PREPARING YOUR HOME - 10 TIPS FROM PROFESSIONALS

The Real Estate industry has evolved ove rthe years to a highly specialsied and proffessional field. Other than standard industry qualifications now required, many agents have studied and become specialits in various area such as Distressed Property Sales etc. One of these areas of expertise that has evolved, is the staging of a home for sale and your agent will be aware of subtleties that can affect your buyers responses.

Below are the top ten tips on staging your home from the professionals themselves.

• Freshen up the home by painting walls a light, neutral color, such as antique white. Lighter colors appeal to a wider range of buyers and make each room look larger.
• Take a close look at the floor coverings in each room. If you have hardwood floors under the carpet, you will always make money by removing it, even if the floor is not in perfect condition.
• Allow as much light as possible to enter the room. Open up or remove all draperies, blinds, shades or other window coverings.
• Removing the clutter of everyday life - all utilitarian items, stacks of paperworks, toiletries, kitchen utensils, electronic equipment and television sets.
• Remove furniture from each room that does not go with the decor, such as items that stand out too much and items that are worn or of an unappealing colour.
• Place the remaining room furnishings in a way that makes best use of the character of the space. A room should be balanced so that people do not focus on one particular piece of furniture.
• Now that you've removed the clutter from your home, adding some nice but inexpensive accessories will greatly elevate the perceived value of the home.
• Clean, clean, clean. Every crevasse within the home should be spotless and gleaming. Even your normal weekly cleaning can not come close to the quality of clean you need.
• You can't over spend on fresh plants and orchids, elaborate floral arrangements and landscape plants. All these provide a strong addition to the ambience you want to create.
• Go on vacation! The houses that sell for much higher prices are homes that do not have the slightly dishevelled look which comes with showering in the morning and cooking dinner in the evening. Being gone also will lower your level of stress and make the house easier to sell. Think of it this way: Your vacation will actually make you money.

Back to Step 7 - Preparing Your Home For Sale

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