Here are six ways you can prepare your home for a move and to get a great asking price. 1. Moving is high on the list of what many homeowners truly dislike doing. In your plan, you have to remember this is not going to be your house sometime in the near future. Go visit a model home and you will see there are very few personal things to remind you this home is not yours. They have left the place very neutral so you can picture yourself and your things in it. So, step one is neutralize. 2. Plan ahead so you don't feel so rushed about getting your place in order. Very often people make the decision they want to sell and wait until the last minute to have an exit plan. Depending on the size of the house and property, be realistic about the time it will take in achieving the steps needed. Make a written plan that includes a step-by-step schedule. Decide how much money you can allot to your plan and build your plan around it. Step two is plan ahead. 3. Start with getting rid of things you would think: "Why would I pay to move this?" Moving furniture and other things is costly. Even if your intention is to get a rent-a-truck and do your own packing, larger trucks are more expensive to rent. Some people rent a smaller truck and find they have to make more than one trip. If you are moving close by, this could merely be an inconvenience. If you are moving a distance, this could be a major headache. So, be ruthless, discard every useless item. And do this before cleaning because it will save you the time and energy of cleaning and packing something you never intended to keep. So, step three is toss, toss, toss. 4. Packing is another step you can start before the serious cleaning. Whatever you pack you will want to be clean,but this is not the heavy cleaning you want the buyer to see. Take every picture of you, your family, friends, acquaintances, pets off the walls and surfaces. Remember, this is going to be the prospective home-buyer's home. This is not about you and yours. Pack them carefully in whatever container (cardboard boxes and/or plastic tubs) you plan to transport them in and store them outside the house. No, no, not on the grounds. Rent a storage space to keep the grounds and garage free of clutter. Yes, even your garage has to be presentable. If not, it will only remind the buyer of how the garage will look once they have bought your house. Step four is pack and store. 5. Now you need to clean, clean, clean. When you clean, you will find more things you could get rid of. But you will also find things that need repair. You may need a friend to see the things you have gotten used to walking right by. 6. There are such great cleaning tools on the market today. There are tools and chemicals cleaners for glass, wood, stainless steel, carpet--you name it. Professional house cleaners know what to use on what. You might want to hire a professional to come in after you have finished tossing, packing, and storing. They will clean things you never thought of cleaning. All of these steps will add value to your house and make it easy for your realtor to get your price, make a quick sale, and have you on your way. Or it may change your mind about moving now that you can see the potential. |
