Preparing for selling

Make Your Property Appealing to Buyers

When selling a property, first impressions really count. Since looking for a home starts with online search or in-person showing, it is crucial for the property to show well and the real estate photos to be high-quality to impress potentials buyers. Achieving that level of quality begins with a clean, tidy, and organized property. In the real estate business, beautiful neat spaces can sway prospective buyers in your favor.

Use these practical tips as a checklist to make properties look stunning, cozy, warm, and ready to live in.

General preparations:

1. The best look starts with a clean, organized space. Clean the house thoroughly. That means vacuuming the carpet, mopping hardwood floors, wiping furniture, etc. Get rid of unwanted items such as junk, shoes, and cardboard boxes.
2. Remove personal photographs and replace them with ones that feature landscapes, general objects, abstracts, etc. Do the same with personal collections and items.
3. Arrange furniture and appliances so that cables and outlets are hidden from view if possible.
4. Fix sofas, beds, couches, and other upholstered furniture. Make sure they are wrinkle free, and the pillows are arranged neatly.
5. Use bulbs of the same temperature (e.g. daylight, incandescent, etc.) on all lamps and other light sources (at least in the same room). Doing so creates a uniform glow when everything is turned on. Burn out bulbs should be replaced.
6. Open windows and blinds to let natural light in. 7. Turn off televisions and computer screens to avoid unwanted glare.
7. Remove any pets stuff as dishes, beds, toys, etc. 9. Remove any clothes from the laundry machines. 10. Turn on all the lights in a property a few minutes before the showing.

COMMON ROOMS

1. Polish counters, tables, and podiums so they shine.
2. Put a centrepiece on tables such as a bouquet of flowers, a tray of scented candles, or a sculpture. A centrepiece makes the image more cohesive.
3. Space the chairs and ottomans evenly.
4. If you wish to use magazines, books, and journals as accessories, choose ones whose colours complement the room. Arrange two or three neatly. 5. No more than five decorations or artworks should be placed in the room.
5. Fluff up pillows and cushions. Make sure tablecloths, covers, and curtains are free of wrinkles and stains.
6. Remove children’s toys, family photos, and personal memorabilia.

KITCHEN

1. Wipe countertops clean and remove big appliances, mail, baking supplies, leftover food, and other kitchen tools.
2. Remove refrigerator magnets, photos, and other paraphernalia. Limit kitchen decorations to just one item such as a vase or a fruit basket.
3. Include a couple of small kitchen appliance such as a coffee maker, microwave oven, or blender.
4. Remove dishes, cleaning stuff and utensils from the sink, and hide garbage cans.

BATHROOM

1. Clean and polish countertops, sinks, and bathtub rims.
2. Leave no shampoo, soap, medications, toothbrush, and other toiletries in the bathroom.
3. Make sure the toilet seats are down and closet doors are closed.
4. Remove dirty towels, and replace them with clean and fresh ones.
5. Remove dirty floor mats.
6. The number of decorations should be kept to a maximum of 3 items.

BEDROOMS

1. Make the bed by pressing and smoothing out linens, pillows, and shams.
2. Remove personal items and clutter from nightstands and dressers.
3. Conceal all charging cables.
4. Take out family photos from the walls.
5. Remove any sport equipment. It’s a bedroom, not a gym.

FRONT EXTERIOR

1. Clean up the yard by mowing overgrown grass, trimming shrubs, blowing away leaves, etc.
2. Remove garbage bins, visible water hoses as well as other unwanted objects such as toys, inflatables, garden equipment, empty or old dry planters, etc.
3. Park vehicles inside the garage OR on the other side of the street not closer than 10 meters to the property.
4. Clean porch, eaves, window frames, gutters, and other exterior structures.
5. Turn on water features.

BACKYARD

1. Tidy up the deck and outdoor furniture. Pillows and cushions should look fresh.
2. Conceal toys, hoses, cleaning supplies, and other unwanted objects.
3. Keep trash cans out of sight.
4. Clean a pool and hot tub. Make sure there’s nothing floating on them.