Get Your Home in Selling Shape

Earlier this month we talked about New Years Resolutions to purchase a new home in Oklahoma City. But do you have an older home to sell in order to achieve that goal? Let’s talk about getting your home in sales shape. In order to get your home sold as quickly as possible to get into a new home in Oklahoma City, there are several quick fixes you can do that will not cost a ton of money and will help insure getting the best price on your resale. De-clutter – No one looking at a potential home wants to see someone else’s clutter. This is likely on your list of things to do anyway, but it may seem like a daunting task. Take it in steps. Start with the closets and a box of garbage bags. Begin to sort into 3 piles – Keep, trash, and donate. Go room by room. Open drawers, open cabinets, pull things out from under beds. Slow and steady wins the race. This is not an overnight task. Give yourself time. Clean – Make sure everything is clean from top to bottom and inside out. This may mean renting a power washer to wash the outside of the home, the concrete patios and wood decks, the front steps, or whatever area looks a little dingy. Inside, make sure you get areas like bathroom grout, soap scum in showers, and windows. Take a good look at things like shower curtains, sponges, and tub ledges. No one wants to see mildew, half used soap, or dirty sponges on your kitchen counters. Paint – A fresh coat of paint is not expensive and does wonders for the show quality of a home. Pick neutral colors but not stark white. A couple of accent walls in neutrals break up the color and give it a designer look that will go above and beyond. Try to avoid monotone single color throughout the entire home that gives it that apartment feel. Organize – Once you’ve de-cluttered, it’s time to organize what you have left. Look at the things you may need to edit. Do you have too much furniture crowding a room? Do you have too many appliances on the counter tops? How does your garage look? These are all things potential home buyers look at and consider when making their purchase. Depersonalize – You want potential home buyers to visualize themselves in your home…not you. You know all that stuff stuck to the refrigerator with magnets? Take it all down and put it away. Personal artifacts and photographs can be pared down to a minimum. Use this as an opportunity to start your packing. Use your de-clutter techniques above to further pitch things of no value or save things of importance. When you have a showing, put away hair and face products, toothpaste, and soap for that clean hotel like look. Landscape – The curb appeal of the home is the first impression. Make sure you trim trees and shrubs, weed flower beds, and give a fresh overall feel to the outside of your home. If there are repairs that are needed, this may be the place to put a little money. If people don’t like the outside, they may never come inside. All these ideas will help get your current home in tip top shape so that you can sell quickly and get into your new home.