Everyone has heard that your home needs to be in "showing condition" when you put it on the market to be sold. But what exactly is "showing condition"? Does it just mean that you pick up the kid's toys and dirty laundry? Not really. Here are some tips to help get your home in "showing condition" and what makes a home SHINE. Let's get your home SOLD!
Buyers look at small details. If you ask a buyer what they like about one home over the other, often times they can not tell you-especially if they see two homes of the same floorplan. Here we go:
Ceilings and Walls-
- Cobwebs- Many people like those beautiful High Ceilings but quite honestly, they are a pain in the rear to maintain. If you are listing your home, take a little bit of time to get the Dust and Cobwebs off of the ceilings.
- Finger Prints- Mix up some Formula 409 and water and wipe down the walls. There is probably Dust, Finger and Hand Prints, etc. on them. Make them Sparkle.
- Woodwork- I know, I don't like to do it either-but cleaning up the Door casings, and woodwork along the floor makes a huge difference. They do get dusty. Don't forget about behind the appliances and electronics. Don't forget the doors.
Bathrooms-
- Shower Doors- Buyers don't like to see hard water stains on Glass Shower Doors. Try some CLR or any other product that might help
- Corners and woodwork- Don't forget to do the bathrooms
- Soap Dishes- Wipe them out. If they look stained, try some bleach if they are made of a material that can take it.
- Sinks- Same thing.
- Toilets- and again.
Kitchen-
- Pantry- You don't have to go all out and Alphabetize your pantry, but you could organize it. With it being Disorganized it may make it look too small.
- Cabinets- Same thing.
- Countertops- De-Clutter. Make the room look spacious, add some greenery such as a small plant.
- Corners, Walls, Woodwork- and again.
- Floors- Clean Grout in tile if needed.
Appliances- Go ahead and clean those up too. When was the last time that you cleaned the vent hood, stove top and oven? Same thing with the Microwave.
Bedrooms-
- Corners, Walls, and don't forget the windows.
- De-Clutter- This means the closet. If they are stuffed, it will leave the potential buyers with the feeling that they are too small.
- Dirty Clothes- Try to hide them in a clothes hamper or anything else.
Utility Room-
- Corners, Walls and Woodwork
- Clean up the Washer and Dryer
- Cabinets or Shelves- De-Clutter and organize.
- Floors- Clean them up. Clean Grout in tile if needed.
Other items to consider are Light Bulbs if they are burned out, Window Blinds get dusty, Drapes get dusty, those really high shelves that you can only see the top of when you go upstairs ( the potential buyers will see those).
All of these small items add up and make a home Dazzle. This is what can separate your home from any other one and the buyer may not know why. If you are not the cleaning type, ask myself or your agent if they know a local cleaning company that specializes in preparing homes for sale. It may be worth the money. Doing these small cleanups up front could not only help to save you money when negotiating, they can help to get your home sold quicker.
Now that you feel that the inside of your home is ready, don't forget about the outside. Curb appeal is the Buyer's first impression of the home. For a post on Curb Appeal, You can read it here.
Stephanie Edwards-Musa, Realtor ® The Woodlands, TX Real Estate
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Wonderful advice, Stephanie, thank you. I must start applying more of that advice in my listings. Curb Appeal is so important.