Preparing a Home for Sale

RE: Preparing a Home for Sale Post by Katmommy (44) | (04/22/2006) Contact Remove pictures and knick-knacks and pack them away as stated. Keep everything neat and tidy on a daily basis. RE: Preparing a Home for Sale Post By Cadensnana of Delaware (Guest Post) (02/05/2006) After getting the house ready to sell, it has to stay that way until it is sold. One trick I used when I didn't have a dishwasher was to pack the dirty dishes in a box and put them in the trunk of my car during a showing if I did not have time to wash them. Just remember the buyers can look in all the appliances if they are part of the sale, like your dishwasher, refrigerator, oven, washer and dryer...no place to hide. I've never heard of putting out a nightie on the bed, but it's an interesting idea! Good luck on a quick sale. RE: Preparing a Home for Sale Post by cookwie (540) | (01/17/2006) Profile | Contact Remove anything you don't want stolen. The real estate agent can't be with all of the visitors the entire time. I had carpet and pad samples samples (and the store's brochure) on the kitchen counter so the guests could see what was actually underfoot. RE: Preparing a Home for Sale Post By Vic (Guest Post) (01/17/2006) Watch "Sell this House" on A & E Sunday afternoons. It's a good show. RE: Preparing a Home for Sale Post by Great Granny Vi (206) | (01/17/2006) Profile | Contact One thing that Real Estate people have told me is to have a pretty lacy night gown thrown across a the bottom of a beautifully made bed. Have some fresh flowers and fruit displayed. And if you can bake some cookies just before a showing. If you can't bake, put some cinnamon,cloves or allspice on a piece of heavy foil and turn the oven on low for a fake cookie baking smell.With the simmering pots available, I chose to fill it with spices,orange slices along with cinnamon oil. Also you could use a crock pot and have apple cider brewing.Or fix a pot roast in a crock pot and dinner will be ready for you and the smell will make the house smell like home. Good luck. Great granny Vi RE: Preparing a Home for Sale Post by Persnickety Paula (321) | (01/16/2006) Contact The post by bobmarbj was excellent. I agree with what they said, I sold my last home just over a year ago; and the little things are what counts. I packed up all the personal items (they are out of sight of potential buyers - plus you have already started to pack for the move). I emptied out closets to make them look big and roomy, if your closets are stuffed and look crowded then prospective buyers think that if your stuff won't fit then theirs won't either. I also had to repaint a few rooms to get rid of my personal paint preference and went with something neutral that prospective buyers would find attractive; paint is an inexpensive quick fix and makes a room look fresh and clean. Good luck to you in selling your home! RE: Preparing a Home for Sale Post by bobmarbj (21) | (01/16/2006) Profile | Contact We have sold three homes in seven years of marriage. Staging a home for sale includes removing all clutter and unnecessary "knicknacks". Take down most of your personal photo frames, etc. Don't leave anything up (or out) that reflects your family. Your home doesn't need to be cold and sterile just make it so that potential buyers could "see" themselves living there. If needed, store some furniture or sell. Make the rooms look bigger by getting rid of some of the furniture if it makes the room crowded. Any time a showing is scheduled...clean , clean and clean some more. Have everything including sinks, faucets, floors, etc sparkling! I have used Orange glo on just about everything to make them shine! Clean out closets an cupboards and make them appealing. Throw away what you don't need (or give away) so that the closets and cupboards are neat and tidy. If the woodwork is white, paint with high gloss white to make it shine! Turn on all the lights for a showing ...if you go to a new model home you will see that all the lights are on when showing the home. Don't forget that curb appeal....make the front of you home as inviting as possible. We show pictures of what our home looks like in spring /summer when selling in the winter as the yard always looks more beautiful in the spring! (I do a "slideshow" that I leave on the computer for potential buyers to see. Buy a product called Filter Fresh at Home depot or Walmart to place on your furnace filter. They have some yummy fragrances that are dispersed through the whole house (my 2 favorites are Cinnamon and Berry ). Turn the furnace fan on to disperse the scent through the whole home. Light candle right before you leave for the showing, but make sure they are candles that will not drip (ie...the big pillar candles that burn down in the middle). For an open house, light a fire in the fireplace as your realtor will be there to observe. We could never afford to buy new items for our home, but if your furniture is really ratty you might want to consider buying some new pieces. Just don't overcrowd the rooms. Good luck in your selling adventure! I have included a pic of our current home that is for sale as well. We "pared" down the living room area to give it a more spacious feel yet kept enough to still preserve a "homey" feel. A pic of our kitchen can be found on this website under photos/home improvement/painting countertops. You can see that I clear all appliance off the countertops in the kitchen in order to make it look neat and spacious