Anticipating Selling? Food For Thought - Part 1 of Many To Come

Actually a good percentage of sellers contemplate selling well in advance of putting their homes on the market. This gives them a bit of advantage over those who suddenly find themselves “needing” to sell as a result of a job relocation, death or financial troubles. But when you have the luxury of being able to “plan” the sale, it’s only an advantage if you take action.

I am hardly the “poster boy” for strategic planning for selling your home, but being in this business I have learned some important things that I am intending to do as I target the sale of my home a year or two from now. Even if you don’t have a year or two, the same principles apply – it’s just that you don’t have the same luxury of time. I’ll share some of what my wife and I are doing as we target a future sale:

First and foremost – declutter. We moved into our current house a little over 23 years ago. It was a step up for us. Once we got our “stuff” moved in we looked at each other and smiled – we had so much empty space. Twenty three years later we scratch our heads wondering how we managed to fill (or overfill) all our space. Even if you’re not going to downsize (as we are) – and actually even if you’re not anticipating moving – a concerted effort to get rid of “stuff” you no longer use should become a part of your daily life. Sell it. Donate it. Trash it. If you don’t use it and don’t anticipate using it in the near future – move it out. As an example - some of you have heard me say before – I couldn’t bear the thought of parting with all my school report cards. Yup, my Mom saved them for me and I’ve kept them – for what? Sure it’s cool to see the “A pluses” I got for gym class, but I mean “really”. They’re gone. And it didn’t even hurt. And the report cards are just the tip of the iceberg in our house. Getting rid of the boxes and piles and cleaning out the closets and garage affords you the opportunity to take a good look at the house and plan the next step.

Now that you can see the walls and floors again (assuming you took my suggestion and decluttered), it’s time to assess their condition and whether they need some TLC. Dirty carpets should be cleaned - worn or “dated” carpets replaced. Hardwood, ceramic or vinyl floors should be cleaned and waxed. Do the walls, ceilings and trim need to be painted? If you start early you can spread the chore out over time and not “burn out”. But before you begin to paint, look at your artwork and wall hangings. Just like the rest of the house it’s best to declutter your walls. A few well-placed tasteful pieces that complement the room is your best approach. People don’t like to hear this, but personal or family pictures are best packed away while a house is on the market. It’s a psychological thing with buyers. When they come to look at your house, you want them to envision the house as theirs. You want them to look at the house not your family pictures. Pictures of your cute kids and handsome family connect the house to you and distract potential buyers.

Now – patch the walls and paint. Ceilings should be light colored, preferably white and in today’s world the walls are best painted in “earthy” tones such as beige, sage, etc. If a bolder color is desired use it as an accent and not dominant color.

(look for future posts continuing on this theme)