7 Tips to Organize Your Home for a Competitive Sale

Written by Posted On Thursday, 13 October 2016 08:47

When it comes to selling your home, a good first impression is equally important for homes as they are for people. As potential homebuyers look at your home, curb appeal and other factors are critical for helping them visualize themselves living there.

To help sale your home faster, here are 7 tips to organize your home:

 

1. Put Your Buyer Goggles On

Start by doing a walkthrough of your home from the perspective of a buyer. Notice where there is clutter, where repairs need to be made, and where dirt or grime may have accumulated over the years. These are things that could turn a buyer off from your property, but are easy to remedy.

 

2. Clean...Everywhere

This is not the time for a run of the mill wipedown. Potential homebuyers who are viewing your home will open cupboards, look underneath appliances, and open your closet doors. Take extra care to wipe down forgotten places such as fan blades or fireplace mantles. Also, don’t only focus on the inside of your home. Does your front door need fresh paint? What kind of condition is your backyard in? The more you can improve the curb appeal of your home (both inside and out), the better chance you’ll have at selling your home.

 

3. Downsize Clutter

Throw out or donate unused or old items so they’re not cluttering up your space or wasting space in your boxes during your move. Also, your home will look much better without all the extra stuff lying around. Your kitchen, garage, and especially the closets are a great place to start. Begin your closet organization by assessing your space and evaluating your need for each piece of clothing or item inside. Separate stuff into keep, donate, and trash piles.

 

4. Simplify Your Space

All your personal touches may not appeal to others’ tastes and preferences. Simplify each room by packing up your personal items, taking down bold decor, and painting walls with a fresh coat of a neutral color. You want to draw attention to the space you’re offering, not distract buyers with unusual flare. This is also important because you want potential buyers to visualize themselves in the home and allow them to start seeing where their stuff would go.

 

5. Eliminate Odors

Bad smells can be a huge turn off to anyone looking to potentially buy your home. Replace any carpet and throw out any furniture which may be harboring an unpleasant stench. Stay on top of refreshing the cat box and cleaning animal areas to avoid pet dander smells. If you decide to add a scented candle or air freshener to your home, be mindful that some people are sensitive to smells. Choose a smell that is subtle and isn’t overpowering which can also turn people off from making an offer.

 

6. Curb Appeal Improvements

Making the outside of your home look neat and organized is just as important as the inside. Pull weeds, seal cracks in the pavement, trim shrubs, and get your yard looking it’s best. Give your curb appeal a boost by throwing in some colorful potted plants or a nice front door wreath to help make your home warm and inviting.

 

7. Move Those Organizational Skills With You!

Don’t lose that organizational spirit once you sell your home and move into your new space. Keep up the momentum by having a process for unpacking. This will keep you from feeling overwhelmed when unpacking. Install additional shelving, store items in labeled bins, and catalog your shirts in the dresser to save space and stay organized.

Exerting small efforts now to prepare your home can pay off in resale value. Even if your home isn’t on the market, the more consistently organized you become in your home now, the easier it will be to prepare when you do start looking to sell.

 

About the Author: Brooke Cade is a freelance writer who contributes content for multiple online publications. In her spare time, she enjoys learning more about organization and self storage, engaging on twitter, and exploring her local neighborhood coffee shop.

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