Selling Your Masthope Home:
Important Spots to Declutter Before Buyer Showings
When selling your Masthope home, there are certain steps that need to be taken to attract the highest and best offers. Decluttering your home is one of them, and will pay dividends when you sell. According to research by HomeLight, reducing clutter can add over $2,500 to your home’s value at resale. Before you can successfully show your home to prospective buyers (or even take listing photos), you need to ensure you have a home that people will want to live in: one that’s clutter-free, well organized and filled with ample storage space. Make no mistake about it, potential buyers want to see everything. That means no area of your home (not even your utility closet) is safe from the gaze of serious house hunters.
Here are the most important spots in your home to declutter before buyer showings:
Home exteriors – The first impression potential buyers have when approaching your home is the exterior. House hunters love to drive by listings and check out neighborhoods before attending open houses. For that reason, it’s important to amp up your home’s curb appeal and make a positive first impression. Keep your front lawn trim and tidy—porch included. If your home looks unappealing from the outside, chances are you’ll have a difficult time getting prospective buyers inside to view the rest of your home.
Entryways – Much like the front yard, the entryway sets the first impression of your place. Set up a sleek coat rack or accent table to keep yours organized—and offer a place for visitors to hang up their jackets during the open house, and create an entrance that draws potential buyers in.
Kitchens – Your kitchen is prime with places for potential buyers to scrutinize. This means the sink and countertops stay clean and clear. Go through the cabinets and drawers, and pack away dishes, utensils, and glasses you’re not using daily, as well as seasonal items. Set the toaster and any daily appliances or utensils inside the cabinets. Also, make sure to clean out your refrigerator, freezer, and under the sink area, as they offer more sought-after storage space.
Bedrooms – Just as with the kitchen, sort through the closets and drawers of the nightstand and dressers, clearing space for items you use but that don’t need to be in view. Think of having just a lamp on the nightstand, not a diffuser, a stack of books, or a humidifier. Store away anything that distracts from the size of the room, including too much furniture.
Bathrooms – Everyone knows the difference a bathroom can make for a potential buyer, so keeping yours orderly is crucial. Organize everything from the counters to your linen closet. Weed through the cabinets (another spot we store a lot of things we forget about), and stow the toothbrushes and everyday toiletries. Also, before any real estate photos, virtual tours, or showings, pick up the throw rugs, which will make the bathroom floor look larger.
Living rooms – Your living room should always be orderly and free of clutter during open house showings. This calls for clearing out stacks of magazines, editing your bookshelves, and even paring down the number of throw pillows and table accessories that can make the room feel heavy and smaller than it actual y is. You really need only one sofa and an accent table to indicate how to use the space. If your entryway leads into the living room, don’t leave coats hanging within view or shoes on the floor.
Closets – Whether it’s a hallway coat closet or a master bedroom walk-in, your home’s closets will have a major big impact on potential buyers. Streamline your closets: Box up off-season apparel—or better yet, donate it—and remove extra hangers so yours looks spacious and streamlined.
Home Offices – If you’re lucky enough to have a home office, you can be sure that potential buyers will want to see it. Be sure to file away or shred old papers, clear off your desk, and hide unsightly computer cords to create a space that potential buyers will actually want to work in.
Hallways – A narrow hallway can make even the loftiest of homes feel cramped. So make sure to remove as much visual clutter in yours as possible like hanging hooks, photographs, and other artwork, especially if hallways are narrow.
Play areas – Kid’s playrooms should be as tidy as any other bedroom in your place, and the same goes for your pet’s play areas, too. Limit the number of toys you keep out and make sure to have a nice storage bin to stash them all when they’re not being used.
Laundry rooms – While it might seem unnecessary, your laundry room also needs to make a good impression. Make sure cleaning products are put away nicely and floors and appliances are kept spotless to create the kind of laundry space prospective buyers will covet.
Hidden storage rooms – House hunters are going to want to see inside your garage, utility closets, and backyard sheds. Now’s the time to clean up (and perhaps invest in some industrial shelving) to make sure your storage areas/rooms look spacious and organized.
All rooms – You’ll want to remove mementos, collectibles, and family photos from all rooms before real estate photos, virtual tours, and showings. Neutralizing your space is important because buyers need to be able to picture themselves and their own things in the home. That said, buyers will expect to see some personal items in a home or it can look too sterile. There’s a line between stark empty and too many of your own items with your personality.
The Takeaway
You want to have the best edge when selling your Masthope home. Even if you’ve sold before, it’s often difficult to evaluate your own home. That’s where a Masthope REALTOR® can help. An experienced real estate agent will be able to offer smart tips and ideas for sprucing up, decluttering, decorating, staging, creating a great first impression, and making your house stand out and appeal to buyers!
Partner with Masthope REALTOR® – Alicia Kowalik
Alicia Kowalik is a top-rated Masthope real estate agent and market expert with over 11 years of local experience. There is no substitute for the kind of boots-on-the-ground experience that a skilled agent like Alicia can offer. She knows what it takes to list and sell homes in the area competitively and will accurately determine the best price for your home based on comparable sales, pending sales, and active sales.
Alicia has the skills necessary to expertly market your Masthope property as well as effectively negotiate with buyers and their agents. Since she is very familiar with common negotiation tactics, there are few surprises during the transaction, resulting in better results and greater satisfaction for you in the end. Alicia will work vigorously to get you every last dollar out of your home.
If you are interested in selling your Masthope home fast for top dollar, feel free to contact Alicia Kowalik directly at (570) 470-5076, or get in touch by email.
Alicia Kowalik, REALTOR®
Lakeview Realty Inc.
Wallenpaupack Realty
2449 Route 6
Hawley, PA 18428
Direct: (570) 470-5076 (Best)
Office: (570) 226-6300
E-mail: Aliciat@ptd.net