Tips for Home Sellers

Staging your home can make a number of small changes to a property that can dramatically shorten the time it takes to sell your home.

Here are my 5 favorite tips for getting a house ready to sell:

1.  Stash your keepsakes and keep your home clutter-free:

Your treasured keepsakes may look like clutter to potential buyers. It distracts them from appreciating the house itself and can lead home buyers to reject your property. Decluttering is essential. If you're having a tough time parting with things, rent a storage locker so you can keep your beloved items while you're selling the house, and then have them delivered to your new address after the move.

2.  Avoid wandering eyes:

You want to make sure that little problems in a room won't cause a potential buyer to focus on one flaw after another, thinking about all the work they'll have to do and how much less they should offer you because of it. You want them to see the bigger picture and imagine thmeselves living there. Do a walkthrough to spot these typical problems. Look for chipped paint on the door frames, which can be filled with "white out." Peeling wallpaper should be glued back down. Ensure there are covers on all electrical outlets and light switches, and replace any that are cracked. Repair drippping taps and moldy caulking. These little things make a big difference in the buyer's mind.

3.  Color is your friend when it's time to sell a house:

In most cases, white walls look cold and sterile. If you have to repaint a home's interior or some rooms in a home, choose a pleasing color palette that allows each room to flow nicely into the next. All colors should go together. Try to repeat one signature color throughout a home. Maybe the feature color in one room can be used as an accent in the others, through accessories or throw cushions.

4.  Make a big impact with a little art:

By strategically using art, you can enhance a home's perceived value, draw the eye away from tiny flaws and give an otherwise uninteresting space a focal point. Don't just throw things on the wall where an old picture hook happens to be. Position art at eye level and use pieces that are appropriate to the size of the wall. Art with a large frame on a small wall can make the entire area seem smaller. Avoid religious art or anything edgy that could be offensive to some potential buyers.

5.  Reduce drive-bys:

Curb appeal helps draw perspective buyers into your home. If the outside of a house looks unkempt, it creates an impression that the property is not cared for. To enhance curb appeal:

Ensure the lawn is freshly cut and that leaves are raked. In winter, snow should be shoveled from the driveway and walkways.

Make the entrance more welcoming with a seasonally appropriate urn or hanging plant.

Repair or replace any obvious defects. Often this is cheaper to do than a prospective buyer will imagine.

Make sure the walkways and porches are swept clean and garbage and recycling containers are tucked away at the rear of the house or in the  garage.

Ensure the exterior gets a good pressure wash and the decks are scrubbed clean. It's a good alternative to painting. Once everything's clean, you might discover it doesn't need to be repainted at all; perhaps just a touch-up will do.

These a just a few of the many things that can be done to improve your home's appearance and to make it more appealing to homebuyers. While the steps can be time consuming, the results are worth it.

"according to inernationally recognized home staging expert Debra Gould, The Stagin Diva"

http://www.stagingdiva.com