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List items & what you plan to do with them. Closets, storage and cabinets through the entire house need to be at least half emptied, cleared and cleaned. Then it will need to be decided what to do with everything. And NO, you cannot shove it all in the garage!
Help potential buyers imagine themselves living in your house. When it comes time to actually move (and you are moving right? ‘cause the house is going to sell) you’ll be glad you did this.
GARAGE SALE
Only if you truly have time for this. Otherwise, get rid of the stuff! Give it to a charity. They often have a truck to come & pick it up! How easy is that?!
CLEAR IT OUT
Go through one room at a time. For each room, you got it - use the home selling checklist - you know the rule – if you haven’t used it for a year… or whatever criteria you need for motivation - get rid of it. Determine whether you really want each item enough to keep carrying it on with you. Being ruthless now will save a lot of energy later, reducing handling.
START PACKING
Put away articles you need least. Remember to inventory boxes so you know what is in each. Boxes & lidded, vented, stackable plastic bins can be stacked quite high to save floor space and maintain a tidy appearance.
Ambella Home Empire Bathroom Sink Vanity The bathroom can be a nasty nest. Clean out the cabinets; you’ll be surprised at what you don’t even use. Then you’ll have space for the items that usually get left on the tub & counters.
RETURN UNOPENED, UNUSED ITEMS
I was surprised to find in one of my own moves, goods that I’d never had time to use or even opened! I wanted to save myself having to move these things, so well in advance of my move, I thought I’d try returning them to the places of purchase. Without a receipt, I was happy to get store credits that I could use after my move.
A CRITICAL EYE – might be someone else’s effectively expanding the home selling checklist of to-do's
In our own spaces we get used to, & overlook our own little idiosyncrasies. It is often easier to get an objective ‘eye’ on the case to spot the fix-ables. A HOME STAGING Professional can help you when you're stuck with any of these steps. Go through each room & watch for marks on walls, doors, mouldings. Fill holes & touch-up. Scrub scuff marks. A clear coat of varathane makes a wooden floor new.
Use your home selling checklist. Write it all down.
REPAIR EVERYTHING THAT DOESN'T WORK
Again - onto the clipboard home selling checklist.
CLEAN – yes, yes so you can eat off the floor!
Hire a cleaner weekly. It isn’t expensive & a good cleaner works very fast & efficiently. If you never have before, you’ll wonder why you didn’t. Especially if you work outside of home, you can make yourself crazy trying to maintain the level of clean required. Most of us don’t live spotlessly. Remember by this time you’ve organized everything & all you need to do is maintain.
A client may open your fridge. What will they see? They will open closets, cabinets, storage room doors, or the door under the sink! What will they see? Remember to clean plumbing at sinks & toilets.
Clean all surfaces. Windows, shelves, floors, walls, light fixtures, everything you see & then some. Get in the habit of putting your clothes away immediately. Same with making your beds, cleaning up after eating & cooking.
FRESH AIR - Get Rid of & Avoid Odours
Use the kitchen exhaust when cooking to remove odours. Same with the bathroom exhaust, when showering or using the toilet. Don’t smoke in the house. I’ve walked into places that assailed my nostrils with multiple odours of smoke, pets, greasy cooking & more. Do I need to tell you my reaction?
You cannot mask odours with scents. You can use some nice subtle natural scents to enhance your clean fresh smelling rooms. Vanilla is most effective & pleasing. Light lavender mint is refreshing & inspiring. Both of these scents stimulate feelings of well-being. Use essential oils sparingly. Ocean Spray is a natural in the bathroom.
Fresh flowers are lovely to look at as well as to smell, in any room. Group plants together. Live healthy growing things create fresh energy & purify the air.
Home Lighting Is Everything! Lighting is one of the most important factors for interior enhancement effect.
Keep shades open during the day. In the case of glare the light can be diffused a bit with sheers or shades. Use lamps in dimmer areas. If you are showing at night, light for best effect - make the most of it.
MUSIC & SOUND
Retailers have learned to appeal to the senses of shoppers. The same principle applies here. It should be quiet enough for normal conversation. Neighborhood and traffic noise can be screened out nicely with some quiet classical, jazz or blues notes playing. Make sure your son isn’t practicing on his drums in the basement! The TV, machine noise or radio are not suitable.
Organize & list everything - on your self-created home selling checklist!
How does everything look after you've cleaned, packed & organized? Check your Home Selling Checklist Still needs help? HOME STAGING Evaluation from the start is well worth the professional touch in view of the return you'll get!
