How to Get Your Home Ready to Show
When your home is on the market, first impressions are everything. One of the most important components for a successful home sale is how you present your home. While getting your home show-ready may be a daunting task, in the end, it will be worth the time and effort. You don’t need to hire a professional cleaning crew or home stagers; there are simple things you can do to improve how your home shows. We reached out to real estate professional Susan Doig of Charlesgate Realty Group in Boston, Ma for her expert advice on how to make your home show ready.
DECLUTTER
- Removing any clutter from your home. especially any unnecessary furniture, will visually enlarge it. Sometimes items from one room can be used to stage another space. You want a potential buyer to be able to envision his or her own items in your home. With that being said, you don’t necessarily need to strip your home of every personal item, just lighten the load.
- For example, clear your kitchen counter of any excessive appliances. Minimizing items will expand the open space.
- Likewise, create the feeling of a spacious entry area to your home by using decorative accents and minimal furniture. After all, your entryway is the first room potential home buyers experience, so make sure it provides a good first impression.
QUICK FIXES
- Take the time to make all the minor repairs that you have been putting off. Small imperfections are often red flags to potential homebuyers as they can give the impression the home has not been well maintained.
- For example, leaky faucets, squeaky doors and worn rugs are easy fixes that can impact a home buyer’s overall impression.
CLEAN
- A deep clean will go a long way in making your home more presentable. Just like fixing any small imperfections, the overall cleanliness of your home is an indicator to the homebuyer of how the home had been maintained. Be sure to clean your home inside and out to give the best impression possible.
- For example, use a pressure washer to clean your home’s exterior, sidewalks, and driveway. Keep your home dusted and vacuumed. If possible, try and air out your home for half an hour before showings.
BRIGHTEN UP
- Brightening up your home creates a positive mood and a great first impression. This can easily be done by:
- Cleaning your windows inside and out, as well as cleaning any window treatments:
- Dust your shades, shutters or blinds
- Use a wood cleaner on wood shutters
- For fabric window treatments, use a vacuum brush attachment on the lowest suction setting.
- If you are unsure how to clean your window treatments, consult your window treatment provider for care instructions. Certain fabric shades must be professionally dry-cleaned or you may damage your shades.
- Replace any burnt out light bulbs and consider replacing bulbs with higher wattage to show your how bright your home is.
- Replace any broken or worn window treatments.
- Open the window to let natural light illuminate your home. Consider installing window treatments like shutters or blinds that allow natural light to enter.
- In addition to your window treatments, painting is another easy way to brighten your home. Consider painting dark or smaller rooms neutral colors, as they will appeal to the greatest number of people.
While it does require additional work to get your home show-ready, you’ll be making it more presentable and attractive to potential homebuyers. Take an honest look at your home to see what improvements you can make. Enlist the help of a friend or your realtor for their advice.
Thank you to Susan Doig for her professional insight!