Selling a Home

What’s your next move?

Highest Price. Shortest Time. Best Terms.

Prior to implementing any marketing strategies, the first step is to go through the discovery process - determining the fair market value, understanding the barometer of current market conditions, and reviewing the variety of factors that will help prepare for sale.

Seller’s To-Do List

Make the first impression: Run a paintbrush over the front door and door jamb and replace your front door mat with a new one. Create a colorful entrance with bright annuals and perennials to attract attention from the street. Consider light decorating depending on the season; as an example, pumpkins and gourds for the autumn season or tulips in oversized pots for early spring. Your home’s front door makes an overall first impression on buyers as they enter. Make it shine!

Fix the small stuff: Clear any debris and clutter from the walkway and yard, mow the lawn and prune hedges. Fix broken screens, doorbells, roof tiles, shingles and even outdoor lighting. Repair or replace broken or outdated hardware throughout the house. A new set of doorknobs can make an incredible difference. Also consider faucets, towel bars and curtain rods- fixtures that are readily visible to homebuyers; a rather inexpensive touch-up that can make a huge difference.

Stage with light: As anyone who’s watched a show on HGTV knows, lighting makes an incredible impression. Try changing out decorative light fixtures that no longer fit your home's cleaner, fresher look. Make sure all lights have bulbs, focusing on ambient, low-key lighting to fill a room, or directional/task lighting for spaces like a reading nook or office. Use accent lighting to highlight focal points in a room, such as the artwork above a mantle, to draw the eye.

Cleanliness = pride-of-ownership: Buyers scrutinize homes, especially kitchens and bathrooms. There are a few simple fixes that you can do to create a fresh, clean visual. Re-caulk and touch up paint to give these high-use spaces a fresh and clean look. Run a carpet cleaner over carpets to remove odors and stains. Tidy each room, including cabinets, closets and the garage, before showing. This can seem like a lot, but I also partner with cleaning companies and handypersons to help with the list!

Treat your windows: The right window treatments can enhance natural brightness and boost the appearance of a home, highlight the views and even impact a room's temperature by reducing or increasing the amount of light entering the space.

Pro-tip: Adjust window treatments appropriately when showing your home in the mornings, afternoon, and evenings.

Small footprints: Don't leave children's toys and pet belongings out in the open during showings and open houses; the goal is that home buyers can see themselves in the home. Hide litter boxes, pet dishes, toys, animal crates and kids' entertainment to less conspicuous areas of the home, such as an outdoor storage unit, closet or garage before each showing. Keep the backyard looking spacious and functional, picking up after small feet and paws so buyers feel comfortable touring the yard.

image of a cozy living room with a couch, chair and plants

image of a kitchen overlooking the dining bar with a vintage vibe

image of a modern style dining room with seating for six

image of a cozy blue front porch with wicker couch and a porch swing

Creating a Vignette

Staging a home for sale is both a craft and and an art form, often raising the final sales price of the home by a considerable margin. I partner with professional stagers to achieve an aesthetic that is stylish and that will attract interested buyers. We carefully develop a buyer profile to determine the best staging that will help buyers visualize their lives in the home.

A proven marketing tool, professional staging often results in fewer days spent on the market and a higher closing price. Home Staging Resource reports that homes that are professionally staged garner a sales price up to 17% higher than a home without staging.