Many sellers ask us, what are the first steps to prepare my house “for sale”?
One of the things we like to reference are the 3 “C’s” for Sellers as our guidelines. We believe it really helps our sellers on where to begin, as this process can be overwhelming for many people without the proper guidance by a trusted Real Estate Professional.
The first “C” is Clean. No buyer wants to be shown a dirty house. It can be a huge turnoff to anyone. Even though the cleanliness of a house does not transfer ownership, once people are turned off, thats it. You never get a second chance to make a good first impression. We have had people comment on multiple things in relation to cleanliness. “Does someone really live here?” or “Wow, there is dust everywhere!.” What do you think that buyer will remember about that house? The beautiful Kitchen or the Inground Pool? No… they will turn to their partner and say, “Wow that house was so dirty!”
So what can you do? You can hire a professional cleaning service to come and clean your home. This is one of the biggest transactions of your life. Investing in the best tools to get you top dollar for your home are essential. Weather you hire a cleaning service and maintaining what they do on a weekly basis, or you perform a deep clean yourself, you can ensure that a buyer walking through your home can envision your clean home as a potential home for them.
The second “C” is Clutter. This is a big point we like to tell our sellers. When there is clutter, things appear “smaller.” Do you want your kitchen or bedroom to appear “smaller” to a potential home buyer? We didn’t think so… So de-clutter your home. Clean off your counter tops. Organize the paper work in your home office neatly. Put some of the extra furniture or decor away. You’ve been meaning to hang this mirror that may have been sitting in the hallway for 6 months. Nows the time to store it away. Put it in the attic, shed or garage. You want the potential homebuyer to see from wall-to-wall. Keep all entry ways clear of “stuff.”
We want to focus on the kitchen for a minute. This is a “big ticket item” or basically on of the most “appealing feature” for a potential homebuyer. We want the kitchen to look its best, right? Can you envision cooking here? We recommend to clear the fridge of too many magnets, photos and personal information. We want the potential home buyer to see their “new life” in this house. Plus, these things add to the clutter, right? A clean and clutter less room allows more clarity with an overall better experience.
Lastly, we get to the final “C”… which is Color. Why is color important? “Color, is one of the effective factors in a space which influences the way individuals express their emotions.” (Birren 2006) Now what does this mean? Color has a direct relation to your emotion. The minute you walk into a home, a "feeling", involuntarily, comes over you… whether it is good or bad, its there. We encourage warm colors. Warm colors such as red, yellows and oranges can make you think of heat or sunlight. Which most people can associate with comfort or warmth. We love these warm colors for larger spaces, which make it feel more cozy.
Cool colors, such as green, blue and purples can be calming and or soothing; such as sky, water or even ice. To us, it's almost a peaceful feeling. We recommend using cool colors for smaller spaces, to make them appear larger. If you have a small bedroom or office, selecting a cool color can make it appear more spacious.
Generally, rule of thumb is, high traffic rooms, such as a living room, should represent a warm color... Why? They are stimulating, inviting and vibrant. its somewhere you entertain or spend time a majority of time in.
While cool colors, are more spiritual, calming and relaxing. Perfect for a bedroom where you sleep, meditate or decompress.
What's very important here is balance. There should never be too much of something. This is in anything you do. Making sure your home has the right balance and mixture of warm and cool colors is essential.
We love this snip it from thespruce.com; “It's important to think about the mood you want to create and whether you want it to feel light and airy or cozy and intimate. Knowing the difference between warm and cool colors is the first step.”
Ultimately the goal here is to allow the homebuyer to see how their own style can be incorporated. By making each room feel “inviting” we have a better chance of having the potential homebuyer fall in love and ultimately "pull the trigger" to make an offer on the home.
Our actions are reactions. We love the feeling we get when walking into a space (or your home) therefore, we react and make an offer to purchase. It’s important to get that potential homebuyer to that point. With a little effort and guidance, any seller can get there. Painting can be an investment. Especially to those who don’t see the value of inputting money into a home they are planning to sell. But this simple task, of spending a few hundred dollars on new paint, can essentially set you apart from another home that didn’t spend, therefore making the home buyer have an "feeling" they cant pass up.
Now lastly, just to summarize, here are the 3 C’s again: Clean; don’t let a buyer see a dirty house. Invest in a cleaning service. Clutter; keep all entry ways clear and focus on keeping counter tops clear. Make rooms look as large as possible. Color; choose a color that best suits your home, based on the tips we listed. Warm vs. Cool colors express different emotions!
If we consider these tips, while preparing the house for sale, we can assure you are one step closer to successfully selling your home, for top dollar.
Yours in Service,
Richie Jr. & Taleen Krug
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