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 Step 3 - Staging Your Home for Maximum Impact

A house in “move-in” condition always gets the best offers. Buyers are willing to pay more if they don’t have to do any repairs or renovations before they move in. To get the best return on your investment, your house needs to be as close to “move in” condition as you can make it.

Many of our suggestions require more “elbow grease” than money. The investment you make getting your home ready to show potential buyers will be amply reflected in the sales price.

This is because buyers are suspicious by nature. They probably don’t know you and they’ve seen the movie “The Money Pit.” They’re scared. Buying a home is the biggest investment most people ever make. They don’t want to make a mistake. A sparkling clean, tidy and well-maintained home eases their fears and allows them to see your house at its best.

Pretend You Are The Buyer

Look at your house from a buyer’s eyes, from the curb to the house to the back yard. Take notes. Take pictures; the camera catches everything.

Get estimates from a reliable repairperson on items that need to be replaced soon, such as a roof or worn carpeting, then decide whether you want to do the work before listing the house, lower the price to compensate, or give the buyer an “allowance.” (Keep the estimates to show buyers who estimate a higher cost for the work.)

Get a termite inspection soon after listing your house to avoid surprises during escrow. Many termite companies offer free inspections. The report will divide any repairs needed into the “must do” and “should do” lists. A buyer’s lender may insist that you pay for “must do” repairs before the loan is granted.

Consider spending the money (about $250) to get a home inspection. The inspection can help you eliminate minor repairs and will give you a heads-up on major problems that will be revealed in the buyer’s home inspection.

Create a Property Summary Sheet. Include dimensions for each room, copies of a property survey if you have one, and a list of capital expenses, such as roofs, water heaters and furnaces and the dates they were replaced. Gather warranties and guarantees o the furnace, appliances, and other items that will remain with the house.

Review the Seller’s Advisory, Seller Property Questionnaire, and Real Estate Transfer Disclosure Statement in this booklet. They are very detailed for a good reason. Take time to be sure that you don’t forget anything, however minor, that might create liability for you after the sale. Complete honesty is essential.

Fix What You Can

If you haven’t the skills or time to fix up the house for showing, consider hiring help. A few dollars spent now can result in quicker, higher offers.

Put a fresh coat of paint on the house, inside and out, if possible. If not, clean the walls. A power washer can make the job of cleaning exterior walls easier.

Get rid of items you don’t want to take to your new home. Have a yard sale or fill boxes to give to a charity.

Start packing now. Rent a storage unit for boxes of clothes you won’t be wearing in the next few months, knick-knacks you want to keep, extra pieces of furniture – all the “clutter” that will keep a buyer from seeing your house at its best.

Clean out the garage. Thinking of saving money on a storage unit and putting all those storage boxes in the garage? Think again. The buyer will want to see that garage along with the rest of the property. If the buyers can’t see everything, they’ll imagine the worst.

A clean house makes a better first impression and convinces buyers the home has been well cared for. Wash windows and screens. Wash fingerprints from light switches. Mop and wax floors. Clean the refrigerator and the range. Consider hiring a cleaning service.

Get rid of smells. Clean carpeting and drapes to eliminate cooking odors, smoke and pet smells.

Replace any burned out lightbulbs and use higher wattage bulbs in make rooms seem brighter.

Make minor repairs. Small problems, such as sticky doors, torn screens, cracked caulking, or a dripping faucet, may seem trivial, but they’ll give buyers the impression that the house isn’t well maintained.

Tidy your yard. Cut the grass, rake the leaves, trim the bushes, and edge the walks. Put a pot or two of bright flowers near the entryway.

Patch holes in your driveway and reapply sealant, if applicable.

Clean the sidewalk. If grass grows in the gaps, dig it out and pour boiling water in the crack to kill the roots.