When we meet with clients to talk about listing their home, it can be a stressful time for them. Surprisingly, their biggest concern usually isn’t the price of the home or the closing date. Their biggest concern is getting their home organized prior to listing. Home organization has become big business, from retailers like The Container Store, to network tv shows, to spiritual home flow (Feng Shui anyone?). We thought we would ask each agent on our BestSAHomes Team to share their personal top tips for getting your home ready and how to make your home stand out.
Karen Waddell – Focus on one area at a time (closet, garage, etc). This helps to keep a big job from feeling too overwhelming. Then do your best to straighten up as you go here and there, so nothing gets out of hand.
Sharon Immel – I always recommend a quick trip to your local big box store. You can organize an entire home with a small amount of money. Here are some products that can make a huge difference in your battle with clutter: drawer organizers, plastic bins to organize small items on your shelves, magnetic bars to store knives, spice racks mounted on the inside of pantry doors, and colored bins for holiday decorations (orange for fall, red for Christmas, etc.)
Jill Yeargan – In my opinion, you can never have too many decorative baskets and plastic bins. Use baskets in your living room for blankets, magazines, remote controls, and toys. Small, inexpensive plastic bins really come in handy in your bathroom cabinets to organize nail polishes, lotions, hair products, and make-up.
Vicki Timoteo – When getting ready to sell or move, most people find a lot of stuff in the backs of their closets that they forgot they even owned. If you haven’t used something in a year, I recommend getting rid of it as quickly as possible so you can move on to prepping your home in other ways. I personally have grown children that I offer my unwanted items to, but if they’re not interested, Offer Up is the way to go. I’ve had great success with selling quickly, and it’s much easier than having a garage sale. No permits required!
Kelly Robinson – Of course, the inside of the home is extremely important when getting ready to sell, but the outside needs some attention too. A lot of homeowners have accumulated water hoses, kids’ toys in the back yard, gardening tools, etc over the years. Investing in a nice deck box for the back yard or patio, for around $100, can be a really simple way to keep all of these items within reach as you need them prior to moving, while also giving you a handy storage solution to hide them away when you have a last-minute showing request.
TJ Jolley – I recommend that everyone store their blankets, comforters, and sheets in plastic bags, using a vacuum sealer. I have one and absolutely love it. You won’t believe how much less space you’ll need in your closet or under your bed for all of your bedding. Everything stays perfectly folded, stays smelling fresh, and just looks so much cleaner and nicer.
Dean Aitken – Don’t just focus on what you can see. Remember all the senses. Smell and sound are just as important as what people can see. Put an air freshener by the front door, turn your tv to the smooth jazz channel to set the mood.
Published on 2019-01-17 16:41:43
