Selling? Pick Up Your S**t!

Okay, the title may be a little bold but if you’re selling your home you need to clean it up (inside and out) and then continue to keep it in tip-top shape… you do want to sell don’t you…? Before you read on, know that this post was originally intended to be a short diatribe for sellers based on an experience I had with some buyers last week however, (as is often the case) this post morphed into something a little bigger — and hopefully more valuable for home sellers. The story that inspired this post is at the end…

Generally, home selling is not a ton of fun for you as the home owner and a lot of work goes into getting your home ready for sale before you actually put pen to paper with your REALTOR® and sign the listing contract. A lot of yard work and exterior maintenance is often completed before listing and inside, a coat or two of paint and some minor maintenance-type repairs are often required before your home hits MLS®.

Listing your home in early spring typically requires additional work (especially outside) to get it ready for sale. As winter retreats and the blanket of white begins to melt, treasures delivered and hidden by Mother Nature throughout the winter begin to be revealed. Trash, leaves, and other goodies have often accumulated in flower beds, window wells, and along the base of shrubs and hedges. If you are like me and have dogs as pets, then you may have found yourself standing in your backyard, scratching your head, and wondering just how that much poop can come out of one or two small animals.

The Inside
We all know that once listed, ongoing cleanliness is key to getting your home to show its best side to prospective buyers. However, reality is that we all tend to be a bit lazy by default, especially after a long day or week at work. Its often easier after dinner to say “I’ll clean up later” but what happens… ‘later’ turns into bedtime and the next thing we know we’re up with the alarm clock and out the door to begin another hectic day. “Aw crap, I left those dishes from last night’s dinner in the sink!”

The most important areas to keep spotless are the front entrance and hallway, kitchen, and bathrooms. The buyer will be looking for signs that you cleaned because you knew they were coming so make sure you clean the nooks and crannies. Nobody wants to see an inch of dust on your thermostat or cobwebs in your ceiling fixtures. The condition of your floors and floor coverings (especially carpets) is very important. Get your hardwood in the best shape possible, scrub your tile, vacuum those rugs, and clean your carpets. Get rid of extra items from counter tops, cabinets, and other storage areas. Clutter creates the impression of less space and a smaller room. Create more space by getting rid of some of your clutter. Now is the time to do all those repairs you’ve been procrastinating about. Make sure leaky faucets and squeaky doors are fixed. Loose doorknobs and broken locks should also get some attention. Don’t throw everything in the basement just because your basement is unfinished. If you store items in the basement, consider going to your local big box store to pick up a dozen large rubber storage containers with lids. Fill the containers and stack them neatly to one side of the basement or even better, under the stairs.

The Outside
The first thing a buyer sees is the outside of your home so make a good first impression. Every REALTOR® has (or will) pull up in front of a home with their buyers for a showing only to hear the buyers say “Forget it” or “We changed our minds, we don’t want to see this one”. Your front entrance welcomes people to your home – put yourself in the buyer’s shoes and walk into your home. Is the doorknob clean? Are there old papers on the stoop? Would a nice potted plant make a good impression?

Keep the grass mowed (including edge trimming), trim hedges, and weed your garden beds. Don’t forget to water your lawn and garden(s) as necessary — buyers aren’t too thrilled about having to spend the next three summers trying to bring a sun-scorched lawn back to life. Roll-up hoses and put away your yard and garden tools. Keep your driveway clean and free from toys or other clutter. Clean your windows, shutters, screens, and gutters.  Fix damaged and/ or torn window screens. Pay particular attention to the paint job of your home; especially around window and door frames. A buyer might not want to go any further if your paint is peeling or faded.

A Word or Two About Pets
Many of us have pets and treat them like part of the family; and pets can help make a house a home. Clean up after them! The last thing buyers want to be greeted by when they open your front door is the pungent smell of a litter box, puppy accidents on the carpet, or that wet-dog smell. Have a cat? Don’t let the litter box go a week or more before tending to it — clean it out daily. Make sure that when buyers are in the room where you keep the litter box, they’re not stepping in the debris that was flung out of the box by the cat the last time they visited it. Have a dog? Vacuum regularly (i.e. daily) to avoid the appearance of dust bunnies in the corners of your kitchen and/ or hair balls under the sofa. Complete regular poop-patrols! If prospective buyers are truly interested in your home they will take home a feature sheet and/ or brochure to remember your home — they don’t need a reminder stuck to the bottom of their shoes.

The Story
Last week I was showing my Clients some $500K+ homes in a trendy southwest neighbourhood. One home in particular showed very well — we were greeted by an inviting smell when we opened the front door, the home was spotless on the inside, and had many of the features on my Clients’ wish list. So far, so good… We wrapped up our tour by heading back through the kitchen to check out the back yard. We opened the garden doors and stepped out onto the beautiful new deck and while standing there surveying the yard we noticed what looked like those 2″ to 3″ grass cores that remain after a deep core aeration treatment. Wrong — not a field of dreams here. It was a beautiful vista of completely digested dog food (I’m sure you know what I mean). My Clients of course made the kinds of comments you’d expect and we promptly exited the home. They haven’t talked about the home since.

My point? Pick up your ’stuff’…

 

///…CP