Top Ten Improvements Before You List Your Home Suggested Reading

We consulted with Debra McGinty, Home Stager for Team Leung and asked her to make a list of her top ten recommendations for preparing your house to sell as quickly as possible.  If you find the projects too daunting to handle by yourself, Team Leung can recommend many professionals available in Greensboro and throughout the Triad to assist you.  Any money spent on experienced professionals will likely translate into a higher selling price and a quicker sale!

1. Consider curb appeal - You only get one chance to make a good first impression.  Even if you can’t improve your landscaping, make sure your lawn is mowed, leaves are raked and snow is shoveled.
2. The front entrance is of the utmost importance - Enhance your front door and entry way with fresh paint, a new welcome mat, plants on either side of the entrance and an updated light fixture.  If the exterior of the house needs painting, it is a relatively inexpensive way to increase the value of your home.  Don’t forget the small touches like house numbers, mailbox and flower beds.  Also, scrub those windows until they shine, knock down any cobwebs and hide all garbage and recycle bins.
3. Neutralize, depersonalize, declutter, undecorate - This step requires that you detach emotionally from your house.  You want potential buyers to envision their life in this house - not yours!  A blank canvass will help them do just that.  Fresh paint in neutral colors will brighten the space and make your house appear larger.  Non taste-specific paint colors and accessories allow potential buyers to visualize their life in your home.  Remove personal items and photos.  Go room-to-room, closet-by-closet and look at every item.  Then decide whether or not you will keep it or donate/sell it.  Even the items you wish to keep may need to be stored elsewhere while your home is for sale. Less can be more!
4. Kitchen - The kitchen carries a lot of weight in the buying decision.  It is one of the first things a buyer will inspect.  However, that doesn’t mean you should install a new kitchen.  Unless your current kitchen is in a complete state of disrepair, your house value may not increase enough to cover the cost of a new kitchen.  Instead, consider some more cost-effective ways of updating your kitchen by repainting the cabinets and adding new, update cabinet hardware.  If your appliances are outdated, replacing them is also more cost effective than putting in a new kitchen.  Along with new paint and hardware, updated appliances give the kitchen a new look and feel. 
5. Bathrooms - Bathrooms are also rooms that can make or break a sale.  It is important that your bathrooms look their best!  Take a look with a critical eye and be sure that your bathrooms are clean, clutter-free and neutral.   Outdated bathrooms can be updated by replacing the faucets, painting the cabinets, updating the hardware and updating the mirror and light fixtures.  Remove wallpaper, paint walls a neutral color and keep accessories to a minimum.  A small live plant is a great addition.  Neutralizing will also make the bathroom appear bigger.  Make sure the lighting is bright, as this is something people often note when assessing a home.  Keep trash cans out of sight and buy some fresh, fluffy towels.
6. Closets - Closet space adds value to a home.  When your potential buyers open a closet door, they should see lots of room and get the impression that there is a lot of storage space.  This may be challenging in older homes, such as those typically found in Guilford Hills and Lindley Park, as well as throughout Greensboro’s many other historic neighborhoods.  However, you can still give the illusion of more closet space if you clean out your closets.  Store everything except for what you absolutely need for the current season and be sure what is left in the closets is neat and organized.  When you move, you are going to have to empty your closets anyway, so you might as well do it now, when it can help sell your home!
7. Fix it - Exam each room for things you never got around to fixing.  Decide which ones might be a distraction to buyers, even if you have lived to learn with them.  If you notice chipped paint, nail holes or peeling wallpaper, take the necessary steps to remedy them.  It may be helpful to have a friend or professional walk through with you and lend an objective eye.
8. Clean, scrub and clean some more - The least expensive option of all!  Even though it may be tough to live in a spotless home ALL the time, this is a necessary evil when selling your home.  Consider hiring a cleaning service that might clean the places you didn’t even know existed!  Before a showing, make sure that every nook and cranny is spotless.  Don’t forget the windows because they typically make up around fifty percent of your property.  A bottle of window cleaner (or water and vinegar, if you prefer) will leave your windows sparkling and will entice buyers into your home.  Be sure your house is free of odors, including smoke and pet odors.  Open the windows for twenty minutes and let in some fresh air. 
9. Lighting - When trying to sell your home, keep it bright.  Dimly lit rooms tend to look dingy, especially during the day.  If your walls colors are dark, paint them or add floor lamps.  Before each showing, open the drapes and blinds and let in as much natural light as possible.  The only exception if the window faces an unattractive view.  If that is an issue, sheers make work well so that the view is obscured but sunlight still brightens the room.  Turn on all the lights in your home just before leaving the house.
10. Set the stage - Create a warm and inviting atmosphere with fresh flowers, fruit in a bowl and subtle aromatherapy.  You want potential buyers to feel welcome, comfortable and at home.  Fresh baked cookies, fresh bread or a fresh pot of coffee will all fill the house with enticing aromas.  Soft background music can help create a soothing environment and camouflage neighborhood or traffic noises.