Staging a home for sale is pretty close to vital these days in metro Phoenix. For most folks the professional stager’s recommendations will include de-cluttering. Here are some of the most common de-cluttering tips.
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Remove half of everything on bookshelves
- Remove half of the clothes from each closet
- Make sure remaining hanging closet items are neatly arranged by season and/or color
- Make sure other remaining closet items are neatly boxed and/or stacked and labeled
- Straighten up your pantry with labels facing out, items alphabetized and neatly stacked
- Remove all family portraits from walls & fridge
- If you’re leaving the fridge, straighten and declutter it too. No mystery leftovers!
Tips for Bachelors Only
Guys, I’m sure you’re exceedingly happy in your bachelor life and I celebrate your desire to remain unhitched. But it’s a weird truism that most homebuyers are single women or married couples. And you know from watching your married buddies that the wife makes all the decisions. So cater to her when you’re trying to sell your swingin’ bachelor pad.
- Borrow some women’s clothes and hang them in half your closet
- Put a few candles and fake green plants on dressers and side tables
- Talk to a professional stager or Realtor who’s a Certified Home Marketing Specialist to discuss ways to disguise your ginormous TV
- Do laundry frequently so the closet doesn’t smell like a high school gym locker
- Wipe down the bathroom counters and shower daily to remove hair and water spots
- Hide the Keg-erator fridge and put some real food in your fridge (condiments and beer do not count)
This sounds like a lot of work, no? And a big pain in the neck. But the bigger pain in the neck is sitting on the market for months and months and never selling. There are no guarantees in life or real estate, but staging your home will exponentially boost the odds that you’ll sell while others don’t.
I’ve recommended a good deal of packing. Where to put the stuff??! And why do I have to pack before I even sell the house!?? First, you’re going to pack it anyway so you might as well get a head start. Second, Pods.com and BoxCart.com will help you with portable storage needs. And if you sign up with the Valley’s best Realtor (me!) I can get you 3 months of storage free with one of Coldwell Banker’s participating Concierge moving companies.
So that’s it for now. More on staging later. Happy packing!
Heather Barr is a Realtor and a happy workaholic. She eats more than someone her size ought to be able, and is a runner as a consequence. Her TiVo's full of spy thrillers, police procedurals and Whedonesque sci-fi.
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Staging is one of those Real Estate mystifying items. Really it is all about taking a look at your home as if you were looking for a house to purchase, and ask ‘Am I looking at my ‘stuff’ or the house’
Nice writing style. Looking forward to reading more from you.
Chris Moran