Tips for selling our house?

lindsayandjamie · January 2014

DH and I currently prepping our home to sell it. Basically finishing the 101 things that are incomplete, deep cleaning, decluttering and packing up what we don't need, giving our master bath a facelift and touching up paint. I'm also thinking of putting together a binder of all the updates (windows, doors, a/c, etc) that we've done and add photos of the garden in the summer (it's buried in snow right now), for sellers to look at. We once went to an open house with a similar resource and it was a really useful tool for potential buyers to have everything laid out in front of their eyes.

Any experienced home seller have any advice?

nfp147 · January 2014

I like the idea of pictures of the yard in the summer. I live where you live and I know how different things look between now and then

This might also sound silly, but make sure your walks/driveway are clear and easy to walk on. We shopped for our house in the winter and it was nice to be able to walk in and out of houses without slipping. You would not believe the number of treacherous walkways!

lilliesandvino · January 2014

I second everything that @nfp147 said.

Also, take care of any and all smells. Wash curtains, get carpets cleaned, wash bedding, clean mattresses, etc. Some people are very sensitive to smells and will not buy a house that has any odors. (This does not mean that I think you have a smelly house! It's just always something I notice.)

lindsayandjamie · January 2014

Those are both really good tips. Our walkway/driveway is totally treacherous, so DH will be tasked with solving that.

And I'm really sensitive to bad or strong smells, so I totally agree with you @lilliesandvino. We have a dog too, so he'll probably get to live with Grandma and Grandpa while we sell to make sure his 'odors' don't contaminate the air. It's just hard to know if your house smells like anything because when it's yours, it smells like home, ya know? I need to recruit someone to tell me the honest truth.

nightmare_of_beauty · January 2014

Couldn't agree more with @lilliesandvino about smells. When we were shopping one house smelled strongly of dog the moment you walked in, I couldn't wait to get out of there!

Also like you said, clutter. Another house was nice, but there was clutter everywhere! It looked like they piled all their moving boxes in the master bedroom and it made it very hard to enjoy the house.

Good luck with selling!

Sewilson33 · January 2014

I second @nfp147 I went to look at a house after a snow storm, and it was DAYS after, we had to walk through 2 feet of snow just to get to the door.

If you paint anything, use all neutral colors.
Avoid having anything very taste specific up or very personal (tapestries, wall of family photos, religious items) Many people find it difficult to move past other people personal taste.
Declutter your shower as much as possible, the less stuff in it, the bigger it looks.
Adding a couple room fresheners that aren't very noticeable is always a good idea. That way the house just has a fresh scent to it.
Clean your fridge to the point where it is sparkling (unless you aren't including it in the sale).
People look in EVERYTHING, don't think anything is hidden if it is in a drawer.

lilliesandvino · January 2014

@Sewilson33 that fridge tip is great. I wouldn't have thought of that.

lindsayandjamie · January 2014

During our recent house hunt I always look in the fridge! And we've seen some nasty things. I tend to clean our fridge weekly before filling it with food, but I'll make sure I add it to the deep cleaning list.

RockABye · January 2014

We're in our third house now and have sold 2, so I've been down this road. Rule of thumb, always put at least 1/3 of your junk (including furniture, if possible) in storage. Clear out closets (linen/pantry/cabinets) so they look spacious. This is especially true in closets and the kitchen I've found. You want to amplify the storage, even if you don't have a lot in reality. Yes, the cost of storage is a pain, but it really does help!

Take down personal pictures and put up generic art. It's always best to take "you" out of the house, as much as you can. When someone walks through, they need to imagine themselves there, not your family. Make sense? You want them to feel like it's THEIR home, not yours.

Keep the beds made and counters clear (again, to make it look bigger/spacious/cleaner) as much as you can. It's a pain in the butt, but it pays off.

Definitely clear walkways, keep the lawn mowed, and be aware of smells. Paint over anything not relatively neutral because some people are dumb and can't see past pink (or whatever color) paint. I also planted fresh flowers out front (not really an option if it's freezing cold, I realize) and tried to keep a fresh bouquet of flowers inside.

Also, when you have showings, turn on ALL the lights! Make it bright! Overhead lights, lamps, you name it! I also opened closets. Basically made it into a model home haha. (be sure all your lights are on for listing pictures too!)

We did a flyer in both of the houses we sold. In the last one, we talked a lot about the neighborhood, the features we loved that someone might not realize was there (walk out attics, extra plugs, switch for Christmas lights, tankless waterheater, etc), the community/town. Because energy savings was a HUGE selling point on our last house, we had a sheet out that listed our electric bills for the previous 12 months. We received a lot of very positive feedback on these! Since we built both of the houses we've sold, we also had a book out with pics of the process so they could see the structure was sound.

Good luck!! Selling is stressful, but I always thought it was kinda fun

lindsayandjamie · January 2014

@rockabye thanks for the amazing tips! We have free storage and have already started moving boxes into my parents basement to make our current storage areas seem spacious, so I'm glad we're on the right track. I figured we would have to pack at some point, so we may as well pack most of it before people start coming through.

I have asked my SIL to borrow her artwork to replace our photo gallery wall, and to put a few paintings up in the bedroom.

Great tips about the electric bills.

RockABye · January 2014

Yay for free storage and artwork! That's awesome!! It'll definitely help! It's a pain living in a show-ready house, but it pays off (literally). I've always kinda wanted to be a stager. Apparently I have a knack for it. (though I can't decorate my house for regular living, for some reason.. it's weird. I think I'm afraid of committing to decor) BOTH times we've sold, our agents (diff ones each time) have come back to take the pics and both asked if we'd brought in a stager

I hope the tips help and it sells for you super fast! Do y'all have a new place lined up or anything yet?

lindsayandjamie · January 2014

RockABye said:

Yay for free storage and artwork! That's awesome!! It'll definitely help! It's a pain living in a show-ready house, but it pays off (literally). I've always kinda wanted to be a stager. Apparently I have a knack for it. (though I can't decorate my house for regular living, for some reason.. it's weird. I think I'm afraid of committing to decor) BOTH times we've sold, our agents (diff ones each time) have come back to take the pics and both asked if we'd brought in a stager I hope the tips help and it sells for you super fast! Do y'all have a new place lined up or anything yet?

I have the same fear of committing to decor. I think its because I only want to display what I love and I hate clutter. So if I don't LOVE it, it isn't hanging around. That's so awesome you have a talent for staging. Maybe a little side business in the making? Its probably even easier to stage other peoples home vs your own, so you should work with the agents to see if you can help.

We don't have anything lined up yet. We are looking, but now isn't the ideal time because there isn't much available. We plan to list around March when people start to feel the first signs of spring and want to get out of the house, and hopefully have a long closing so we can find a new place. If we sell and need to move before we find something, we might have to go live with my parents...cross your fingers we find something we love first!

RockABye · January 2014

lindsayandjamie said:

RockABye said:

Yay for free storage and artwork! That's awesome!! It'll definitely help! It's a pain living in a show-ready house, but it pays off (literally). I've always kinda wanted to be a stager. Apparently I have a knack for it. (though I can't decorate my house for regular living, for some reason.. it's weird. I think I'm afraid of committing to decor) BOTH times we've sold, our agents (diff ones each time) have come back to take the pics and both asked if we'd brought in a stager I hope the tips help and it sells for you super fast! Do y'all have a new place lined up or anything yet?
I have the same fear of committing to decor. I think its because I only want to display what I love and I hate clutter. So if I don't LOVE it, it isn't hanging around. That's so awesome you have a talent for staging. Maybe a little side business in the making? Its probably even easier to stage other peoples home vs your own, so you should work with the agents to see if you can help.

We don't have anything lined up yet. We are looking, but now isn't the ideal time because there isn't much available. We plan to list around March when people start to feel the first signs of spring and want to get out of the house, and hopefully have a long closing so we can find a new place. If we sell and need to move before we find something, we might have to go live with my parents...cross your fingers we find something we love first!

That's exactly how I am with decor. I tend to change my mind a lot and like you, if I don't LOVE it, I don't put it up. I need to get over it and just decorate and be done. Of course I have to finish unpacking boxes first lol.. I'm still in the declutter and get rid of crap mode. We moved from 2600 sq ft to about 2000 sq ft so I'm having to purge. I love it. Plus, I'm getting ride of a bunch of decor junk that I like, but don't love. Which means only one thing... I get to go shopping!! haha. I talked to our last agent a little about it, but I just don't think I can commit to it at the moment. I will very likely look into it in the future though! It's so fun!

March is a great time to list We listed both of our houses in the late Feb/March time frame Living with the parents isn't horrible. Been there, done that twice as well! Once for 9 months while we built and then again this past summer for about 3 months while we found a place and started remodeling. Fun times! Hopefully you'll find something quickly though! The market definitely picks up in the spring. I think b/c people are looking to move once kids are done with school and what not. Makes it easier than moving mid-school year. At least that's my unprofessional thoughts on the matter!

poppies717 · January 2014

I totally agree with RAB about the storage and am glad to hear you are already moving things out. We looked at a house that was pretty big in terms of square footage, but all the closets were stuffed. The owners made sure they cleared off the countertops, but everything was shoved into closets. Even a spacious pantry looked tiny with every single appliance shoved in there.

I love the idea of the flyers, especially RAB's neighborhood flyer. When DH and I saw potential buyers in our neighborhood (new construction), we'd always stop by to chat and tell them some how friendly our neighborhood is and about the school system. One of our neighbors said they chose this neighborhood based on what we told them about the 4th of July BBQ.

Tips for selling our house?

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