Depersonalize Your Home To Sell Fast!
When bringing your home to market, it’s incredibly important that potential buyers can PICTURE THEMSELVES living in your home. However, what if YOU’RE still living in this home? Well there’s quite a few things you can do to keep the house depersonalized and give your buyers the best chance to picture themselves living in it. I’m going to take you room by room and give you some suggestions.
Kitchen
Kitchens are the centerpiece of homes and oftentimes the most important room for buyers. There’s a number of upgrades we’re going to discuss in the next chapter but for now let’s just keep it simple. Keep all the kitchen surfaces clean. Clean out any burners if you have a gas stove. Keep the refrigerator clear of magnets and any personal papers. Counter space should be clear save for some small appliances (toaster, coffeemaker, etc.) It’s important to keep things simple, neat, and clean. Make sure your kitchen floor is clean and ready to show at all times. Empty your garbage pail daily to make sure there’s no lingering odors in this important room. Your pantry and cabinets should be kept organized and neat. Donate any non-perishable food items you won’t be using to clear up some space in your pantry and make it appear larger. Make sure your sink is kept empty at all times. Dry dishes by hand and put them away rather than leave them out on a drying rack.
Bathrooms
Just like kitchens, your bathrooms should be kept extremely clean and neat. Put all personal affects away in medicine cabinets and vanities. The only exception should be hand soap and possible a tissue holder. Toothbrushes, hair combs, medicine, and any other personal items should be hidden from view. Make sure to keep tubs and toilets clean. It may be worthwhile to hire a professional to come and clean once a week while you’re on the market to take some of the pressure off of you.
NO YES
Living Room
Living rooms are an important space in the home as they are where families tend to gather and spend quality time together
Preparing a living room for market can be tricky. I actually believe this is one space where we should leave a little bit of your family’s touch. A few pictures in this space can help suggest a loving atmosphere that buyers will want to live in. Just make sure not to overdo it. Knicknacks and other personal items should be placed into storage out of site. A few exceptions are coffee table books, plants, and items placed on a mantle. The balancing act in this space is to show that the room has warmth, but not overdo it with any one item.
Bedrooms
Beds should be made every morning in case a last minute showing comes up during the day. DIrty clothing should be placed in hampers. Surfaces should be kept as clear as possible. Keep your closets half full. It’s important to not have cluttered closets as they can mislead buyers into thinking the storage space is smaller than it actually is. Take any clothes you no longer wear and donate them. If you have seasonal clothes you’re not using, hide them away in storage to clear out more space.
If you have expensive jewelry or other valuables, I strongly recommend hiding it in a fireproof safe hidden from view while your home is on the market. Although the vast majority of home buyers are honest and good people, you simply never know who you are letting into your home. You can cut down on this liability by using a real estate agent who will pre-screen applicants before they are allowed into your home.
Cluttered vs neat walk-in closet
Pets
This is a tough one. I, like most people, love our four legged friends. I’ve had dogs my entire life and I’ve never met a pup that I didn’t get along with. However, not everyone one loves pets. In fact, some people are allergic, or even worse, have fears of animals. If there’s any possible way to keep your pet out of the home while it’s on the market, I highly recommend it. Perhaps there’s a friend or neighbor that wouldn’t mind taking them in for a few weeks? As much as we love our pets, there are odors, dander, and hair that are associated with them. The presence of pets can turn off some buyers. I know It’s difficult to send your pet away for any period of time, but making this small sacrifice now can help you provide an even better home for them in the future.
A great way to figure out what work needs to be done to get your home depersonalized for market is to speak with your Realtor. During your listing presentation, they should be able to go from room to room with you and discuss what little things you can do to prep the home for market.
I always do a walk through with my sellers and take notes of little things they can do to make the house show ready. In fact, while I’m shooting video of the home I’ll often work directly with them to declutter things as we go along. If you’re interested in listing your home with me, I’d be happy to show you how to depersonalize the space to get buyers excited about buying your home.
Hopefully you found this guide useful in your Tampa home sale. If you have any questions on this process, feel free to contact Stephen Dispensa of Real Broker LLC. and Tampa Real Estate Secrets:
Stephen Dispensa
Licensed Real Estate Sales Associate
(813) 591-0569
Steve.Dispensa@gmail.com
Real Broker, LLC.
Tampa Real Estate Secrets
