Congratulations on taking the first step toward a new chapter in your life! Selling your home can be both thrilling and nerve-wracking, but fear not. We are here to guide you through the process of preparing your home to place it on the market. Two of the most powerful tools you can have in your arsenal for this process are boosting your curb appeal and elevating the allure of your property through home staging.
Boosting Your Home's Curb Appeal
What exactly is curb appeal? It is the idea of how appealing your home looks when first viewed from the street, like a first impression. Of course, we all know first impressions can be nearly impossible to reverse or undo. Increasing your curb appeal can add to your home's resale value and reduce the time it takes to sell. The simplest way to assess your curb appeal is to take pictures of your home from the sidewalk and focusing on the front door, front walkway, and landscaping. Try to view the pictures with the fresh, critical eye of someone who has never been to your home before. Or evaluate the photos with a friend whose opinion you value and whose style you admire. Use the tips below to boost your curb appeal before selling your home.
- Pops of Color - A great and inexpensive way to add a splash of style to your home is by using pops of color. Go all out by giving your front door or shutters a fresh coat of an exciting, eye-catching paint. If you prefer a more subtle touch, jazz things up with accessories like blooming flowers, cute planters, or trendy door decorations. Don't forget to brighten up your entrance with a cheerful welcome sign or colorful porch furniture. These are quick projects that can change the entire look of your home.
- Inviting Walkway - The walkway is one of the first things visitors notice, so make sure it is in immaculate shape. Renting a pressure washer to remove any accumulated dirt and grime can make a huge difference. Flank the area with colorful landscaping and incorporate illumination to finish the look.
- Exterior Illumination - Well-planned outdoor lighting is essential to curb appeal. When done right, it sets the perfect mood and gives your nighttime guests a warm welcome. Choose the right mix of wall sconces, lanterns, and step and path lights to highlight your home’s architecture and show off your landscaping. Upgrading to fresh, new light fixtures brightens your house and gives the impression that it has been updated recently.
- Polished Entryway - Once you have drawn attention to your front door with a fresh coat of paint, it is time to address the fixtures. Small details, such as updating hardware on the front door or touch-ups with spray paint, will make an entryway look more polished. Consider adding a stylish doormat to spruce up the look of your entryway. Make sure your house number is fashionably displayed and easy to find.
- Shiny Exterior - Making the exterior of your home sparkly clean can probably add more power to your curb appeal than anything else. After everything is cleaned up, repair any spots that need attention. Take time to check for chipping paint around the windows, missing shingles, or siding that needs repair.
- Manicured Lawn - Flaunting a well-manicured lawn is another easy way to amp up your curb game. Buyers love to drive up to a healthy, lush, weed-free lawn with neatly trimmed grass, sleek lines around walkways and flower beds, and perfectly pruned bushes and trees. Finalize the look with a few annual flowers to brighten things up.
Preparing Your Home to Sell
If you are getting ready to place your home on the market, now is the time to put your best foot forward. Sometimes even the smallest improvements can have a significant impact on potential buyers. All of the items listed below have the potential to immediately change buyer perception of your home and raise its value.
- Deep Clean - The level of cleaning your home needs to achieve before listing is not the same as weekly vacuuming, dusting, and cleaning the bathrooms. We are talking about taking cleaning to a whole new level. We're diving into the depths of a deep, deep clean, leaving no corner untouched, no nook or cranny left behind. It's time to make your home sparkle like never before. This means baseboards, appliances, light fixtures, switch plates, vents, fan blades, window sills, drawers, cabinets, fireplace - nothing is off limits. When potential buyers step in, they will be armed with their fine-tooth combs, ready to inspect every inch of your home and all its contents. A spotless home will send the message that this is a well-maintained property. Hiring a cleaning crew for a one-time deep clean can be a wise investment during this process.
- Tackle Home Maintenance - All the little things that annoy you about your home, like the drippy faucet, the sticking drawer, or the squeaky closet door should be addressed before putting your home on the market. Buyers will be coming in to test drive your home; every blemish can stick out in their minds. Now is the time to tackle all the tiny nicks, scuffs, scratches, and holes that may stand out to buyers.
- Revive the Flooring - Take a hard look at the area underfoot. Allow your floors to put their best foot forward with a professional cleaning, especially if you have carpet. Hardwood floors should be buffed and polished before the first open house.
- Update the Fixtures - Light fixtures, bathroom fixtures, kitchen fixtures, door knobs, cabinet hardware - making updates in these areas can make a huge difference. Fixtures have a knack for coming and going out of style faster than you can say "home makeover" and can easily create a beautiful home look dated.
- Refresh Your Cabinets - Kitchen and bathroom cabinets are highly visible because they are at eye level. For cabinets in good structural shape, a deep clean may be all needed to get them in showing condition. If more is needed, painting or refacing is a much cheaper option than replacing altogether.
Pro Home Storage Tip: Suppose you need to make significant home improvements before placing your home on the market. In that case, portable storage can solve the problem of what to do with all the furniture and other personal belongings in the room or rooms you want to update. Portable storage containers can remove the added stress of worrying about your possessions getting broken or covered in dust or paint during home improvement projects. A mobile storage container is like having your own storage facility on your property, filling it up and emptying it as you choose. You gain the convenience of packing up your storage unit right from your home instead of making several trips driving to and from a storage facility. You can even choose which size, or sizes, best fit your individual needs. The best part is, once your home sells and you are ready to move, your stuff can be delivered to your new home! No driving on your part back and forth to an off-site storage facility, no extra packing and unpacking, or making your move happen all in one day with traditional moving trucks. Portable storage makes moving and storage simple!
Staging Your Home's Interior and Exterior
What exactly does it mean to stage your home before selling? Home staging is the process of presenting your house for sale in a way that helps it appeal to the broadest possible audience, which increases a home's selling price and decreases selling time. It is a way of painting the picture of a flawless home so that home buyers can see the full potential of your space. When it comes to home staging, maximize your time and effort by focusing on the rooms with the most significant potential to influence buyers’ decisions. The rooms that hold the most importance for buyers are the living room, the master bedroom, and of course, the heart of the home, the kitchen.
- Give Each Room Purpose - The idea behind home staging is to ignite the imagination of potential buyers and get them daydreaming about living in your amazing space. To make that happen, the purpose of each room needs to be spelled out loud and clear. When a buyer views an image of an empty room, they have no way of knowing which room they are viewing. Bringing furniture and accessories to define each room will show the potential buyer the room's purpose. Home buyers may need extra help seeing the possibilities of small, spare rooms that are blank canvases. Help their imaginations by staging an additional room as a home office or a children’s play area.
- Depersonalize and Declutter - To prevent potential buyers from getting distracted, clear out all the personal stuff like family photos, collections, hobby knick-knacks, and even personal hygiene items. The trick is to create a blank canvas where prospective buyers can easily picture themselves living their best lives. You want to show off the true beauty of your space without any distractions. Cutting your belongings down to the basics will make your home appear larger and more desirable.
- Organize, Organize, Organize - Potential buyers will go through garages, mudrooms, laundry rooms, cabinets, and closets to evaluate the storage space in your home. Make sure these areas are organized and ready to show. Staging your cabinets, closets, and storage spaces to appear clutter-free with only the essentials will give off a more spacious vibe.
- Go Neutral - This does not mean everything in your home must be beige, white, or bland. When choosing colors, play it safe with those larger surfaces like walls, floors, and cabinets. Opt for lovely neutral shades or light hues that create a warm and inviting vibe. Plus, lighter colors will make your home seem larger, cleaner, and more appealing. You can finish off the look by adding pops of color in the smaller accessories such as throws, rugs, fresh flowers, pillows, and artwork.
- Highlight Your Outdoor Space - Outdoor living space can be just as important as indoor living space to potential buyers. If your home has a patio or balcony, make sure to stage these areas as well. Arrange some chairs around a patio table or a fire pit. Set up a hammock to show the potential for relaxation in your backyard.
- Create Space - To give the illusion of space in your staged home, storing excess items off-site in a portable storage container may prove useful. 1-800-PACK-RAT can deliver all-steel, weatherproof storage containers to your home for all your storage needs. Storage containers will be delivered directly to your door to be loaded. If you don’t want your container on-site while your home is being shown, then we can pick up your container, and all of your stuff can be stored at one of our nationwide storage facilities - out of sight and mind for you and your potential buyers until you are ready to move or need to access your stuff again.
Final Tips When Preparing to Sell Your Home
When working with a realtor to list your home, make sure to include all the little bells and whistles your home has to offer, like motion-sensor lighting, alarm system, camera doorbell, water filtration, composite decking, smart thermostat, irrigation system, and many others. You never know what little perk will interest a buyer. Also, describe the benefits of your neighborhood and community because location sells!
After the SOLD sign is firmly in place, it is common to find yourself with a few days, weeks, or months to spare between moving dates. You can cut your work in half by only loading and unloading your belongings one time into portable storage containers. These can be stored until you’re ready for the second phase of your move. Feel confident knowing that your furniture, appliances, and personal belongings are safe while you are waiting to move locally or long-distance to your final destination. At 1-800-PACK-RAT, our portable storage and moving containers offer flexibility with a predictable cost that will simplify your move!
Call us today or get a free quote online to see how we can make moving and storage simple for you, no matter your situation!