Preparing & Staging Your Property For Sale

FIRST, AN HONEST ASSESSMENT

We need to look at your home from the buyer's point of view and then consider what you will need to do to market your home quickly and effectively to maximize your sale price while minimizing marketing time. Each of the categories is outlined in order that you understand the parameters we are using to evaluate your property.

LOCATION: How does your property compare to the other properties in the area?

CURB APPEAL: What are the first impressions of the buyer as he/she views the property? Does the home show well and draw people in? Remember: A buyer will often form an opinion in the first few seconds and mentally decide whether he likes the home!

EXTERIOR CONDITION: What is the general overall condition of the exterior of the home? Does it have curb appeal?

Consider the following:

· Roof, Siding, Windows

· Steps, Porches and Decks

· Lawn, Shrubs and Trees

· Fences

· Garages and Outbuildings

· Sidewalks and Driveways

INTERIOR - LIVING SPACE:

· Eye Appeal; how does it look? (Remember - we are looking from a buyers perspective!)

· Cleanliness

· Space - Are the rooms over crowded?

· Spacious Kitchen - Clean it up and take every thing off the countertops.

· Closets - spacious (Hint) Remove enough so that they are not filled to give the impression of additional room.

· Clean and Paint as necessary!

· Household Odors - Try to eliminate them.

BASEMENT:

· Remove Clutter; allow buyers to see how big the basement actually is!

· Clean thoroughly; be mindful of odors.

How much should you spend on preparing your home in time and money? That depends on your personal situation and what your goals are. Fast closing or looking to maximize your equity profit? We can help guide you on getting the best bang for your buck! Give us a call at 651-472-4012 to discuss what is the best fit for your particular situation.

It might also be helpful to know what you can expect to sell your home for "as is" or what you can get with full preparation and staging. You can use our automated valuation tool Get an Instant Property Value Estimate to get an instant value range for the most accurate figure, or give us a call to arrange a full comparative market analysis on your home. There is no obligation or cost, but you will have the best information with which to make an informed decision based on your specific situation and goals. We'll also assist you with what areas of home preparation and staging you should focus on to get top dollar and/or a quick sale depending on what your goals are.

“STAGING” YOUR HOME

So, you’ve made the decision to sell your property sometime in the relatively near future—what’s next? We suggest that you start thinking of your house as a marketable commodity, and, although it may be difficult to do, attempt to remove emotion from the selling equation. Your goal is to get others to see it as their potential home—to neutralize it, so to speak, for marketing purposes.

REMOVING CLUTTER, THOUGH YOU MAY NOT THINK OF IT AS CLUTTER

You would like buyers to see your home and not it’s contents; to be able to visualize their furniture and their belongings instead of yours. Try not to get hung up on showing off Grandpa’s collection of trains, the kids’ artwork or your favorite piece of furniture. Box up everything you do not use regularly and donate it, sell it, throw it, or store it. Removing clutter is the hardest thing for most people to do because they are emotionally attached to everything in the house. After years of living in the same home, clutter collects in such a way that may not even be evident to the homeowner. However, it does affect the way buyers see the home, even if you do not realize it. Clutter collects on shelves, counter tops, drawers, closets, attics, and basements.

Take a step back and pretend you are a buyer. Let a friend help point out areas of clutter, as long as you can accept their views without getting defensive.

Clutter in the kitchen—the kitchen is a good place to start removing clutter, because it is an easy place to start. First, get everything off the counters except what you use daily. Put everything else in a kitchen cabinet and take it out when you use it. Of course, you may notice that you do not have enough cabinet space to put everything. Clean them out. Put things in boxes and store the boxes elsewhere. You see, homebuyers will open all your cabinets and drawers, especially in the kitchen. They want to be sure there is enough room for their “stuff”. If your kitchen cabinets, pantries, and drawers look jammed full, it sends a negative message to the buyer and does not promote an image of plentiful storage space. The best way to do that is to have as much empty space as possible; create open space.

Clutter in the Closets—Closets are great for accumulating clutter, though you may not think of it as clutter. We are talking about extra clothes and shoes—things you rarely wear but cannot bear to be without. Do without these items for a couple of months by putting them in a box, because these items can make your closets look “crammed full.” Sometimes there are shoeboxes full of “stuff” or other accumulated personal items too.

Furniture Clutter—Many people have too much furniture in certain rooms; not too much for your own personal living needs, but too much to give the illusion of space that a homebuyer would like to see. Builders’ models are a prime example of the setting you’re after to stage your own home—cozy, comfortable and homey. What you will see is furniture and lighting that are appropriately placed and accessories which are neutral, not gaudy or intrusive. Also concentrate on traffic flow, can you move easily from one room to another without bumping into things?

Storage Area Clutter—Basements, garages, attics, and sheds accumulate not only clutter, but junk. These areas should be as empty as possible so that buyers can imagine what they would do with the space. Remove anything that is not essential and take it to a separate storage area. Or, have a garage sale---now there’s an idea!

Once you have cleared out the clutter, cleaned out every corner, re-arranged the furniture and tastefully accessorized, leave your house. Go grab a friend and bring them over. Walk in together and pretend you are a potential buyer. Does your home look and feel inviting? Are you distracted by the stuff, or does this home appear clean and well cared for, a home you could immediately settle into? Is this a home you would want to buy?

FIXING UP THE HOUSE INTERIOR FIRST

Most real estate advice tells you to work on the outside of the house first, but unless there is a major project involved, consider starting on the inside. There are two main reasons for this. First, the first steps in preparing the interior of the house are easier. They also help develop the proper mindset required for selling—beginning to think of your “home” as a marketable commodity. Second, most professionals will agree that the exterior is the most important. Once you have developed the proper mindset for selling by working indoors, the more important exterior work should come easier.

Whether you start fixing up the inside or the outside first, it might be wise at this point in time to consider having a pre-inspection by a licensed home inspector. A complete inspection of your property will include areas such as plumbing, electrical, heating systems, fireplaces, foundation, roof, exterior and interior wall surfaces, windows and appliances. This eliminates worries and offers you peace of mind about the condition of the home. In addition, the inspection report generated for you by the inspector will itemize in great detail just what items need to be addressed in this pre-list “fixing up” stage.

Plumbing and Fixtures—all of you sink fixtures should look shiny and new. Make sure all the hot and cold faucet knobs are easy to turn and that the faucets do not leak. Check to make sure you have good water pressure and no stains on any of the porcelain. All sinks, tubs etc. need to drain quickly and toilets need to flush efficiently. Potential homebuyers will check these things out, if they are serious about your home!
Ceilings, Walls and Painting—check all ceilings for water stains. Sometimes old leaks leave stains, even after you have repaired the leak. Of course, if you do have a leak, you will have to get it repaired whether it is a plumbing problem or the roof leaks. You should do the same for walls, looking not only for stains, but also areas where dirt has accumulated (behind furniture) and you just may not have noticed. Painting can be your best investment when selling your home. It is not a very expensive operation and often you can do it yourself. Choose an off-white color that will appeal to the widest possible number of buyers and also help your rooms to appear bright and spacious.
Carpet and Flooring—unless your carpet appears old and worn, or it is definitely an outdated style or color you probably should do nothing more than hire a good carpet cleaner. If you do choose to replace it, do so with something inexpensive in a fairly neutral color. Repair or replace broken floor tiles. Remember, you are not fixing up the place for yourself, so be conscious of your return on investment. Your goal is simply to leave as few negative impressions as possible upon those who may want to purchase your property.
Windows and Doors—check all of your windows to make sure they open and close easily. If not, a spray of WD40 often helps. Replace any cracked or broken windowpanes before you begin showing your home. Do the same things with the doors; make sure they open and close properly, without creaking. A shot of WD40 will also make hinge creaks go away.
Odor Control—for those who smoke, you might want to minimize smoking indoors while trying to sell your home. You could also purchase an ozone spray that helps to remove odors without creating the tell-tale perfumed masking odor, which indicates that you’re trying to cover up something objectionable. Pets of all kinds create odors that you may have become used to, but are immediately detectable to those coming into your home from the outside. Be sure to clean kitty litter boxes daily or oftener, even if they are in the basement. For those with dogs, keep them outdoors as much as possible. You might also try sprinkling carpet freshener on the carpets on a periodic basis. If there are serious pet odor problems, consider hiring a cleaning service to eliminate them with special products and types of service specifically made for that purpose.

FIXING UP THE HOUSE EXTERIOR

Take a walk across the street and have a good look at your house. Look at nearby houses too, and see how yours compares. Curb appeal is essential since a buyer’s first impression is formed by viewing the outside of your property. A mowed lawn or shoveled walks, trimmed hedge and weeded gardens, all help to create a great first impression!

Landscaping—Is your landscaping at least average for the neighborhood? If not, buy a few bushes and plant them. Don’t bother with trees; mature trees are expensive, and you’ll not get back your investment. If you have an area for flowers, buy mature colorful flowers and plant them. They add a splash of vibrancy and color, creating a very favorable first impression. Bulbs or seeds will not mature fast enough to create the desired effect and you certainly don’t want a patch of brown earth for homebuyers to view. Lawns should be evenly cut, freshly edged, well watered, and free of brown spots. If there are problems with your lawn, take care of them before starting on the inside of your home, since lawn treatments frequently take time to become readily apparent. Back yards need to be tidy also. For those with dogs, be sure to constantly keep the area clear of “debris”.
The Front Door and Entryway—the front door should be especially sharp, since it is the entry through which your potential buyers will probably come. Door windows should shine and the doors themselves be refinished or newly painted if necessary. Get a new plush doormat. Make sure the lock works easily and the key fits properly. When a buyer comes to visit your home, the agent uses the key from the lock box to unlock the door. If there is trouble working the lock while everyone else stands around twiddling their thumbs, it sends a negative first impression.
House Exterior—the big decision is whether to paint or not to paint. When you look at your house from across the street, does it look tired and faded? If so, a paint job may be in order. It is often a very good investment and really spruces up the appearance of a house, adding dollars to offers from potential homebuyers. When choosing a color, it should not be something garish and unusual, but a color that fits well in your neighborhood
Roof—As for the roof, if you know your house has an old leaky roof, replace it. If you do not replace a leaky roof, you are going to have to disclose it and the buyer will want a new roof, anyway. Otherwise, it is a judgment call on the condition. If it is deteriorated enough that a buy will most likely take an issue with it, then replacing may still be well worth the effort and cost.

IT’S A TEAM EFFORT!

Enlist the help of all household members to get the house ready—and keep it ready—for prospective buyers. A few minutes spent tidying up each morning can make the difference for a showing in the afternoon. Your home is your most valuable merchandise on display for sale, so display it in the best possible light!

Security and Safety Tips

PGP (Pretty Good Protection) Policy

Common sense is the theme here. It’s about taking reasonable steps to secure your property and protecting your privacy. Do a couple of walk-throughs, looking for obvious things and using a common sense approach for removing items that may tempt someone, may be broken, or may not be a public display item. Having someone less familiar with your home can make this easier as they will see things that you simply walk by because of familiarity. A friend or neighbor can be helpful in this regard.

· Valuables

Money, Jewelry and small valuable items (anything easily removed)

· Prescription drugs

Secure all prescription drugs in a locked or secured area

· Documents/Information

Credit card invoices, Account numbers, Bank statements and Passwords

(Any personal information you wouldn’t leave out in a public office space)

· Keys

Any keys secured areas such as gun safes, document storage and etc.

· Breakable/valuable objects

Collectables, antiques, heirlooms, etc. (Think of child proofing your home)

Conclusion

A home is often the largest asset investment we make. Properly preparing and staging the property will pay dividends both in the sale price attained and in a quicker timeframe. You are displaying merchandise for a buyer to see, make sure they are seeing it in the best possible light!!

Good Luck and happy staging!

Sincerely,

Shane Maki

Broker

Midwest Realty of Minnesota

651-472-4012