go! Organize and downsize those toys in the playroom that lacks a view of the floor below. Put away the clothes in the laundry room. Make your home look the cleanest, brightest, and neatest it has been. It’s a fine line from making a home look like the place a buyer wants to live in versus a home that is clearly being lived in. Make time beforehand to get it ready to be shown.
CLOSETS ARE FOR SHOW TOO
When you are purging and organizing, do not just stash everything in the closet. Future buyers want to see how much storage and closet space they will have. They will most likely open a closet door or two, peak in a pantry, or test your kitchen to see if they are soft close drawers. Be ahead of the game and have those areas show ready.
NEUTRALIZE
Everyone’s taste and style is different. You may have a home done in deep shades of a colonial pallet, but your buyer may prefer pastels. Make it best for all and create a fresh canvas if possible. It is often worth spending the money to have a home freshly painted in a neutral huge throughout, while removing any wall décor or accents, such as wall paper, paneling, or borders. If you have a more vibrant flooring choice, and it’s feasible to replace it with neutral flooring, do it!
CURB APPEAL
You only get one chance to make a first impression. Before the “for sale” sign goes in the yard and photographs are taken for listing, freshen up the yard. It could be as simple as weeding and raking, or even getting fresh flowers and a layer of mulch in the beds. Power washing the exterior and sidewalks, and outdoor painting is good, as needed, for better curb appeal.
You want to sell your house for the highest price possible. These simple steps will aid in doing just that. Spend these cold weekends clearing the clutter, and straightening those closets. Start going down this list to get your home ready for the Spring Market – it’s just around the corner.