Spring Cleaning for the Selling Season

Spring Clean for the Selling Season!

Are you planning to sell your home this spring or summer? There are some things you can do to make your house more appealing to a buyer and make it easier for you to move into your new home as well.
If you have lived in your house a long time, there are sure to be many cherished memories associated with it, as well as cherished mementoes of times gone by. But, do you really want to move all that stuff?  Perhaps it’s time to take an inventory of your house and decide what to keep and what to throw away. If your children live nearby, it might be easier to have them come over and “claim” what is theirs and take it with them and let you know what childhood toys and gifts can be thrown away. Here are some more tips to unclutter your home for sale.
1. Study the entire house. Go room-by-room and pretend you are seeing each room for the first time. Look and see what would make the room look more open and appealing.  
2. Make piles. As you clear each room, organize items into various piles  — for example, stack items to keep, give to family or friends, donate to a charity, sell online, get hauled away, and consign. This is the time to decide how attached you are to certain items and what can be let go. My personal rule is, if I haven’t looked at it or needed it in a year, out it goes.
3. Empty closets. Eliminate anything you haven’t worn in the last two years. Experts suggest to dispose of 50 percent of wardrobes since most people only wear 20 percent of their clothes 80 percent of the time.
4. Clear off counters and bookcases. Books are so 20th century since most people read from their tablets. Instead put in some home décor items. Home stagers recommend using the “rule of three” -place items in groups of three for visual appeal. The final effect should reflect a neutral style.
5. Spruce up the kitchen. This is the home’s most popular gathering spot and a place to dump keys, junk mail and just about anything else. Clean off the countertops and make sure, like the closets, the cabinets are cleaned out to look more spacious. Be sure to clean out the refrigerator and freezer as well.
6. Make bathrooms spotless. Even if your bathroom does not have a spa or other amenities, clean grout, tiles, shower door, and vanity go a long way in impressing potential buyers. Clear out the medicine cabinet, add crisp white or other neutral towels, fresh soaps, and a plant.
7. Empty garages, attics and storage buildings. These are often the final resting places for items that once seemed so important. If boxes in your garage, attic or storage buildings have been moved at least twice without being opened, it’s time to let them go.
I hope these tips will help you get your house ready to sell. Remember, if you are selling a home, I'm ready to help. I offer complementary staging and room by room suggestions as a part of my VIP Listing Service. Curious what your home value is now? http://myhousevaluefast.com Give me a call at 843-603-5552 or check out my website, www.waynegaddy.com