Time to move!
So the moment has come, and you’re ready to move! If you have a home to sell first, getting that organized is the very first step. Hopefully, if you’ve followed some of the guidance in our first Moving Month post, you don’t have a HUGE task ahead of you. The “get ready to sell” info changes slightly based on whether you are staying in the home or moving out and having it staged to sell. 
If your plan is to stay in the home when you sell, here are some good tips for getting things in order so prospective buyers focus on your house, and not your stuff. Not an exhaustive list, but a good start!
- Thin out the closets! Are there things on the floor? Piled on shelves? Out of season clothes? Packing those things up is a great way to give a little breathing room to your storage space. (Make sure you’re only packing the things you want to keep!)
- Do you have collections out for display? Pack those up too. Nothing distracts a buyer’s eye like a lot of any one thing. Bonus to this is you’re sure if your collection is breakable or valuable, you know they won’t accidentally get bumped or broken.
- Another “eye distraction” for potential buyers? Family photos. You’ve definitely heard this before, but it’s because it’s true. De-personalizing your home, including packing up those family pics, will help those potential buyers visualize themselves there instead of perusing the pics of your Grand Canyon adventure.
- Extra toys piled up in the playroom? Pack those up too. (Get the kids’ buy-in on this, and it will go a lot smoother!) You may even find that once they’re packed up, they don’t miss them…(Added bonus!)
- Take a couple of hours and get all the old, extra toiletries and medicines from the bathrooms. Before showings, have a good place to stash meds, vitamins, razors, toothbrushes, etc. You want people to visualize themselves there. Not you.
- Before showings, clear your surfaces, as much as you can. (Even your furniture- it gives less for the potential buyers to be distracted by.)
Have the things you use handy, but out of the way if possible. - Stow anything that’s smaller than a cantaloupe. Yes, that sounds weird, but for photos and people walking through, it’s a good guideline.
- Clean, clean, clean!! (Don’t forget the windows!)
Once you’ve gotten everything decluttered, cleaned, and ready, here are a few MORE things you’ll want to include, to really be ready for showings… - Fresh mulch in all those flowerbeds. (Don’t forget to pick up sticks, clear old leaves, etc, and mow!)
- Invest in some crisp white towels, and put those in your bathrooms for no one to use.
- Head to Lowe’s and pick up a couple of colorful plants/flowers in pots for your entry and a fresh new doormat.
You are ready!
For a more comprehensive list of pre-listing “to do’s” reach out to me, and I’ll email you one! Better yet, let’s chat, and I’m happy to come give you a customized assessment of how to get your home ready for sale to get top dollar. Happy Moving!