Articles

The Three D's 

DEPERSONALIZE

Staging is readying the home to show to potential buyers; you must encourage them to visualize living in the home itself, but not in your home.

Depersonalizing the home involves removing your personal items, such as photos, trophies, and collectibles. Knickknacks and wall decor are also personal taste items that may distract buyers from seeing the home as theirs. It’s not personal, but no one — besides you — will appreciate your beer can collection, antique kitchen accessories, overstuffed closets, VHS/CD/DVD/records collections, and general clutter, except you. Simplify and neutralize your home as if it were a model home, because that’s exactly what it is while it’s on the market.

Pack and store your treasured items out of sight. Consider monthly rented storage units until your home sells.

Make your home a clean, welcoming, blank canvas upon which any buyer can visually paint their own dreams. It will not feel like your home while you show the home, but once you sell and move into your next place, you can decorate that home any way you like.

 

DECLUTTER AND DISCARD

 It is understandably inconvenient to live in your home without your “stuff,” like living in a hotel. However, it’s a necessary component of getting top dollar for your house.

Extra furniture and items like books, magazines, CD collections, and hobby supplies add weight and visual distraction in a room. Your salt & pepper shaker collection is going to look like clutter, even if the buyer collects salt & pepper shakers.

The more spacious your home appears, the more appealing it will be. Minimize as much as possible. You want the home shopper to see what your home has to offer, not to guess about the potential or possibilities.

 

Work From a Plan

List each room of the house, noting the clutter in each room, including closets.

Declutter rooms one at a time, attacking from the smallest project to the greatest.

Clear out each room, keeping only essential items.

Donate or discard clothes, decor, toys, and other items no longer used.

Box up possessions that you want to keep but do not currently use, and put them in storage.

Keep surfaces clean and free of collected items.

 

Room-by-Room List:

  
Kitchen — Clear the counters, leaving only three or four essential items. Keep towels, dishrags, and potholders out of sight. Soaps and cleaners should be stored under the sink. Rarely used small appliances can be packed and put in storage. Pack away teacups, serving dishes, and platters if you normally showcase them. If you want to draw attention to decorative shelving, put a few pieces out for show.  Seasonal dishes and accessories should also be stored. Remove any pest control traps or poison from the pantry and closets. Appliances are not extra shelving or storage. Buyers will not want to find the microwave used as a bread box or the oven as cookware storage.

Bathrooms — Make the bathroom look as though it’s rarely used. Remove everything from the cabinets and drawers. Keep what you need or will use and discard the rest. Store prescription medications out of sight and out of reach. Find a safe place for jewelry, keepsakes, and cosmetics/perfumes. Store hair products and styling tools in the cabinets.

Bedrooms — When it comes to clothing, people generally wear 20% of the clothes they own, 80% of the time. The focus is showcasing closet space. Only hang clothes that you wear most often and store the rest.

Dining Areas — Clear clutter off any flat surfaces, including the dining table, leaving only subtle decor such as a vase of flowers.

Living Areas (living rooms, family rooms, and great rooms) — Gather stacks of books, magazines, remotes, toys, and gaming gadgets, and throws. Again, clear all flat surfaces, packing away nonessential items and storing magazines and electronics in decorative bins. Fold and drape throws on chairs.

Office Space — Organization is the focus for office space. Overflowing shelves do not reflect useful space. Keep all personal papers stored out of sight.

Linen Closets — Organize and clean out. Store seasonal blankets, clothes, and outerwear off site. Keep linens to a minimum.

Laundry Room — Whether your washer and dryer are in the basement, laundry room, or closet, you should make the room or area neat. Organize what you keep with shelving or bins. Don’t leave clothes on the floor. Store detergents, bleach, and softeners in cabinets. Don’t use the tops of the appliances for storage.

Garage — Although cleaning the garage may be the most daunting of decluttering tasks, it can be as simple as getting rid of things you haven’t touched in years. Boxes of broken toys, useless sports gear, and rusty tools all seem to migrate to the dark corners of the garage. Use this opportunity to donate or discard. Other items like wall paint, extra tiles for the floor, and bicycles can be shelved or hung.

Pets — Pet items also need to be out of the way when a buyer comes by. See the section on Pet Peeves on how to deal with pets while selling your home.

 

DEEP CLEANING: SPOTLESS IS THE NAME OF THE GAME

Doing a thorough, deep cleaning of your home is vital. It works for people selling a car (they get more money), and it will work for you when selling your home. With the home depersonalized and de-cluttered, it might make sense to use a professional deep-cleaning residential service.

Otherwise, with the clutter gone, move on to cleaning each room. Tidy each room from top to bottom. Be meticulous, especially in the kitchen and bathrooms. Homebuyers will open cabinets, pantries, and closets to assess their storage opportunities.

 

GENERAL LIST OF TO-DOS:

 
Clear the cobwebs from every corner of your home.

Dust ceiling fans and lighting fixtures.

Dust the blinds.

Wash the walls. This has to be done before repainting, so this will save you time later. 

Clean all glass surfaces: mirrors, television screens, patio doors, and tables.

Polish all wooden surfaces.

Wipe down leather furniture.

Clean out and reorganize kitchen cabinets. Buyers will open them.

Attack all appliances with cleaning fervor. Make them shine!

Scrub sinks, toilets, tubs, showers, faucets, and countertops. They must be impeccable.

All tiled areas, including grout, must be free of discoloration, stains, and mildew.

Clean the window treatments. Wash the windows so that the natural light will enhance your living space.

Vacuum rugs, shampoo carpets, and mop floors thoroughly.

 

KITCHEN AND BATH: FOCUS ON HIGH-IMPACT AREAS


The most important rooms in your home are the kitchen and bathrooms. A kitchen can sell a house because it is the heart of a home, the place family and friends gather to enjoy one another’s company. Buyers will be turned off by dirt and grime, cooking smells, and trash. Clean all cabinet surfaces as well as under the sink.

Bathrooms are so important to Americans that most homes have at least two or three. As you work toward selling your home, it is imperative that the bathrooms are kept clean and odor-free.

Potential buyers might forgive a less-than-stellar child’s room, but a questionable bathroom or kitchen could cost you a sale.

 

PET PEEVES

Pets are wonderful, but homebuyers want to see your home without them. Domestic animals are not unique features or selling points of homes; pet dander and odor aren’t going to provide a positive viewing experience. Some prospects might have allergies, others may not like animals, and for all, they are an unnecessary distraction. Minimize the presence of pets. Dog dishes, cat litter boxes, and beds need to be clean. Pets should be relegated to cages or backyards while showing your home.

With all the staging work complete, you are now ready to list and showcase your home