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The Top 3 Things You NEED To Do To Sell Your Home Fast

Secrets from a Home Stager

Before I even get into the 3 things you must do to sell your home fast, I want to start by saying that once you decide to put your home on the market you need to emotionally detach from that house. Here is some advice I keep close from Kari Happold Real Estate and friend of mine, “it’s not your home anymore. It’s a house that you want to sell, a product”.
Emotionally detaching and thinking of it as a house instead of your home will help you look at it with unbiased eyes; which in turn will help you see what potential buyers will see when they walk through the house.

1. De-clutter

The first thing you need to do when you’re selling your house is de-clutter.
You need to get rid of, really, almost everything.
Get a storage unit and start packing for your new home.
Your rooms need just enough in them so that potential buyers know what to use the room for and they can picture themselves there, nothing more.
There should not be any personal accessories or pictures.
There should only be a few accessories and art pieces, enough to make it look homey, but no more than that.
Clean, dusted plants can be a neutral accessory that brings life into the room.
BUT, you do not want empty rooms. Contrary to popular belief, empty rooms do not look larger. Bedrooms, especially, need a bed and nightstand in them so that people can see how large of a bed fits.
A potential buyer needs to be able to walk into a room and know immediately what the room is for. Is it an office? Is it a bedroom? Home Buyers shouldn’t have to use their imagination.

2. Clean

The next step in getting ready to sell your home fast is to clean.
Clean like crazy, overboard cleaning.
Your house should be super, squeaky clean, every nook and cranny, every wall, every light fixture, every windowsill, EVERYTHING.
The cleaner the better!
Seriously, nobody wants to spend any time in anyone else’s dirt.
Period.
The best bet is to hire a cleaning company to come in and do the cleaning.
Fresh, unbiased eyes see all of the dirt that you don’t notice because you’ve been living there.
Don’t be offended. Everybody has some dirt in their house. Everyone has crevices and dust that they don’t notice.
The windows especially need to be spotless. They let in all of the light and light sells a house.
And, when you’re done cleaning the windows make sure they aren’t covered with any window treatments. If there are good quality shades, those can increase the value in your house. But, keep them open. If there are draperies make sure that they are high and wide, not covering any of the glass. Make sure they’re hung on the outside of the window so that as much light as possible can come into the room.

3. Paint

The third thing you need to do to sell your house fast is paint. Make sure every room’s walls have a fresh clean coat of paint. If you haven’t painted within the last year then you need to.
Before you paint, be sure to fill any holes and imperfections.
Choose a neutral paint color, but an updated neutral. You don’t want just white because it’ll appear too cold. Pick a beige that has some gray in it or even a light gray. But, make sure that you go with a light color to keep your house light and bright.  Revere Pewter by Benjamin Moore is a great choice.

I know you love that turquoise accent wall, but the thing is, not everyone loves teal. Your goal when showing your house is to appeal to as many people as you can, appeal to the masses.
Not only does paint make your house look fresh and clean, it also gives the potential buyer the impression that you’ve kept your home up. It makes them think that you’ve kept up with everything in the house.

If you’re nervous about putting your house on the market make sure you hire both a great realtor and a home stager.
Both will walk you through the process.

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