Bringing Buyers and Sellers together in Newton Iowa

Dress Your House for Success by Julie Rose

“We live in our home one way: We show our home in another way”

Remove the clutter – You’ll be moving soon so box it up now!

Collectibles and Antiques – They are lovely, but they might get broken. Box them up.

Family Pictures – I know you love your family, but it is hard for someone else to imagine their family in your home when they see your family living there. Box them up.

Oversized Furniture – If it is hard for you to walk around, then it will be hard for the new owner to imagine what their furniture will look like in your home. Also rooms look so much larger when there is more space. Store it in a safe place.

Organize Closets – They look so much bigger when the are organized. Box it up.

Kitchen – Remove anything you do not use on a regular basis. Box it up. Remove everything off the front of your refrigerator (it looks cleaner). Take everything off of the counters.

Pets – Use carpet freshener such as vanilla to make it smell cleaner.

Updating – Houses sell faster when they have a recent coat of neutral paint. If the carpeting hasn’t been replaced for 10 years or more, seriously think about replacing it, neutral color of course. Most buyers don’t want to have to replace carpet, countertops, or paint. They just want to move in. Selling quickly will reward the expense.

Outside of Your Home – This is the very first thing the buyer will see. Does it look inviting? Cozy? A place that they would want to come in to see the rest of the home? Buyers will drive on by if they think the house needs repairs or paint. Also, are the bushes overgrown? Cut bushes and trees back if you can’t see the house. No one will drive into the driveway to see the house. So pay special attention to the outside.

Repairs – Just do them, you know what needs to be done.

Remove – Any items that you want to take with you, such as chandeliers, mirrors, and drapes, free standing cupboards and anything that has your name on it.

If you just don’t know where to start, call me. I am brutally honest.

If you can’t stand me telling you what to put away, call a close friend who will be honest with you. If that doesn’t work, stand back and take a good look at your home, would you want to move in?