Styling Your House For Sale
Spring is always been a popular season for selling a house. Gardens look their best with flowers in bloom, daylight hours are longer and the warmer weather draws more potential buyers outside. If you had planned for a spring sale but did not quite get around to prepping your house for it during the winter months, then this short list of easy tips will help you get started right away.
Clear The Clutter
You can never have too much storage space and that is a feature that every buyer will look out for. Remove half the items from your wardrobes on open house day so that the inside looks neat and organised. The last thing you want is for potential buyers to open your wardrobes and come face-to-face with a mountain of mess. The same rule applies to your pantry. Throw out expired food, wipe down the shelves and organise tins, boxes and bottles into neat rows.
If you have a lot of artwork or family photographs on the walls, think about taking some down so buyers are able see the full potential of your house. You may want to consider hiring a storage unit on a short-term lease to store your excess furniture, bulky items, clothes and toys.
Let In The Light
Maximise the light in your home. Pull back heavy curtains, clean the windows, change the lampshades, increase the wattage of your light bulbs and trim any bushes to let in as much sunlight as possible.
Look For Hidden Trip-Ups
Sometimes it is the smallest repairs that can put off buyers like cracked tiles, broken door handles and chipped cupboards. Walk through your home, assess it from a buyer’s perspective and make a list of all the small repairs that need to be done before putting your house on the market.
Make A Good First Impression
Create a welcoming atmosphere from the very start with a well-groomed lawn. If your garden did not get much love during winter, plant some shrubs or flowers. Hire a pressure cleaner to wash down the house exterior and sidewalks so the exterior looks brighter. Your front door is the first thing buyers will see so give it a new coat of paint if necessary and keep the entrance uncluttered.
Opt For Quick Fixes
Quick fixes that give your house an instant facelift are much better than investing in major renovations. There are many ways to freshen a home – give the walls a new coat of paint, patch up any holes, clean the curtains or buy inexpensive new ones, purchase new bed linen and clean the gutters.
The one area that you may want to consider remodeling, however, is your kitchen as a good kitchen space can really add value to your house. Inexpensive kitchen updates like a fresh paint, new cabinets and new stainless steel appliances will do the trick. If you are painting, choose use a neutral colour so potential buyers can better envision their own style in that space.
Put Out The Pets
Your potential buyer may not be a pet owner so it is important to ensure that your home is free of any strong pet odours. Clean up any animal hair, and remove litter trays and food dishes. Perhaps even take your pet for a walk or have a friend look after it on open house day.
Your Open House Day Checklist
Hire a professional cleaner for a thorough cleaning of your house a few days before the open house day. This checklist will see you through a quick, final clean on the day itself.
- Vacuum
- Clean the inside and outside of windows
- Open all curtains
- Turn on lights in each room
- Clean the oven
- Sweep away any cobwebs
- Put the rubbish bins around the back
- Clean the bath, shower screens, mirrors and floors
- Hang fresh towels and hand towels in the bath and powder rooms
- Mop wooden floors
- Dust the furniture, ceiling fans, exhaust fans and lampshades
- Straighten lounge cushions and coffee table magazines
- Make a fresh pot of coffee or bake a fresh tray of cookies or muffins
- Light a scented candle in the living room
- Place fresh flowers on the entrance table
- Add background music if you are having a late afternoon or night inspection
Mandi Ford has extensive work experience in sales, marketing and event management. With over 17 years of experience in the industry she brings a wealth of knowledge to clients along with a fresh approach to working with them to tailor an approach that reflects their company branding and message. ES Lifestyle is a business that was developed after many requests from clients to help them with the day to day, business and personal life tasks they simply don’t have time for, or do not want to do.
You may also like