A stunning first impression is not the same thing as love at first sight…. but it is an invitation to consider the matter.
Buyers tend to label houses as they see them, as do agents. This helps us remember and categorize houses in order of preference. Do you want to be labeled as the house with beautiful granite, custom cabinetry with great natural light, or the house with the office furniture where the dining room should be?
Storage is something every buyer is looking for and can never have enough of and clutter is a form of distraction.
Please please please….Declutter! Most of us will admit that a certain amount of clutter is a part of our daily lives. While the permanent placement of the toaster, coffee maker and instapot on your kitchen countertops makes perfect sense to you it may give the appearance to a buyer that you lack cabinet space.
Understanding the importance of a clean, open space means being willing to rearrange and reallocate your belongings in order to present the property in its best light. Sometimes this means reallocating some of those belongings to the garage. (Don’t shoot the messenger!)
Decluttering Tips 
- Clean off bathroom countertops. (Buy some pretty hand towels and a new shower curtain. – WHITE is usually best)
- Make your coffee table look like something out of a magazine.
- Throw away the junk in the junk drawers
- Make sure the house smells pleasant (I have even been known to rub Fabuloso on the woodwork before an open house! If it smells clean it must be clean. Right?)
- Organize your pantry
- Organize your closets (if you have a Monica’s closet it’s time to address it)
- Get rid of the little stack of mail and car keys and loose change next to the back door
- Get a fresh coat of paint on the woodwork and walls
- Maximize the light in your home (clean the windows, open curtains, add strategically placed lamps and up the wattage) PLEASE GET RID OF THE WARM WHTE BULBS! They make all your pictures look yellow!) DAYLIGHT BULBS ARE WHAT YOU NEED
- Make your pets invisible to a buyer. Hide all evidence that a furry friend lives with you. Kitty litter in the utility room is not inviting. Neither is Cujo in the backyard.
- Maintain your lawn, garden, and shrubs. Keep the lawn watered and plant some flowers.
Get a Home Inspection Before Listing!
- Take the Bull Buy the Horns…Identify problems that can come back to haunt you in negotiations and get them fixed ahead of time!
Stage Your Home With Help From the Pros
Staging your home can help you sell quicker and for a better price! Don’t let emotions get in the way.
Too often the tendency is to take the process personally, but you shouldn’t. Staging is not always a do-it-yourself sport, and sometimes only a third party specialist can bring the neutrality and objectivity needed to accomplish the goal.
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31 TWENTY-SEVEN Design (Angie can help get you on track for revamping your space!)
