10 Tips To Sell Your Home

Making your home appealing takes more than just a quick cleanup and some scented candles. When you’ve got your place on the market, here are some tips for creating a great experience for prospective buyers, and really showing off your property to its fullest advantage.

1. Depersonalize
This is one of the most important rules of home staging. Store the kids’ artwork, your family photos, religious items and toiletries. Buyers don’t want to see the space as someone else’s – getting rid of your personal stuff helps them visualize it as theirs.

2. Be a Minimalist
Having less stuff on display makes your place look bigger and more appealing. Pack up the knick-knacks, clear off the countertops, pull half the stuff out of your closets and organize what’s left. If you’re tempted to throw all the extra stuff into the garage, don’t. Buyers will be looking in there too. If you need to, rent a storage unit while your house is on the market.

3. Ensure Your Home is Spotless
One of the biggest turnoffs for buyers is a place that isn’t clean. Steam the carpets, mop the floors, corral the dust bunnies, make sure windows and mirrors are gleaming. Don’t forget about the small everyday stuff like; crumbs on the table, rumpled beds, toothbrushes left by the sink or half-full trash cans. Details count – people will notice.

4. Always Be Show-Ready
Yes, this is a hassle but showings sometimes happen with very little notice, so make sure your home is always clean and ready to go. Don’t put dirty dishes in the sink, wash them right away or put them in the dishwasher. Keep your valuables stored away and make sure personal information isn’t left in plain sight. Ensure your key is always in the lockbox, it helps to create and follow a checklist so you don’t miss a thing.

5. Be Flexible
Be open to last-minute showings and other inconveniences. The more flexible you are now, the less time it should take to sell your home. Don’t stick around when potential buyers are there, there’s nothing more uncomfortable than looking at a house while the current owners are there, watching you. Go out for dinner, take the kids to the park, hang out in a coffee shop or visit friends.

6. Keep Things Fresh
A house that looks clean should also smell clean. Cooking smells, mildew, pet odors, they’re all serious turn-offs. Open the windows, use air purifiers, put out some lightly scented candles but be careful about using plug-ins, room sprays or other artificial fragrances, many people are sensitive to scents and smells. Also, an overwhelming scent can make it seem like you’re trying to mask an odor problem, less is definitely more in this case.

7. Relocate Your Pets
Fido or Fluffy might be friendly but don’t leave them at home during a showing. Not everyone is an animal lover, and no one wants to see the litter box. Have a plan for taking your pet with you for showings or ask a friend to pet-sit while your house is on the market.

8. Make a Great First Impression
Ensuring the inside of your house is presentable is very important, but don’t forget about what potential buyers will see first: the exterior. Boost your curb appeal by making sure windows are clean, trim is painted, and decks are power washed. Adding some colourful flowers to your garden or having planters on your porch can be a wonderfully inexpensive and cheerful boost to the exterior of your home. Don’t forget the entryway; declutter, put out some fresh flowers, and make it a welcoming space that offers the perfect introduction to the rest of your home.

9. Lighten Up
Create a bright, cheery atmosphere by turning on all the lights and opening up the curtains and blinds. Trim back any bushes that block the light, and don’t forget to clean the windows.

10. Show Off Your Assets
Do your best to really maximize the best features of your home. Do you have  beautiful hardwood floors? Put the area rugs away. Want to highlight a nicely renovated kitchen? Get rid of the dish towels and put countertop appliances out of sight to emphasize how great it looks.

It all boils down to this, if you do everything in your power to make your space look the best that it can and be flexible when it comes to showings, your property will appeal to more buyers and sell faster.