GETTING READY TO SELL

When you are putting your house on the market you have to act like a retailer. Think about the stores where you like to shop. They are sparkling clean, well lit, perfectly displayed and clutter free.

Your first job is to get rid of the clutter! Rent a dumpster, call a local charity like Goodwill, hire a U-Haul and take it to the dump...whatever it takes to get rid of stuff you don't need. Don't get too overwhelmed...go room by room and get rid of stuff as quickly as possible.

Now deal with the stuff you want to keep but is not helping show your house to its best advantage. Consider renting a storage unit for a short time. Take anything out of your closet that you won't need to use before your house sells. On overstuffed closet screams to a potential buyer that your house doesn't have enough closet space! Same thing goes for cabinets and pantries. If you have furniture that is making rooms look crowded, pare it down to only essential pieces that give the room purpose. Depersonalize your house as much as you can. You want a potential buyer to be able to see themselves in your house!

Great! All that extra stuff is out of your way, get your house clean and keep it that way. Make the beds every day, keep the laundry washed, folded and put away, make the kids pick up their toys, keep the dog's nose prints cleaned off of windows and doors... It will seem like you've got a new part time job, but it is worth it to get a quick offer for top dollar!

 

“Greatness is not where we stand, but in what direction we are moving.”

Oliver Wendell Homes, 1809-1894