If you’re planning to put your house on the market, there are several very important things to keep in mind — but you probably didn’t think you’d need the assistance of your own senses. Selling your home actually takes a lot more than dabbling with resale value, and it all starts with your own two hands (and nose, eyes, and ears). We are all desensitized to our own homes and probably don’t notice the gym bag smell in your laundry room, or that pile of mail that has been sitting on your counter for years. Touring a home is a sensory experience and it’s the smallest things that can make the biggest difference — so let’s get started on the basics with Leigh-Ann Allaire Perrault’s expert advice.
SIGHT
- Make sure all the rooms are clean and clutter-free before the tours start rolling in.
- Keep blinds open to let in natural light, but make sure your windows are nice and clean!
- Be sure your light bulbs match (or are at least very similar) to cut out inconsistencies — especially in chandeliers.
- Take down or put away any family photos. The goal of a showing is to let the buyer envision themselves in your house.
Leigh-Ann’s tip: Keep an empty bin close by. With your luck, you will probably get a phone call for a showing right after you are done making a feast. To avoid scrambling around in a cleaning fury, an opaque bin will allow you to throw all your dirty dishes, dirty laundry, etc. and disguise it quickly. Throw it in your closet and you will have everyone fooled! To save even more time, place one in each room in your house.
SMELL
- It is important to avoid artificial smells. This will only give the impression that you are trying to mask something (like that salmon you cooked last night).
- Maybe you love the smell of vanilla, but maybe a buyer despises it. Safe bet: Stick to clean scents like putting the baking soda in the fridge, spraying odor-eliminating Febreeze, etc.
Leigh-Ann’s tip: Make cookies or a pot of coffee before a showing. These are token “homey” smells that the buyers will love (but make sure to make enough for them!).
SOUND
- The creaking sounds your floor makes and that door that always squeaks have probably been desensitized to you, but others will notice.
- Take some grease to the squeaks of the doors and use a product like Silent Floor Solutions to make your wood floor mute all the unwanted sounds.
- If you have party-animal neighbours, be sure to shut the windows to block out any unwanted white noise.
Leigh-Ann’s tip: Put on some low lull music in a specific room that attracts the most sound — but be careful to choose the appropriate genre!
TOUCH
- Is the temperature of your home comfy? Are the floors thoroughly clean? Are all the rooms cleared of unstable elements?
- If you have shaky handrails, tighten up the nails or simply use the No More Nails product to secure it back in place.
- When you clean your floors, be sure there isn’t a lasting residue of the cleaning product left over.
Now, go sell you home!
Courtesy of Leigh-Ann Allaire Perrault