If you've never sold a house then you don't know how much work it really is. For the lucky few who have no children or animals and keep their houses in amazing condition (I repeat no children and no pets and more than likely a house cleaner) selling is not a daunting task. If you have children and / or pets, you know that your house is more often than not in a condition that you would not want strangers, or even friends, to see. I have 4 dogs who live in the main part of the house, two bunnies who live in one bedroom and two teenagers who live mainly in their rooms. I know that my house is not ready for an open house this Sunday.
Overwhelmed would be a mild way of saying what I feel when I think about what needs to be done before we can put the For Sale sign out. However, if we want the best price for our house then we need to put the effort into making it show well. When a potential buyer comes through the house we want them to be amazed the minute they drive up to the house to the minute they walk through the last room. It doesn't usually take a lot of money to get a house ready to sell, if you are willing and able to do some of the work yourself. How I keep myself from crawling into my comfy bed and hoping that when I wake up the house will be in the right condition to sell is to look at the smaller picture. I focus on what needs to be done in one room instead of focusing on what needs to be done overall. Make a list of what needs to be done in each room and then start on the room that needs the least work. This will give you a sense of accomplishment.
So what do I need to do to get the house ready? How do I know what needs to be done? The main thing to do is to look at the house as though you are the buyer. When you live in a house you tend to look past a lot of things that will stick out to a stranger walking in for the first time. You may love your bear collection and think it looks cute but it's really just taking up space and making your living area look smaller. You may love cooking and have all the gadgets imaginable, however keeping them all out on your counter will make a buyer think there isn't enough counter space. In future blog posts I'll go into more detail about how to go about looking at your house as a buyer, not a seller.
The list of things that I need to do is lengthy. Some things are big, like having the kitchen updated with new counters, lighting and flooring. Other things are small, like getting the spilled paint off the front porch, but small details matter as much as the big ones. The first task I am taking on is painting. Putting a fresh coat of paint on the walls, and baseboards, doors and door frames if need be, makes a huge difference in how your house is viewed. When choosing colors, be aware of how the color will affect people. I saw a house online and their kitchen and eating area were the brightest yellow ever. It was so yellow the camera had a hard time viewing it. I don't remember anything else about the kitchen because the walls took all my attention and turned me off so badly I didn't want to look at the rest of the house. Neutral colors such as browns, creams and grays are always safe. Hang a stunning piece of artwork on the wall or a centerpiece on the mantle to bring some color into the room. Paint one wall a color that is complementary to the neutral color to add some pizzazz. Make use of paint colors in a smart way. Some sellers may think paint is no big deal because the buyer can easily paint over it, it's not a major repair, however it takes time to do. When you move into a house you have to be able to live with the colors that are there until you have time to repaint,. If the colors are awful then it's going to take more time to sell. Keep in mind, as well, that you may sell your house to a single man or woman so try to be gender neutral in your colors. A pink bedroom will not appeal to a man. Actually, it may not appeal to many women either.
The master bedroom is the room I painted over the weekend. In my next post I will include pictures of it before and after I repainted it. In the meantime, leave a comment about the worst and best things you have seen when looking for houses.
