Marketing Your Home for Sale: Find Some Time and Some Distance

Source: Jon Nunan, Home Advisor

Many detail-oriented tasks and larger decisions will be made when you're putting your house on the market for sale. One of the most important things to remember, however, to successfully sell your own home is that there's a difference between the building as a property and the building as your home. While moving out can be emotional, being able to look at your house objectively is crucial for good house staging. Here are some tips that can help you attain that ever-beneficial objective eye, and hopefully lead to a good selling price, too.

House Staging Step 1: Thorough Cleaning
One of the most important facets of home staging is cleaning. Your house staging scouring should include the basic spring cleaning list:

Washing walls, floors, countertops, and other surfaces.
Cleaning blinds and curtains
Removing clutter

You'll also want to begin to empty your house of items you don't need for daily use. Any items you want to keep but don't need, you can store at a friend or family member's place or storage. Once you consider your property thoroughly cleaned, it is a good idea to have a friend or co-worker come in and give your house a once-over; chances are he or she will be better able to spot areas where more attention is needed.

Remodeling to Sell Your Home Faster
Bathroom and kitchen remodels are always among the most common home improvement projects, they also tend to have a significant impact on the final value of your home. Take the time to focus on these rooms and see what can be done to make them more appealing. While completely remodeling is a bit of an extreme for simple house staging, be sure to fix any leaky faucets or appliances that don't work. Paint walls that are dirty or chipped instead of just trying to clean them. You'll also want to walk around the rest of your house and identify areas that need to be worked on.

Home Inspections for House Staging
While much of house staging is focused on appearances, there are benefits to hiring a service professional to complete a structural inspection of your home. Many home buyers will ask for this inspection anyway and this will allow you to ensure the buyer upfront that you're not hiding anything. A typical home inspection will include a general structural evaluation including:

the foundation, roofing, gutters, and siding and windows on the exterior
electrical, heating and air, ducts and vents, insulation, and smoke alarms on the inside
Not Typical: asbestos, termites, and other specific issues.

Putting Your Home on the Market

Just before your house goes on the market, go through everything again. Remove any worn or cumbersome furniture and rearrange the furniture that remains to make it look more attractive. Shampoo your carpets and stop wearing shoes inside. Once your house staging is complete and you begin showing the house, don't let your diligence go to waste! Continue to vacuum and dust everyday.

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3/20/14