Selling Your House: Staging to Sell

Setting the mood usually brings to mind a romantic dinner with candlelight and music. In the same way that a suave guy romances his date, you as sellers must romance your buyers. Sellers need to set the mood for buyers to feel welcome and at home in your home. Here are some simple steps to set up potential buyers to start imagining their furniture and family in your house.

1. DECLUTTER
Papers, files, kids toys, dog toys, bags and shoes, etc... all of these things need a place in your home and that place is not splayed out on the floor or counter. Storage totes and containers will become your new best friend. While your home is listed and available for buyers to come see it, all of the kids' toys need to be picked up and put in a toy box or other storage container in their room. Also, do not just throw everything that was once on the floor into a closet for an unsuspecting buyer to open and see an avalanche of clothes and junk coming at them. Clean up your closets too because they will be looking in them.

2. DEPERSONALIZE
Your job as a seller is to create a space that someone can make their family's home. Although your family and children are adorable and most people surround themselves with pictures of their loved ones, this makes buyers feel like they are a guest in your home instead of a buyer of a house for sale. It's hard to picture your family in a home when all you see are pictures of another family.


3. PURGE YOUR FURNITURE
Most people have WAY too much furniture in their home. For our sellers we have a general rule of thumb that we tell our sellers who are ready to sell - take two pieces of furniture out of every single room. These include side tables, chairs, desks, couches, etc. Store the furniture in a short term storage unit or if that is not an option then arrange the furniture neatly in the garage or store it off site somewhere else.

4. CLEAN!
Do a deep cleaning/spring cleaning of your home. If you have pets most people will smell them as soon as they walk in the door. There are some smells and dirt that you have gone blind to just because you have seen it every day. Cleaning includes thorough carpet cleaning (Rug Doctor, Zerorez, etc.), if you have tile then grout cleaning, dust all ceilings and light fixtures that are hard to reach and thus you haven't cleaned in a while (also dump out all light fixtures that may dead bugs or dirt collecting, stove tops drip pans, baseboards, and anything else that you have neglected for a while.

5. FOCUS ON FRONT DOOR ENTRANCE
Spruce up the front door. For most buyers they will either be standing there and waiting for their agent to show up or waiting for their agent to open the lockbox and door. It is also the first impression of your home. If there are any chips be sure to repaint the door. Add a welcome mat and a potted plant or nice sitting area off to the side of the door. Make your home as inviting as possible!

6. CLEAR OFF KITCHEN COUNTERS
Get into the habit of making your coffee and toast in the morning by taking out the toaster and coffee maker and then putting them right back. When I say clear off kitchen counters, I mean absolutely nothing on the counter. You want them to see how much space your kitchen has for their stuff.

7. BRIGHTEN IT UP
Before a buyer comes in to tour your home open up all blinds, shutters, and curtains on the windows to let natural light in. Also turn on all lights which makes your home look brighter and more welcoming.

8. PLUG IT IN
How a house smells is very important. If there are pets or strange cooking smells emanating from a house, that will be the first thing that the buyer will notice and comment on. Lighting a candle may help with the smell but the most effective strategy that I have seen is to have multiple plug in scents throughout the home. One in every room would be ideal and two in larger rooms would be enough to make the home smell pleasant.

5 Things you NEED to do Before you Buy a Home

Once people decide that they want to buy a home, most don't know where to start. They tend to start with the most fun part - looking at homes online and perhaps open houses on the weekends. Here are 5 steps EVERY buyer should take before looking at homes.

1. Save for Down Payment and Closing Costs
Before you can close on a home, the bank securing the loan will ask for a down payment. Depending on the loan program you qualify for, your down payment can range from a couple thousand dollars (down payment assistance plan) to 3% (FHA) to 10% or 20%. Obviously, the bigger down payment you pay the smaller your monthly mortgage payment. In any case, an amount of savings is needed to pay the down payment as well as closing costs associated with escrow, such as title fees, appraisals, inspections, and home warranty.

2. Raise your Credit Score
It goes without saying that a lender will look at your credit score to determine if the bank will loan you money. The higher your credit score the better interest rate you will be able to lock in. Currently the threshold score that my lending partner requires is 650 but that may change depending on which financial institution you choose.

3. Get Pre-Qualified by a Lender
A pre-qualification from a lender lets you know how much you are qualified to borrow. This lets you know your buying power and helps potential buyers narrow down their search. This is also a vitally important step because most sellers will not even consider an offer unless the buyer can prove that they have been prequalified.

4. Define Exactly What you Want
Make a list of everything you require out of a home. A good place to start is location (city, neighborhood, subdivision), school district, HOA or not, bedrooms, bathrooms, garage spaces, lot size, upgrades like granite countertops, etc. The more you figure out what matters to you before shopping, the easier it will be to zone in on the homes that you really want.

5. Avoid Change
Lastly, after you are pre-qualified do not do anything that requires you to pull your credit score! This includes applying for credit cards and buying a car. This will likely lower your score and change your debt to income ratio thus putting your loan in jeopardy. Do not change or quit your job - this is also a key component in deciding whether or not the bank is willing to loan you money.

Of course it goes without saying that finding a qualified real estate agent is vitally important. But before an agent gets involved, take these steps to put yourself in the best position possible to purchase your dream home!