First Time Seller Tips #5

You've followed all the proper steps and have a great curb appeal now you're ready to get the inside of your home looking "showing ready." The first thing you may want to know is that there are people out there (non-REALTORS) that do this for a living. They are called home stagers. Like all professions, I imagine some are significantly better than others (and you probably pay a premium for that) but they are definitely worth a call and consultation.

Going with a home stager or not, the first thing you need to do is get rid of the clutter!! I understand as well as anyone that most people are still LIVING in their home while attempting sell and they need to LIVE. That's good and great- but you still need to get rid of the junk. This is priority numero uno! Right behind that is good, old-fashioned cleaning. If it sounds logical, you'd be SHOCKED at the number of homeowners that don't take time to clean their home before showings (or, in some cases- in general). Please, keep it clean! Vacuum, do the windows, dust, the whole nine yards (which is a stupid phrase- you need ten yards).....the whole ten yards please!

Next step is to step back and survey the house as if you were a buyer....I'm assuming it's very clean and "flows" very well within rooms and from one to the next thanks to the de-cluttering. But are the carpets filthy or torn up? Do hardwood floors have scuffs? Are the walls dinged, dented and marked? These are things than not only a) make buyer think, "I'll have to fix or replace this" but also b) make them wonder, "what else has the seller not cared for in this home?" These are questions you'd rather not have them ask. Those questions impact your offer price as well as if someone will even give said offer.

At this point....this is all that might be required of your home. It MUST be clean. It MUST NOT have serious cosmetic defects such as filth or wear. It may be difficult to maintain this appearance 24-7....but make sure it's close enough to show the home on short notice.

Going beyond this requires just a little bit more- but it's almost always worth it. Have walls that are pink and orange? Might want to tone them down. Neutral is most-often advised and probably the best bet in terms of appealing to the MOST potential buyers....a little color isn't going to hurt, especially if it pulls the house together. Often times it doesn't. An example....check out MY BATHROOM (side pics). We bought our house a couple months before our kids were 1 and 2 years old....we went cutesy with a Nemo theme.....Would I EVER consider selling my house with this? Not a chance. In fact, I'll sometimes pee outside so as to not have to look at it (KIDDING).

In all seriousness, your personal tastes in decorating are no longer of matter....it's more of what would appeal to people who are going to potentially purchase your home. A few years ago, people would buy a house and throw new paint on walls and flooring down; now buyer's have the option to be picky. There's a plethora of homes available and they don't feel that they should have to put out the extra money to do it. As one buyer told me about a month ago, "For this money, this house should be a finished product; not something that I need to come into and repaint and whatnot." He's right- and now you know how they feel!