Room-By-Room: How To Sell Your Home Faster

In order to sell your home for top dollar, you need to start saying goodbye to your home by staging it to sell! Here’s how:

Remember: The Number One home improvement that will give you 973% Average Return on your Investment is REMOVING CLUTTER. Remove clutter by storing items in basement, attic or friend's home. Rent a storage space or sell excess items, if needed.

Front door and porch:nÆá Does your home have curb appeal?no No dead plants, replace with plantersno Trim shrubs to expose windows.nÆá Front Doo
o Does it sparkle? If not, paint it or clean it.no Door knob should shine to welcome people.nÆá Welcome with a spot of color.no Flowers, old sled, bright milk box, etc.no Paint door if necessary.nÆá Invest in a new doormat. no Welcome onlynÆá Capitalize on your front porch.no Make it welcoming, even if you don’t sit on it.no Use chairs, books, end table, plantsnÆá Do cursory gardening as neededno Keep lawn ornaments to a bare minimum if at all.no Remove any clutter that takes away from the gardens.

Entry hall:nÆá A dramatic focal pointno Create the effect if you don’t have oneno Greet buyers with “welcome home”no Flowers, bold and dramaticnÆá Reduce furniture to make it easier to walk...nÆá Add a “special” mirror and clean it!nÆá Improve the floo
o Make repairs or replacements if necessaryno No loose throw rugs; one long rug is bestnÆá Clean out your coat closet no Only coats and shoes! No wire coat hangers.no Closet freshener

Kitchen (your kitchen alone could sell your home!):nÆá Clean off front and top of refrigeratornÆá Use props to set the sceneno Open cookbook, basket of fruit, show food!nÆá Quick cabinet makeover: new knobs and/or hinges.nÆá Expand counter spaceno Clear it of everything except a bowl of fruit, store thingsnÆá Create more storage if possiblenÆá Accent windowsno Clean windows, use stained glassno Windowsill with herbs or tiny bottlesnÆá Make small kitchens appear larger no Clear top of cabinetsno Repaint or unify the paint?no Colorful accents are importantno Strategically placed mirro
o No curtains, or light in weight and colornÆá Highlight eat-in areano Set the stage: placemats, bowl of fruit no Need stools-painted bright colors?nÆá New towels/pot holders/dishcloths?nÆá Items on a horizontal surface should be attractivenÆá Clean out what opensno Cabinets, refrigerator, pantry, mop closet

Dining room or dining area:nÆá Set the tableno Personalize the room: bright placemats, pitcher filled with flowers, candles, etc.nÆá Make large dining room do double dutyno Room-within-a-room: secretary to create a den, reading place, music corner, etc.nÆá Visually enlarge small dining areano Remove leaves in tableno Against wall instead of cente
o Remove extra chairsno Clutter eats equity so limit the “stuff”

Living room and family room:nÆá Set the stage: happy medium between, too casual and too formalnÆá Take down 90% of your family photosnÆá Music, games, knitting, reading means “We could live here.” nÆá Open curtains or eliminate themnÆá Highlight fireplace/screenno Clean itno Mantel uncluttered, tastefulnÆá Improve traffic flowno Make room to walkno Remove excess stuff and furnitureno Exit and entry ways not blockednÆá Draw attention to exposed beams or cathedral ceilingsno Draw eyes upward: lighting, hanging basket, mobile, etc.nÆá Downplay the television if possiblenÆá Clean out what opensno Cabinets, closets, built-ins, toy chestsnÆá A few matching pillows and afghans for warmthnÆá Bookshelvesno Organize books by size and color and leave white space; less is more.nÆá Organize electronics and accessories, clean up wiresnÆá Papers and magazine racks organized

Bathroom:nÆá Limit the “stuff” inside the shower stall: makes it look bigger nÆá Consolidate bottles and go through old make-upnÆá New bath towels/floor mat?nÆá Make sure grout is clean.nÆá New shower liner and/or curtain?nÆá Clean out what opensno Cabinets, medicine chest, linen closetsnÆá Fold towels in closetnÆá Guest towel and liquid soap on sink

Laundry Room:nÆá Cheerful and appealingno Accentuate any windowno Well organized and fresh smellingno Bright lightingnÆá Can it do double duty?no Sewing/hobby area?no Area for coats and shoes for out of the way storage?

Stairways:nÆá Make them safeno Increase lightingno Clutter-free (attic steps too)no Stair railings tight and securenÆá Add visual interestno Wide stairways-hang pictures or lighting; attractive focal pointno Narrow stairways-minimize clutter, pictures and loud wallpapernÆá Improve stair treadsno Secure any loose carpetno Clean carpet or replaceno Lightly wax wood or paint n
Bedrooms:nÆá Organize children’s toys nÆá Clean out what opensno Cabinets, dresser drawers, closetsnÆá Closetsno Clothes hang straight, not smashed inno Matching hangersnÆá Master bedroom: aim for restful, retreat, book open?nÆá Depersonalize children’s rooms: remove posters, memorabilia

Attic, Basement, Garage:nÆá Clean out or organize any area that you walk into.nÆá Rearrange or consolidate all storage to maximize space.nÆá Increase wattage in bulbs.nÆá Create a workbench area if there isn’t one. nÆá Do a good sweeping, no cobwebs!nÆá Rearrange garage so a car can fit in.

Great References:

Refer to these books for more ideas on selling your home for top dollar!nn« “101 Easy Ways to make your home sell faster” by B.J. Halln« Dress your House for Success by M. Webb and S.P. Zackheimn« 50 Simple Steps you can take to sell your home by I.R. Glinkn