Trash or Treasure

Many of us have accumulated a lot of things over the years.  Whether we have paid good money for it, it has been given to us as a gift or we just couldn’t resist the purchase because it was such a good deal, the fact of the matter is that we have entirely too much of it.  It’s time to get rid of the things we do not need.

Getting rid of your personal belongings is very hard to do.  As you sort through your things you need to ask yourself the following questions:

·         Do I have something like this that fills the same purpose?

·         If this is a duplicate, which one is in the best condition, is of the best quality, or will last the longest?

·         Does this item need repaired?

·         Does this item save me money or fulfill some essential need?

·         Why does this item live in my house and is this the best place for it?

Your next step is to dive in and get started with the sorting of stuff!

A Staging Plan

One of the most important tasks involved with de-cluttering a home is to have a plan of attack.

Don’t try to tackle the whole house in one weekend.  I would suggest blocking out times and dates for each area of your home.

You should first pick a vision for your home.  Do you want your home to feel calm and peaceful, comfortable  and cozy, or fun and sporty?  Take a look at your family’s lifestyle and interests and plan accordingly.

This is an opportunity to create a new chapter in your life.

When you begin sorting your things keep your vision in mind and ask yourself, “Does this item support my home vision?”  If not, perhaps it should go in the donate pile.

Updating Your Home

When it comes to putting their house on the market many sellers are not interested in investing money into the “old” house.  They are excited about moving into the “new” house and want to spend money on things for the new house.

The problem is that no one else wants to by the seller’s “old” house either.  Think about it, the seller is moving because he wants a nice new home.  Buyer’s today expect resale homes to be in top notch condition.  They do not want to spend time making repairs, replacing the flooring, and painting walls.  Seller’s need to invest both time and money in to the sale of their house if they expect it to sell at all.

Here are a few tips on updating a resale home…

1. Repair/Replace - Update old light fixtures, kitchen & bathroom hardware, appliances, countertops and flooring if it is in bad shape.  Fix anything that is broken and paint anything that looks like it needs it.

2. De-clutter - Pack up items that are not being used.  For example, extra books, games, clothes, collections, and anything smaller than a football.  Clear floors of extra things and remove furniture that is either too big or too small. This will show off the rooms true size and space. 

3. Stage -  A seller should make sure that the entry to their house is welcoming.  Paint the front door, buy a new welcome mat, and add pot of pretty flowers.  It is important to make sure that every room looks fresh and clean.  Cleanliness is extremely important!  Buyers tend to like color, so add a splash of color to what might be considered a neutral room.  

Simple Staging

There are some very simple tricks to staging.  The main purpose of staging is to make the home feel warm and inviting to potential buyers.  The first thing to do is make sure that the curb appeal of your house is just that, appealing.  Add a little interest to the front of the home by planting some flowers, purchasing a new welcome mat and cleaning the front door.  Next take a look through the front door or the entry to each room and dress up the focal wall.  Make sure that the rooms are not cluttered, that there are window treatments, and that all rooms are clean.  A couple of very simple yet inexpensive things a seller can do is to invest in pretty new bedding for the bedrooms and to purchase new towels and shower curtains for the bathrooms.  Buy things that you can take to the new house! It has often been said that a kitchen can make or break the sale of a home.  The simplest thing to do in the kitchen is to clear the counters and leave just a few nice decorative pieces sitting out, for example, a bowl of fruit, some canisters, a cookbook on a stand and maybe some fresh flowers. Make sure that windows are clean and the curtains are open. Let the light shine in and make sure that the home smells fresh and clean.  Happy staging!  

Setting Home Goals

Whether you have a new or older home, circumstances change and our lives continually evolve.  Whether it is an updated kitchen, the addition of a room or needed repairs, writing goals is the way to achieve your vision.

Planning short, mid and long-term goals will help you create a plan for reaching your home goals.

Short-term Goals:  (90 days)

• Example:  Your kitchen is looking dated and it needs a facelift.
• Goal:  Paint the kitchen and add new hardware to the cabinets by month’s end. 

Mid-term Goals:  (3-18 months)

• Example:  Your family is growing and your current home is feeling a little cramped.
• Goal:  Add a bedroom to your home or purchase a larger home by the end of next year.

Long-term Goals:  (18 months - out)

• Example:  You are financially secure and would like to spend more time on vacation.
• Goal:  Purchase a cabin in the mountains within 5 years.

The key to staying happy in your home is to make sure that it changes as you do.  Writing goals for your home provides a vision for future needs.  Once you have written down what you want, you can work on accomplishing each goal!

Invest in your biggest investment!

You are out driving around one day and you see the model homes.  You decide to stop and “just look,” but the next thing you know you have signed on the dotted line and you have just bought yourself a new house.  The new house will be done in about 4 months so you decide you better get your house on the market.  So you call your Realtor and tell them that you want to sell your house.  She says great and wants to talk about updates you need to make before the for sale sign goes up.  

Many homeowners think that when it’s time to sell their home all they need to do is just put up the “for sale” sign and the buyers will come.  Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way in today’s market.  If you want to sell your home in today’s market it has to look great and be considerate of the comps in the area.  The purchase of a home is probably the biggest investment we make, so why not invest a little in order to get the return on your investment?

The investment in some obvious repairs, touch up painting, de-cluttering and staging can go a long way on a slim budget. 

Visit my blog next week for some affordable tips on how to update your house and make it more appealing to potential buyers.