Before putting your property on the market

Staging and Preparing your residential space for sale. - Interior

1. Make minor repairs such as: paint walls neutral colors, replace counter tiles, fix leaky faucets, fix doors, etc…
2. Remove oversized furniture that may block pathways. Leave enough furniture in each room to display the room’s purpose - rent a storage unit.
3. Remove clutter into storage unit. Maybe donate it or throw it away?
4. Make your space spotless by cleaning and shining floors, windows, showers, tubs, appliances, etc…
5. Create a fresh aroma by buying fresh flowers, candles or baking cookies.
6. Organize and rearrange all closets and cabinets.
7. Remove any items that will distract the buyer’s attention such as personal items and photographs.
8. Pack up and replace favorite items that you may want to take with you.
9. Most importantly: Disconnect your emotions and feelings towards your space.

Staging and Preparing your residential space for sale. – Exterior (if applicable)

1. Keep sidewalks and driveway clean and clear.
2. Mow the lawn and trim bushes.
3. Wash outside of windows.
4. Plant flowers.
5. Re-paint front door and window edges.
6. Replace outside light bulbs. Make sure your house number can be seen from the street – buyer’s like to drive by properties at night.

Note: If the buyer doesn’t like the exterior, chances are that he or she won’t even make it inside.

It’s a fact that Real Estate buying is all about two things. 1) Preparing and staging your residential space for sale and 2) proper pricing. Anything that might take away from the visual presentation can possibly hamper the sale. Scrutinize your presentation as much as possible. Take a good look of your space at every angle. Put yourself in the buyer’s shoes. Psychology plays a major part in selling, so create a mental picture of comfort and “that sense of feel” the first minute the buyer walks through your front door.

Note: Learn more great ideas on how to create a visually pleasing space, staging and preparing your space from websites such as TLC.com or Hgtv.com or from any of the multiple cable networking channels.

If you own your own property and are in the process of putting your home on the market, I encourage you to have an inspector come in and assess your property. This way you can solve any minor problems before the potential buyer comes. In the long run, you’ll be at more of a risk if the buyer finds an issue. An educated buyer is going to have your property accessed from an inspector he or she has hired, so you might as well be proactive and address any issues beforehand.