Preparations For Selling Your Kelowna Home
The goal of a seller is to get their home sold in a short amount of time and make plenty of money from doing so. You can’t rely on luck to ensure this type of outcome. Instead, a proven strategy has to be put in motion. Using professional methods to get your home ready is going to grab the attention of potential buyers. You want them to do more than just look at the home, you want them to make an offer on it!
Deep Cleaning
Every aspect of your home needs to be clean and sparkling before you put it on the market. You only have one shot to make a good impression on potential buyers! They are interested in a home that is clean and well-cared for. Even though you do the day to day cleaning while living there, you need to go beyond that.
Hiring a professional cleaning service is a great idea. They will take care of all the extras for you. They will take care of cleaning beyond the day to day routine items you do. This can include:
- Cleaning all flooring and removing stains if possible
- Dust removal
- Polishing chrome fixtures and appliances
- RE-caulking around sinks, showers, and bathtubs
- Window cleaning inside and out
- Washing sidewalks and the outside of your home with a pressure washer
- Wiping down all cabinets
There may be some specific areas of deep cleaning necessary for your home. Get a free estimate from a professional cleaning service. Find out what all the service includes. Let them know areas you would like them to give special attention to. Such services are affordable and they can do the work in a fraction of the time you could do it on your own.
Once the home is deep cleaned, do all you can to keep it that way. Vacuum every couple of days to keep the carpet looking great. Waxing other flooring helps it glow and makes it easier to remove any dirt or debris. Keep the bathrooms clean and sparkling and make sure you have nice towels hanging up in them.
Since many potential buyers take a close look at the kitchen, make sure the one in the home you have for sale is extremely clean and organized. Counters should be cleared off and all appliances cleaned inside and out. A potential buyer may open the oven door or the refrigerator door to peek inside. The same with your cabinets, so make sure they will find everything looking amazing!
Eliminate odors in your home, especially if anyone has been smoking indoors. Use products to remove the odors, not just temporarily mask them. Be mindful of what you cook before a showing as those food smells could linger and be a turnoff to a potential buyer. Such food items can include:
- Cabbage
- Fish
- Garlic
- Onion
When selling your Kelowna Home Avoid scents in your home with candles or other items that may be overpowering to some potential buyers. You want to remove any smells and musty odors, but you don’t want to make it flowery either. If you have pets, make sure odors from a litter box or their living areas aren’t going to be a problem.
Remove Your Personal Items
You may still live in the home, but you want to remove your personal items. As someone walks through your home, you want them to visualize themselves living there. That is hard to do when they see photos of your family on the walls and other personal items. Pack those items away before you show the house. It will help it sell in less time and it also makes the spaces look larger as they aren’t cluttered.
The more you can remove, the easier it is for a potential buyer to see their own pictures on those walls! The easier it is for them to see where they would put their furniture if they were to buy the home. You want them to have an emotional attachment to the home as those feelings can play a role in their decision to make an offer on the place.
Remove furniture that isn’t necessary from the home too while you try to sell it. This gives the viewers a chance to see the home clean and with the bare minimum in it. The less you have in there that makes the home yours the easier it is for them to see it as theirs! Potential buyers often shy away from looking too closely at a home when personal items are everywhere. They feel like they are invading someone else’s space.
Get rid of Clutter
Every part of your home needs to be cleaned out and the clutter gone! You will be surprised at all of the stuff you have accumulated while living there! Some of these items may have sentimental value. Others you may have kept to fix them or refurbish them but it never happened. As you go through items, pack up anything that is sentimental to you or you would like to pass along one day to someone else.
Items that are broken or damaged should be tossed out. Items you haven’t used for six months to a year should be removed from the home. There is very little chance you would need them again if you haven’t used them for such a period of time. You can have a garage sale if you desire, and anything leftover can be taken to a donation spot. Some items may be a tax deduction for you too when you donate them. Not only will you help those in need but get a break on your taxes!
Go through your home and pack up items you don’t use regularly. This includes all the decorative items you have on display. This helps remove clutter and it also gives you a jump start for your packing. When that house sells, you will be glad you already have plenty packed up and ready to go!
Closets and Storage Areas have to be Organized
A potential buyer is going to look in all of the closets and all the storage areas of your home. They need to see how much space they would have for their own stuff if they purchase the home. If they try to open such a space and it is cluttered or items fall out, it gives a poor impression. This tells them the home doesn’t have adequate storage space.
Makes sure you have removed any items you don’t need from these areas of your home. Everything you keep needs to be neatly organized. This tells them there is plenty of overall storage available. It also confirms you have taken good care of your home everywhere, not just the places that are visibly seen when someone walks in.
Where to put it all?
As you clear out items you don’t need, get a garage sale done as soon as you can if you choose to do one. Take remaining items to designated donation locations in the area. Some of them will come to pick up items for you too. That can be useful if you have lots of stuff or heavy items. Make sure all of this is out of your home before you put it on the market.