Let’s face it; when you see something every day, you are less likely to notice it. We tend to become complacent by our surroundings. The little things that once bothered us have kind of become part of the norm. Part of the “lived in look” that seems to appear only a short time after moving in. Adults, kids, animals, jobs, friends, etc. etc.—we all play a part in making our house a home. It’s part of why we love living there. That is, until we don’t love living there. What happens when your “lived in look” doesn’t exactly match a prospective buyer’s “new home” or “fresh start” look. How do we even start cleaning it all up? Well, here is our top list of small fixes you can do to make a huge difference.
- Fix and/or freshen up the little things.
- Are you missing a piece of trim in the bathroom? Did your teen decide to paint his/her room an awful, only a teenager could like, color? Are your light fixtures from the 1980’s? Maybe you never got around to fixing that door knob or replacing that throw rug. Well, now is the time! Any of these small fixes makes a huge difference in the overall appearance of your home.
- Erase evidence of pets
- Anyone who has pets knows what we are talking about. Clean that litter box—maybe even get a new one! Clean up the yard and throw some seed down (if needed). Consider shampooing the carpets and grab the pup a new, non smelly, dog bed. It’s like that new Febreeze commercial—to you, your home smells as it should. To a potential buyer—it smells like animals.
- Clean up the yard
- Okay- so, if there’s 2 feet of snow on the ground, you can’t do much about the yard. If there’s not then get out there and get cleaning. Buy a plant or 2 to bring some color to the yard. Clean up any leaves
- Make things less personal
- As hard as it can sometime be—when you’re getting ready to sell your house it can help to remove some of your personality in order for someone else to be able to see themselves living there. Remember when you first looked at homes? Most people need to be able to see themselves living there. It’s easier to picture if they aren’t constantly looking at the current owners.
- Declutter
- Space sells. Whether your home is 800 square feet or 2800 square feet. It needs to feel and appear as large as possible. Pack away the extra movies and books. Put old clothes into storage donate a few bags to charity. It’s amazing how large a half full closet can look. Not to mention—it’s all part of the moving process. Think of it as getting a head start on moving.
- Clean
- Not matter what season it is—get out the gloves and start your
Spring cleaning. Clean behind the dressers, under the couches and wipe down the baseboards.
A clean and organized house portrays a well taken care of and loved house. That’s the exact look you’re going for.
Moving is a lot of work. There’s no doubt about that. However, it does not have to be stressful. Take a look around—decide what projects you can tackle and when. Let your Realtor guide you. Ask questions and get your house sold. Your next adventure awaits!