If you really want to sell your Lafayette Indiana home fast, you should be ready for anything. There will be times when showings will happen at a moment’s notice. So, make sure to use the below advice and maintain your home in its staged appearance at all times.
Apart from preparing your house for the open houses and showings by de-cluttering, cleaning, and home staging, there are various last-minute things you can do to make your property stand out from the rest.
Here are 20 of The Romanski Group’s top recommendations that include getting rid of clutter, hiding family photos, cleaning out closets, removing excess or oversized furniture, and cleaning….
- Clean, clean, clean. Dust on top of the fireplace mantle and fan blades, polish your appliances and faucets, and give the windows a thorough washing. Make all beds and have towels hung nicely in all bathrooms. If you’ve already moved out or if you’re too busy to stay on top of things, consider hiring a cleaning service.
- Pay attention to smells. Be cautious of what you are cooking in your home the day prior to a showing. Smells linger for a long time and can prevent a potential buyer from wanting to stay in your home.
- Clear out the clutter. You want buyers to focus on how awesome your space is, not how messy it looks. Banish that piles of shoes from the entry, get rid of nearly everything on kitchen and bathroom counters; that stack of mail from the kitchen table and anything else that detracts from your home’s features.
- Repaint the walls neutral colors. As much as you love your dramatic purple dining room, it could turn off a good portion of your buyers. So repaint your rooms in neutral tones like grays and whites that allow buyers to focus on the spaces themselves, not the color of the walls.
- Keep the décor simple. To help buyers imagine themselves in your space, get rid of any art or other personalized décor that might turn off people with different tastes.
- Get rid of personal items. Buyers want to be able to envision themselves in your home, so remove anything overly personal, like family photos in the hallway or your kids’ artwork on the fridge.
- Let there be light! Open up all the windows to let in natural light and add floor or table lamps to areas that are dim. A bright, cheery room looks bigger and more inviting.
- Bring nature inside. Potted plants or a few pretty buds in a vase can help bring energy into a space, fill in empty corners and even draw attention to features you want buyers to notice.
- Get rid of bulky furniture. Your furniture should fit the scale of the room, so get rid of any extra or oversized items that could make your space look smaller than it really is.
- Organize your closets. Storage space is a huge selling point, and if your closets are stuffed to the brim, buyers will think you don’t have enough of it. Invest in some boxes, dividers and other solutions that will help you make your stuff look more organized, and remove extra items you don’t need immediately (you can stow them away until you move). Rent a storage facility for a few months if need be.
- Tackle that honey-do list. All those little things you’ve been meaning to do but never got around to? Buyers will notice them, and they’ll detract from the value of your home. So set aside a weekend to tighten those loose doorknobs, replace bulbs; fix that leaky faucet and paint over the scuffs from when you first moved in your sofa.
- Do a faux “renovation.” Little tweaks can make a big difference in the overall feel of a room. Kitchen a little outdated? Replace the fixtures, faucets and hinges. Family room furniture beaten up? Throw some slipcovers over it.
- Give each room a purpose. That spare room you’ve been using as an office / guest room /dumping ground won’t help sell your home unless you show buyers how they can use it themselves. So pick a use (office, guest room, crafts room) and clearly stage the space to showcase that purpose.
- Turn the bathroom into a spa. Create the feel of a relaxing, luxurious bath — for less than $30. Stack a few pretty washcloths tied with ribbon, add some scented candles and faux plants, and buy bathmats and towels in coordinating tones such as gray, light green and white.
- Close the toilet! When it comes to both showing and photos of your home, this is a must.
- Turn the living room into conversation central. Help buyers picture themselves relaxing with family and guests by grouping your furniture into arrangements that inspire conversation.
- Keep the flow going. The last thing you want is people bumping into furniture as they tour your home; it disrupts their focus and makes your space look cramped. Do a dry run as though you’re seeing your home for the first time and tweak anything that interrupts the “flow.”
- Make something yummy. Realtors don’t put out fresh cookies at open houses just to treat buyers; a “homey” smell like baking cookies or bread can help people connect with a kitchen.
- Ensure your pet’s areas are clean. You have already made sure your house is warm and inviting and you have done everything to carefully stage it. But while you may be ready for your open house, your furry friend might have other ideas. Do a last-minute inspection of all areas to make sure they haven’t left any unpleasant surprises. Also, sweep floors to clean up pet hair that may have gathered.
- Boost the curb appeal. More than one buyer has decided not to even enter a home based on its curb appeal, so make sure your home’s exterior looks excellent. Trim your shrubs, weed your flower beds, remove cobwebs, fix any peeling paint and keep the walkway clear. Just adding a row of potted plants along the walkway or a cheerful wreath to your front door can make a big difference.
As your next showing could be the offer you have been waiting for, make sure to do your best to appeal to buyers.
For up-to-date information on YOUR Indiana area neighborhood or a FREE Seller Consultation – call The Romanski Group at (765) 293.9200. Using an experienced team is the way to get your home SOLD! You deserve the BEST Real Estate Team in the Lafayette Indiana area!
