This morning I met with a lovely lady who has listed her condo to sell. I took the time to walk through her condo and talk about what need to be put away or changed. The colors in the condo are beautiful. She has chosen soft shades of sage green or pearl grey in many of the rooms. The carpets are clean and the house is filled with sunshine. In short, a well maintained home that presents well. However, since her home is not on the market, her treasures are all over the condo. Southern Living Cookbooks are artfully stacked in the dining room. Each sofa or chair has fluffy pillows, and there are lots of dried flowers and candy dishes placed in strategic spots throughout the condo.
If you’ve ever sold a home, you know the daunting process of packing up, cleaning and fixing up your home to sell. It’s right up there with death and taxes in the stress scale. It is hard to know where to begin. So, we walked through the condo together as a team and room by room to decide what to pack and what to leave. The team concept is a much easier way to start than tackling the job on your own.
If you’re considering listing your home, please rely on your REALTOR® and hopefully, a professional stager to advise you before you start. Take good notes and ask questions. They’ve seen hundreds, perhaps thousands of homes by now and it’s their job to know what buyers will respond favorably to and what will diminish the appeal of your home.
One hard and fast rule I use to advise my clients is, if its smaller than a tissue box, pack it up. This applies to just about any collectible item you see in curio cabinets, wall units, china hutches, bedroom dressers, kitchen counters, and bookshelves. These may be family heirlooms or sentimental pieces to you, but to buyers an assortment of tiny teapots, Hummels, Lladros, ducks, bunnies, cows, teddy bears (insert your favorite collection) reads as clutter. It sAYS that “there isn’t enough storage space in this house” and more importantly, buyers will become distracted and not focus on your home’s best features. You probably aren’t selling your Hummels, so don’t leave them out to distract the buyers!
Be optimistic. You just listed your home and it is going to sell! Consider this task as pre-packing for your upcoming move. You’ll be prepared and ready for closing that much sooner. Best of luck and success to you all!
If you are thinking of selling your Bethesda home or condo, please give the Lise Howe Group a call. Part of our full service includes an hour’s consultation with a professional stager! We love to sell Bethesda Homes!
