Your home is likely filled with many personal items that are unique, special and important to you and your family. To prepare your home for the market, you want to remove these items so that potential buyers can visualize how their own personality will look in your house. To make it easy for them to do this, you need to go through your home and pack up or put away all personal items such as family photos, sports trophies, souvenirs, etc. You want to make it easy for buyers to imagine themselves living in the home.

When preparing your home for sale, removing excess items is an important step in the home staging process. Excess clutter and furniture give the perception of lack of space and storage. It also distracts the buyer’s focus away from important features of the home. You want your home to feel as large and clean as possible.

• Replace light bulbs. Lots of light is important when showing your home. Good artificial and natural light set an inviting tone as buyers enter your home.
• Check for leaky sinks and faucets as well as water stains on wall and ceilings. Leaks give the impression of lack of maintenance and water stains of any kind tend to scare off buyers. Old leaks leave stains and simply painting could eliminate unnecessary concerns.
• Check all doors and windows to make sure that they operate as they should. Most of the time a simple realignment or WD40 is all you need.
• Have your carpets cleaned. This will make them feel fresh and new again. If the carpet is very worn or torn, then it might be beneficial to replace it. Choose something inexpensive and neutral.
• Painting is usually the least expensive and most beneficial update you can do before selling your home. Painting will help neutralize odors as well as make your home feel clean and spacious. You want to pick a neutral off- white, or light beige/gray color that’s just dark enough to contrast the white ceiling and trim. I have a favorite color that I’ll share with you.

• Make sure that exterior lights are clean and working.
• Examine the exterior of the home for any cracks or peeling paint. You may need to do some minor touch up painting or tuck pointing.
• Clean up the yard and landscaping. The lawn should be freshly cut and edged. Trim trees and bushes. Mulched flower beds and a pot of bright flowers by the front door are always a nice and worthwhile touch.
• Freshly paint the exterior of your front door. The buyer and their agent tend to stand at the front door for a couple minutes before entering the home. The condition of your front door sets the tone as they enter the home.