Spring Into Action
The holiday season is officially over, and while spring hasn’t sprung just yet, the days are getting longer, and your New Year’s resolutions are in full swing. You’re hitting the gym, going to yoga, eating better, and generally feeling like 2020 is going to be your best year ever. If you’re planning to sell your home this spring, it’s a great idea to channel some of that “New Year, New You” optimism into the home sale process. Consider these your go-to goals for prepping your home for a successful spring sale in 2020:
Declutter And Then Declutter Some More.
Selling your home can be a great time to let go of that which no longer serves you, so take a cue from Netflix declutter phenom Marie Kondo and start letting go of all of the items that no longer spark joy for you. (Yes, all of them.) Set aside time to go through every cabinet, drawer, closet, shed, and crawl space, and ask yourself which items you really want to hold onto and why. If you didn’t remember that you had it, have never worn or used it, or if it’s a duplicate of something, get rid of it. Ideally everyone in the household should take inventory of their own belongings and declutter accordingly.
What you choose to keep should serve a purpose and/or have so much emotional significance to you that you can’t possibly part with it. Donate, trash, or recycle everything else. Like it or not, potential home buyers are definitely going to open your cabinets and closets, and if it looks like you don’t have enough room for your stuff, they certainly won’t want to try to squeeze in their own stuff. That means ditching the ancient spices and expired vitamins in the kitchen cabinets, the shoes you only wore that one time, the mountain of grocery store bags, and the skinny jeans you’ve been hoping to get back into for the last decade. You want potential buyers to see that there is plenty of room for all of their belongings- from clothing, shoes, and books, to snacks, spices, dishes, and flatware.
Make Space
Consider putting large furniture items into a storage unit if your plan is to take them with you to your next house. While your living room spanning sectional may have been a necessary squeeze for your family of five, potential buyers will only see lack of space. Exercise equipment and any other extraneous pieces of furniture that don’t really fit should also be cleared and put into storage. Continuing to use the guest bedroom or office as a storage space and graveyard for moving boxes packaging is a definite no. You might also want pack up small appliances, both to clear space and to avoid confusion about whether or not, for example, the microwave comes with the home.
Spring Clean
Whether you hosted guests, holiday parties, or just weathered those November/December rain storms, your home is undoubtedly due for a good old fashioned deep clean. Now is not the time to skimp on quality. Hire a professional. Have them tackle cobwebs, pet dander, baseboards, blinds, ceiling fans, and light fixtures. Have the windows cleaned inside and out, and make the floors, tiles, and countertops shine. Nothing is more inviting to a potential home buyer than a clean slate.
Get Your Curb Appeal On
Winter rain storms and Santa Ana winds can leave your yard looking as if a mini cyclone hit. Broken branches, fallen leaves, and trees encroaching upon windows and over fences need to be trimmed and cleared. You don’t want the buyer to think about how much work the landscaping will be, you only want them to see how beautiful the finished the product is. Just like in interpersonal communications, first impressions are everything. When you’re selling a home, that means you’ve got to bring the curb appeal. A power wash, or a fresh coat of paint is the Brooks Brothers suit of home selling. Definitely add potted flowers around the outdoor entrance, and hey, if you see a red door and you want to paint it black, that might actually be a great idea! Okay, maybe not red to black, but consider painting your front door for a pop of color and instant, memorable, curb appeal. The house with the blue door has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?
De-personalize
While your wedding photos are undoubtedly beautiful, and your kids and animals are adorable, potential home buyers need to be able to envision the home as theirs, which means removing the evidence that it is yours. Replace family photos with artwork. Even books should be kept to a minimum and should be neatly and artfully arranged. Toys should be boxed up and set aside whenever possible, or at the very least organized into nifty storage cubes or baskets. Pinterest is a great place for ideas on home décor and storage solutions, but if this all sounds too overwhelming, consider hiring a professional to stage your home.
Do The Repairs
Potential buyers are going to want to know that their new home is in tip-top shape. While we like to think that San Diego has two seasons, warm and warmer, in recent years we’ve been reminded that we also get quite a bit of rain. Make sure that gutters and downspouts are free from blockages and in working order, and definitely inspect the roof and repair any leaks. All the rain we just had may also mean that you’ve got areas in your yard that are prone to flooding, which is bad news for the foundation of your house. Low areas should be filled with compacted soil. Have the fireplace swept, and service and inspect the HVAC system, plumbing, electrical, foundation, walls, etc. You’ll be prepared for the inspection when the buyer does one, and there will be less wiggle room on your asking price because of it.
Neutralize
Neutral colors are your new best friends. While you may have been pleased as punch with blue bedrooms and lemon-yellow kitchens, potential buyers can’t seem to see past a paint color that they don’t like. Don’t believe me? Watch an episode of any HGTV show that walks potential buyers a through a home for a sale. The number one thing you’ll hear them say is that they do not like the color of walls, at which point the agent reminds them that they can paint the walls the color that they want, because well, that’s how paint works. Unfortunately, people sometimes have less imagination than we give them credit for, which is why painting your walls in neutral colors before you sell is a must.
Use Good Scents
Odors from your aunt Mary’s famous pasta sauce, tobacco, soccer uniforms, dogs, and litter boxes can kill a sale. Nothing will make a potential home buyer want to turn tail and run (pun intended) like the smell of cat urine or a wet dog or three. That said, don’t make the mistake of trying to cover up the odors with chemical laden scents like Glade Plug-Ins, Febreze, and scented candles. Studies show that one in four people actually find those scents sickening, and truly chemically sensitive people have full blown reactions like nausea and headaches. Instead of trying to cover up odors with more odors, clean, launder, or replace all of the bedding, carpets, and fabrics in your home. Keep your pets freshly groomed and litter boxes immaculate, and of course, open the windows to let in our San Diego fresh air. Right before potential home buyers arrive, set out fragrant fresh flowers with sprigs of eucalyptus, or use all-natural essential oils like lavender or orange in an aromatherapy diffuser.
Let There Be Light
Once you’ve had your windows cleaned inside and out, it’s time to remove faded window coverings, replace or clean the blinds, and open them up to let the sunshine in. Natural light is very attractive to home buyers, and will also reflect beautifully on the floors and countertops you just had cleaned or resurfaced.
Honor The Process
Selling a home and preparing for a move can be overwhelming and stressful, but it’s also time for all of the hope and optimism that comes with a new beginning. Purchase a brand-new welcome mat for your front entrance, not only because it will look nicer than the older one that is there now, but because it’s a symbolic gesture. Welcome the new owner to their new home, and set your sights on your own path ahead.
*This article was written for print for a ReMax office in San Diego.