Are you thinking of putting your house on the market this year? We’ve shared a number of articles in past newsletters that included staging and decorating tips, but here are a few important items that we may have missed.
1. Sticky counters & cabinets. If you have kids, keeping up with this could be challenging but nobody likes to touch something sticky. Same goes for door handles and light switches. 
2. Greasy stove top and/or dirty oven. Most of the time, the range is included in the sale of the home. A greasy stove or an oven that hasn’t been cleaned in awhile will raise a red flag about overall maintenance.
3. Pet hair. If you are a pet owner, you may be used to pet hair build up on furniture, rugs and if your pets are long-haired – everywhere! I know it’s hard to believe there are actually people out there who don’t have pets and who would reject a house that’s absolutely perfect in all ways, except for a little excess pet hair. Best advice – vacuum regularly and if you really don’t have time – consider investing in a set it and forget it robot vac.
4. Dirty litter box – pet odors. Much worse than pet hair is the pet odor issue. If you have cats (and we do), keep the litter boxes clean, keep the area around the boxes clean. Nothing turns off buyers more quickly than the smell of cat urine. And if you have dogs, keep them clean and keep their bedding clean. Just about as bad as cat urine is dirty dog smell. Buyers will be moving on to the next house in a flash.
5. Cigarette / cigar odors. If you knew how many times we’ve worked with a seller who says “I only smoke in the…” garage, basement, bathroom, porch, pick a room. The CDC estimates that less than 15% of Americans smoke. With those numbers, chances are good your buyer doesn’t smoke. And whether you believe it or not, non-smokers are convinced you cannot easily get the smoke odor out of a house, even if you only smoked in the garage.
6. Bugs. Even if buyers are very zen about bugs in their own homes, they won’t be about seeing them in yours. If you are seeing water bugs in your bathtub on a regular basis, stink bugs on your windows and spider webs hanging down from the ceiling – call an exterminator and order a treatment.
7. Very personal decorating choices. Yes, you love the black paint in the game room but your buyer will not. Same with the castle you turned your daughter’s bedroom into for her 5th birthday. The more specific you get, the harder it will be to sell. Buyers will deduct more dollars than it will actually take to de-personalize, so make the changes now—before you put your home on the market.
The joy of owning a home is being able to do whatever you want with it, to it and in it. You absolutely should be able to enjoy living in your home, anyway that you want. But if you are thinking about selling and you want to sell quickly at the best price, try to picture how others might react to your renovations, additions and the side effects of your lifestyle.
Call us—we are actively looking for houses to sell this spring!! Best way to reach us is by cell or text at: 724-344-4795