Each year the corporate world spends billions of dollars on product packaging design, all in an effort to entice us to purchase their goods instead of the competition.  Even though we're not going to spend billions of dollars in "packaging" it is important to consider this fact when selling a home.  Buyers will evaluate your home by its "presentation" and will make conscious and subconscious judgments based on its appearance.  With Buyers at a premium, you want to appeal to as many as you can, edging out your competition.

When analyzing your home's strengths and weaknesses, try to be objective, looking at it as if seeing it for the first time as Buyers will see it.  This is very difficult.  We get so comfortable with the way we live it is hard to imagine others not feeling just as comfortable as we do.  But people are different, and since we can't please everyone, we strive to accommodate as many Buyers as possible.  To do this, we begin by "neutralizing" our home and making it inviting to as many viewers as possible.

As experienced Realtors^© seeing numerous and varied homes throughout our careers, we generally know what is needed to sell a home.  If you would like The Mudd Team to come to your home to give you ideas in getting your home ready for sale, just give us a call or email us.  We would be happy to go through your home with you, giving you a list of suggestions to get your home ready.  If you feel you need additional help, we can also refer you to a few professional home stagers to get estimates. 

In the meantime, here are some tips to get you started.  Don't panic!  You don't have to do all of these things.  This is just a guide you help you recognize areas you might want to work on.  Pick and choose those that you feel are most important and work on those and leave the rest.  As you get showings and feedback from those showings (a good Realtor© will always attempt to get feedback from every showing), you will know if your home staging is working and if you have other areas that need to be addressed.  Let's face it.  Some things we can't do anything about, so let's just concentrate on those we can.

 As you read these tips, think "spacious" "open" "fresh" "inviting."  House size doesn't matter.  A large house can look small if cluttered and a modest home can look exceptional if staged correctly.

Remember who your competition is!  Think objectively about how your home ranks with other homes for sale in your area.  If you have basically the same floor plan and amenities, but yours looks more inviting and requires less work to move in to, which do you think they will buy?   Okay, let's get started!

1. The number one thing you can do to get your home ready for showings is to de-clutter every room in your home.  This means countertops (kitchen and baths), bedroom dresser tops, end tables, closets (more on them below), hallways, floors and more.  Box it up and put it away, either neatly stored in a basement, attic or garage corner or a storage place off site (a relative's home or a rental storage unit).  In the kitchen, if you don't use it on a daily basis, put it down under the cabinet or store it in a box until moving.  Make sure the Refrigerator door and sides are cleaned off---no coupons, photos or artwork with magnets.   Take most books and magazines off table tops, leaving just a couple out for decorating.  Clear out your storage areas, too.  Now is the time to get rid of yard sale and donation items taking up space. 

2.  Clean, clean, clean.  Now that you've removed the clutter, clean like you've never cleaned before.  Dust, scrub, scour and vacuum.  Make the countertops and sinks shine. Scrub the fingerprints off of the front of the refrigerator. Make the stove sparkle, even if it doesn't stay with the home.  Dust the ceiling fans.  Shine the tubs and showers and remove any mold or mildew.  Clean is always a "wow" factor in selling a home.

3. Repair the big and little stuff.  Sometimes the smaller repairs can be just as, if not more, important than the bigger ones. People notice, even subconsciously, when a small item needs repair.  Buyers think if there are broken smaller items they can see, there are probably others even bigger, that they can´t see.   This is often a subconscious thought where they are unable to put their finger on it, but they just don´t have a good "feeling" about your home.
   
   
4. Put fresh bulbs in every light fixture and lamp and use many, if not all of them, during showings.  The first thing an agent will do in showing a home is run through first and turn on most of the lamps before the buyer walks through.  This is for a reason.   A dim room looks dark, closed-in and uninviting.  A light room looks bright, roomy and welcoming.  Having lots of light is important.
   
   
5. "Neutralizing" your home colors or decor.  If your home is very different, they will see your decor and not your home.  Your favorite UK or UL room needs to be painted a neutral color; the posters on the walls and ceiling should come down.  This really goes for any "different" décor that is yours alone.  That purple laundry or chartreuse bath with frog fixtures may not appeal to a lot of people.  Does this mean your home has to be dull or plain? No, but more often than not, individuals have difficulty getting past particularly wild or blaring decors.  There is a fine line between wild and tastefully different.  When in doubt, get other objective opinions.
   
   If you choose to paint, stick to more neutral colors since most Buyers' furniture will go with them, at least until they can get a chance to change it.  Lighter, neutral beiges, off-whites and muted golds will go with most furniture and they may also make the room look bigger.  People like being able to move in without having to paint right away---giving your home an extra boost when the Buyer is making a purchase decision between two or more homes.

But, paint color may not be the issue.  Try standing at the door of a room with your eyes closed for a few seconds.  Open them and note the first thing you see?  If it is blaring at you, then that is the item in the room that may need attention, whether it is the wall color, window treatments or furniture. Your favorite bright orange, extra-large recliner in an otherwise neutral room may only need to be toned down.  Covering it with a neutral afghan and a couple of pillows could be all it needs. 

6. Pets are sweet and many of us have them, but most people feel "my" pet is sweeter than "yours".  We don't mind living with our pets and their habits, but we´re not so sure about yours.  And remember, some people don't like pets at all and can't imagine living with one.  So, while we must disclose that there have been pets living in the home, we don´t have to have our home look like it.   When the home is shown, removing Fido or Fifi during showing times is really the best, if possible, but if not, at least crating your pet helps.  Even if they are in the backyard, it prevents people from roaming the property and seeing the exterior.  Also, pick up their toys, food and water bowls, bedding and the like.   Clean and neutralize carpet stains.  Repair any chewed or scratched walls, floorboards, etc.  The ideal scenario is that "yes, we have a pet, but look how neat and clean he is!  You don't even know he's around."
   
   
7. Neutralize all offensive smells. Smells are a major issue in showing your home---one of the first things noticed when entering.  The homeowner may not be aware of them, but visitors will be.   As experienced Realtors^©  we are keenly aware of even vague odors as soon as the front door is opened.
   
   The top two offenders are pets and cigarette smoke but this includes food odors, too.   Regarding pets, wash their bedding and litter boxes to remove odor. Clean up pet "spills" immediately and neutralize it with a carpet cleaner specifically for pet odors.  Pet supply stores carry these and professional carpet cleaning companies use these.   
   
   Regarding smoking, if possible, take smoking outside since the smoke and nicotine gets into and onto everything.  Keep all ashtrays empty and removed.   
   
   Constantly running the fan on your HVAC unit (even when the HVAC unit isn't turned on) is helpful along with opening doors and windows when weather permits.  Using odor neutralizing sprays are helpful but don´t overdo it with over-powering candles or scents, which can actually make it worse.
   
   
8. Closets.  Believe it or not, there have been articles written about closets and their affect on selling a home.  Lack of closet space can actually be the only reason a person doesn't want to buy a home.  There is not much you can do about the number or size of closets you have, however, what is placed in the closet can help the situation.  Keep closets 1/2 full.  If it looks like you´re not having a problem getting all of your stuff in them, then perhaps Buyers will feel they will be able to get all of their stuff in, too.
   
   
9. Keep walkways safe and clutter-free.  As adults, we can put away our clothes, books, etc. but it is a little tougher for children and their toys.  Juggling a balance between enough and too many toys is an issue.  You need some toys to keep everyone happy, but do you need them all right now?  If you can reduce their quantity, it makes your life so much easier before showings, putting them away.  Toys can be accidents waiting to happen and it´s hard to keep up with every one of them.  The last thing you need is for a visitor to get hurt on your property.  Keeping toys at a minimum will help you in the long run.  Plus, if they are put away in boxes, they are ready for the move to your next home!
   
   
10. Carpets and flooring.  How does your carpet look?  Rank it:  A few dirty spots, needs cleaning all over, or worn areas that need full out replacing?  By all means, clean your carpet if that is all it needs.  But if it has worn areas, consider getting new carpet.  Some people don´t want to mess with getting new carpet, and want to discount the selling price to accommodate it.  However, your home will show better and probably sell quicker if you go ahead and replace it.  You will also be more likely to get closer to your asking price, as long as that asking price is at a fair market value.  Take an objective look at your carpets.  If you want to beat out all of the other homes out there with your home features and in your general price range, you have to push yourself ahead of the others.  Having clean or even new carpets will help.
    
    
11. Don´t forget the outside.  The first thing we have to do before getting a Buyer inside your home is getting them to like the outside.  Lack of "curb appeal" is a main reason you will not get showings.  If they don´t like the outside, they simply won´t come in.  We can usually tell with our experienced marketing plan, that if enough people are calling our Info Hotline and we get plenty of hits on our Websites (we check and report our hotline and websites hits weekly), but we're not getting the showings, then it´s either an exterior curb appeal issue, the price, or both, that turns Buyers off.  So, clean out the flower beds, trim the bushes, fix that window pane, and touch-up the paint! 

In general, think "model home."  Model homes are decorated with the most people in mind, trying to appeal to a wide audience.  Neutralized colors, except in a Dining Room.  A few decorative touches here and there throughout the home.   A few wall decorations.  Kitchens with just a few things on the countertops with a flower or fruit arrangement as an accent.  Baths with a couple of towels, a planter or accent dish.  It gives a sense of being open, spacious and clean.   Most people walk in and say, "I can live here!"

 If you would like to set up an appointment to come give you some tips for preparing and staging your home, please call or email us!   This is a free, no-obligaton service.   As full-time Realtors©, this is just what we do.