Prepare Your Home to Be Someone Else’s Dream Come True
To make sure your home sells for the highest price possible in the shortest amount of time, there’s a lot of work to be done! After years of helping my wonderful clients sell their homes along Maryland’s Eastern Shore, I’ve found that the keys to a successful sale are to prepare effectively, pay attention to the details, and have an agent you can rely on. Here are a few more tips to get you started!
Getting Your Home Picture-Ready
Today, potential buyers are spending most of their time searching for their next home online and in magazines and newspapers before looking in person. That is why it is important to have quality and appealing photos to showcase your beautiful home! Here are a few of our go-to tips to make sure your home is ready for its listing photoshoot.
- Prepare the Exterior of Your Home for Listing Photos
The exterior of your home single-handedly creates the first impression for potential homebuyers. Make sure your yard looks taken care of, and your walkways are welcoming. We want visitors to imagine what it would be like to come home to your beautiful home every day!
- Landscape and mulch your yard.
- Move cars away from the house or park them in the garage.
- Move trash cans to be out of the way, or inside the garage.
- Close garage doors.
- Sweep leaves from walkways/porches/decks.
- Put away lawn care equipment, hoses, sports equipment, or toys.
- Open deck umbrellas, remove grill covers, and place cushions on furniture.
- Open pool and hot tub covers, and remove pool toys and other visible equipment.
- Remove screens from windows for a “cleaner” picture.
- Prepare the Interior of Your Home for Listing Photos
Once potential buyers are inside, it is important that your space is uncluttered and welcoming. There are a lot of details to pay attention to, and the more you can to do to keep things tidy and clean, the better visitors will be able to picture themselves living there.
- Turn on all interior lights and open blinds (Replace any necessary lightbulbs).
- Put away shoes, coats, extra throw rugs, dog beds, and toys.
- Clear off all counter tops (kitchen, bathrooms, office area).
- Remove dish racks, hanging towels, etc.
- Clear refrigerator completely of any pictures, magnets or documents.
- Put away garbage cans (kitchen, bathrooms, bedrooms, etc.).
- Remove tablecloths from dining table or stage dining area completely.
- Keep all floors as clear as possible.
- Make beds and be sure nothing under the bed is showing.
- Hide all personal items or items you do not want to be shown over the internet.
- Put away all pet beds, toys, feeding dishes, etc.
- Make sure all televisions and computer monitors are turned off.
- Put away all laptops, tablets, cell phones, etc.
- Keep end tables/coffee tables clear.
- Hide all remotes, magazines, books, tissue boxes, family photos, etc.
- Wash all mirrors and shower doors.
- Keep all towels hung neatly in bathrooms and kitchen.
- Make sure the toilet paper roll isn’t empty or hanging off the roll.
- Remove all bathroom toiletries (shampoo, body wash, etc.).
Preparing Your Home for a Showing
While I will do my best to give you as much time as possible to prepare for a showing, sometimes an interested buyer is only available last minute. Ideally, it would be wonderful to have your home in tip-top condition 24 hours a day, but I understand that you live there. However, it is important to present your house in the best light possible and make it available to as many potential buyers as possible.
Here are some quick and easy tips to help you get your house ready for a showing in 30 minutes or less. Of course, if you have more time, you can dig further into the details of house preparation!
- First Impressions
- Make sure the front door is clean and presents well.
- Sweep your front steps, if needed, and make sure the walkway is clear.
- Pick up any toys, tools, shoes, dog beds, dog toys or other out-of-place objects.
- Important Details
- Make the beds.
- Open window treatments and turn on the lights.
- Put any dirty dishes in the dishwasher.
- Put any dirty laundry inside the washing machine.
- Do as much general tidying as you can. The less clutter, the better.
- If You Still Have Time
- Quickly run the vacuum and/or sweeper to give carpets and floors a fresh look.
- Wipe down counters and tabletops.
- Be sure the house smells fresh and clean.
Check Your Home’s Value Now or Search for Homes
Ready to list your home? Contact Barbara today!