What Every Home Seller Needs to Know

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1 What Every Home Seller Needs to Know Your home s colours, arrangement, personality, flow and function are all critical to a successful sale. Once your stager has addressed the specific goals for preparing your home for sale, your job will be to keep the property in its best showing condition until you have a firm sale. Remember, your stager has set up the flow and lifestyle setting which will appeal to your likely buyers. Keeping the property in its best showing condition can be trickier than you may think, especially if you are living in the home. Above and beyond the specific recommendations for your property, these guidelines are for everyone who wants a successful showing. You should expect some disruption and extra tasks while your house is staged for sale. Delegating tasks among family members will help keep the whole family on task. The payoff is worth it. Your diligent efforts will bring you a huge step closer to a satisfactory sale.

2 1 Take pictures once your place is staged and use them as your guide when preparing for a showing or open house. No matter if the kids make a fort in the living room or the whole family comes for the weekend, you ll be able to whip it back into a show-ready condition. 2 3 Keep the front entry clean and clear of shoes, bags, coats, and so on. In most cases the buyer should be brought in through the front. Perhaps a back door can be used by the family to help keep the first impression area in excellent condition while the house is staged to sell. Complete repairs and maintenance issues, including wall repair, hole filling or touch ups. Fix dripping taps. Fresh paint is almost always a good investment when selling. Old issues which have been repaired, but not cosmetically corrected, can be a nasty red flag for buyers, so patch and paint as needed.

3 4 It s a good idea to prepare the house each morning, in case a showing is requested while you are out. Have the whole family keep the house ready throughout the listing, so getting ready for showings will be much faster and easier. This means all beds are made, things are picked up and put away, garbage cans are emptied... the entire house is clean and tidy. 5 Keep toilet seats down, closet and cupboard doors closed, all personal items out of sight, including valuables, photos, diplomas, religious items and toiletries. Keep all floor areas, countertops, shelves and table tops cleared as your stager arranged them. 6 Ensure angles and edges are lined up, such as bedding on straight, towels hung evenly, rug running parallel to the sofa, table centered on the chandelier, and such. Anything out of whack can make the room feel uncomfortable or difficult to arrange.

4 7 Minimize and organize closets, cupboards and shelves to show spaciousness and order. Aim for one third empty, with floor areas completely cleared. 8 While on the market, a regular, thorough cleaning is crucial, with special attention to the kitchen and bathrooms. You may want to place unnecessary bathrooms, any seldom used rooms, and showtowels off limits. Try to use only one of the bathrooms until the house sells. To freshen and clear your drains, dump in baking soda, pour vinegar over it, allow fizzing, and rinse well with hot water. Use a squeegee for daily cleaning of shower and tub area; last person out does it. Regularly use a mix of a mild cleaner and vinegar in a spray bottle to freshen and clean most surfaces. Avoid strong smelling cleaning agents which leave an odour in the house. Micro-fibre cloths and lint rollers are handy to quickly dust and pick up pet hair. Don t forget to keep windows and mirrors sparkling clean. It s handy to have a handheld vacuum for quick cleanup of crumbs and dust.

5 9 10 Have the kitchen sink empty and shining for showings, clear of dishes and dish cloths. Use bleach, baking soda or Windex, if needed, to bring back a shine and remove coffee or tea stains from a stainless steel sink. Place just enough on the countertops for interest, while tucking away the day-to-day appliances, to maximize the perceived size of the kitchen prep areas. Odours are a no-no, such as from pets, garbage, cooking, or hockey gear in the house, garage or yard. Let in fresh air on a regular basis, even in enclosed spaces like walk-in closets. Avoid artificial air fresheners. Many people have allergies; others may wonder what you are trying to hide. Aim for an absence of scents since they can stir up strong feelings. Even a fresh baked pie can evoke bad memories for some.

6 11 12 Strive to show no evidence that pets live in the house, as a prospective buyer may associate your family pets with fear of germs and dirt. Drop pets at your prearranged location during showings or ensure they are away from the main showing areas. Tuck away pet beds, dishes, and toys. Place pet food in airtight containers to avoid odours. Don t smoke in the house or have dirty ashtrays in or around the house. Nonsmokers will sniff these out quickly and assume substantial cost to remove any trace odours.

7 13 Use a dehumidifier if you have a basement. During showings, however, it is better to tuck dehumidifiers, smoke eaters and fans out of sight. Volcanic rock and sponge type air cleaners can be very effective in small areas to eliminate odours. If you have more serious odours in the home that you cannot get rid of, consider the use of an ozone machine or enzyme spray to clean the air. These can help with mildew, paint, glue, cooking, pet, and smoke odours. 14 Fully open all window coverings during the day to maximize light, views and a feeling of spaciousness, unless the view is less than desirable. Ensure all light bulbs are working, and increase the wattage to the maximum allowed by the fixture. Don t use bulbs that do not hit full strength immediately. Turn on the lights for showings anywhere the natural lighting is at all dim. Take a walk through after dusk to predetermine the best lighting for evening showings. In general, specialty and ambiance lighting is ideal, while overhead lights may be too harsh.

8 Melanie Orr interiorsbymelanie.com 15 Fresh, healthy flowers are a nice touch in the foyer, master bath, powder room, or kitchen. Fruit can be a beautiful accent in kitchens, if very fresh and bountiful. But be careful because insects, such as fruit flies, are a definite nono. Trim dead leaves off live plants and remove any plants that are not thriving. Imitation plants, flowers and fruit may be the best choice if the house is vacant, however they should look real. Find more decorating and staging advice on my website! (click here)