First Impressions Matter

We want your house to look its best. So when people see it, online or in person, they'll be wowed and need to see more. The money you invest in professional listing photos and improving your curb appeal leads to a great return on investment.

Before photos, the best advice is to pre-pack.  You are planning on moving, so let's get ahead of the task.  Pack up those clothes that are last season or better yet, clean out your closets.  Donate, garage sale or sell on-line.  It's time to get rid of the clutter and things that no longer are useful to you.   Pack up all those great personal photos, items and collectibles.  It's time to depersonalize your home too.  The idea is that potential buyers need to see themselves living in the space and not be preoccupied by all of your great belongings.  They don’t need to know about you, they need to buy the house, right?

Touch up walls and trim paint chips.  Fresh paint is dollars in the can and thousands on the walls.  

Next, Clean…..Clean…. Clean.  A good friend used to say, there are 3 types of clean: Everyday clean, company coming clean and then SELL YOUR HOUSE clean.  That means deep clean.  Clean those light switches, baseboards, carpets, ceiling fans and inside of appliances.   Believe it or not, a clean house adds value.  

Smells… We are all nose blind to our own house smells.  Maybe it's pets,  maybe it's cooking your favorite spicy meal, or maybe it's something that needs to be addressed like a damp basement.   Please don’t plug in air fresheners in every outlet to cover up smells, that can make matters worse.  We don’t want people's noses to get overwhelmed by fragrance either. 

The best detection of all these is someone other than YOU.  Your realtor has a good nose and will tell you the truth.

Curb appeal.  Keep the lawn mowed and driveways and sidewalks clean.  Backyards are also important to keep looking their best. You want buyers to see themselves relaxing and enjoying the view. 

Planning ahead helps reduce the selling stress.  Talk with your realtor (ME) and we can get that game plan started.