What will make a Buyer decide to write an offer on your home versus another? If two properties are very similar in size, location and price, it comes down to Selling a Lifestyle.
One of the main reasons a buyer feels it’s time to move is the need for a bigger house. Most likely, they are living in a home that has too little storage space, and as a result is cramped and unorganized. This chaos spills over into their daily life. Being unorganized means it takes longer to find coats, school bags, matching socks and sports gear, resulting in a family is always running late. Then the “blame game” begins; the laundry room is too small, there is no room for hockey equipment, shoes and jackets are spilling out from the closet.
If buyers are looking for more space and organization, you need to deliver. Here are the top areas that a buyer will be looking to improve by moving to a new home.
Entrance: If you know you are moving before the next change of season, box up off-season jackets to make entrance closets look bigger. Then take a look at your shoes. Seventeen pairs of flip-flops, although a lovely sight to see, will not be missed if it is October. By packing them up, your entrance storage will appear more spacious and organized. Consider placing hooks in the back of a closet for the many school and dance bags which accumulate. The more clear surface area on the floor, the bigger your storage space will appear.
Kitchen: We all have a morning routine in the kitchen: we use the toaster, the coffee maker, rifle through the mail and take our vitamins. If you have no intention of moving, by all means, keep your appliances and pill bottles on the counter. However, if you do intend to sell your house, pack up a shelf in one of your cabinets, and move the mail and prescriptions. Out of sight and off the counter creates longer, more linear sight lines. This results in a feeling of spaciousness, and more square footage equals more money. While you are in a packing/purging mood, quickly go through your cabinets. If Christmas is a year away and your move date is in July, box up the turkey platter and collection of Christmas mugs. Empty space in a cabinet will make your buyers covet your kitchen!
Pantry: Again, try to determine when you are moving and what you want to take with you. Perhaps you were on a gluten-free kick and purchased copious boxes of cardboard-tasting noodles and crackers. You may not want them in your new house. If you don’t think the 32 Ichibans you bought on sale will be consumed in the next 3 months or they are close to expiring, consider donating them to your local food bank. The money someone will pay for your spacious, organized pantry will more than make up for the food you donated.
Office: Remember to sell the dream! Very few of us have a perfect office. Papers, office supplies, computers, and printers can easily pile up during a project. Try to contain any mess on your desk to a specific drawer. If you only use your bookshelf as a reminder of the reference material you actively collected before google, chances are you won’t need that university B-comm textbook from 1998 before you move. Pack it up!
Collections: Everyone has a collection of something. My personal vice is my collection of scarves I proudly display on an ornate stand in the corner of my room. However, if my house was on the market, my beautiful scarves would be packed away. Fewer distractions result in a better showing.
We once had a client who’s beloved display of 1980’s Smurf figurines adorned her kitchen window ledge. I’m all for a bit of whimsy, but when visiting Realtors and their clients dubbed it “The Smurf House” and couldn’t recall the high ceilings, fantastic stone fireplace or the stunning granite counters, we knew the collection was outshining the home.
Linen Closet: Can you make due with one set of sheets for each bed in the next few months? How about two? If you have more than 2 sets of sheets for each bed in your home, you may want to think about donating the extra sets. You won’t need them in your new house, and someone in your community might really appreciate them. And the towels and facecloths; oh how they accumulate! Some may be stained, ratty and threadbare, and many may display images of cartoon characters your teens grew out of a decade ago. If you plan to purchase fresh towels for your new home, consider thinning out your current stock. When a buyer opens a linen closet that is packed to the brim, they immediately think your house has no storage space. If they open that same door to find a third of that organized closet empty, they will assume your home has more than enough space for their own facecloth collection!
Garage: Depending on how long you have lived at your current address, a mountain of old cans of stain, broken skateboards, pieces of wood and other odds and ends may have found a home in your garage. Evaluate what you will be bringing with you to your new home. If you have no intention of transferring an item to your new garage, get rid of it now. Items leaning up against the walls of your garage will make it seem small and cluttered. You want your garage to be the answer to a buyer’s prayers! Clean it out, add hooks, throw out broken shovels and donate your kid’s old skates. When moving day comes, you will be glad you were so proactive.
Playroom: This is the biggest area Sellers and Buyers with small children are concerned about. A buyer craves a new, organized space where toys are magically put away. A seller knows that space is a fictitious place and struggles to contain the toys, books, and games that multiply from birthday to birthday. The best advice we give to our clients is to invest in large, plastic bins. The last time we sold one of our houses, my girls were small. To contain the mess, I bought 8 Rubbermaid 50 quart storage totes. My daughters helped me label the outside of each; Dolls, Games, Bagged Toys, Lego, Stuffies, Electronic Toys, Dress-up, and Crafts. We organized all of their toys into the appropriate bins (I purged a bit while they slept). While we had our house on the market, I would let each girl choose a bin for the day to play with, and each night, the toys would go back. The stress of cleaning before showings was much lower because of this organizational idea!
Baskets: One of the greatest things you can do when you list your house is to invest in some cheap dollar-store baskets. Set one on the counter of every bathroom, as well as in each bedroom. When the call from your Realtor comes for a last minute showing request, smile, say “of course”, and quickly travel from room-to-room picking up any make-up, toys, socks, and papers which have been left out, and scooping them into that room’s basket. Neatly tuck the basket under a sink or in a closet, and you are ready for a showing!
Remember, most buyers are unable to look past your clutter to see the possibilities of your home. By selling a lifestyle of organization and simplicity, you can ensure your home is the one buyers can’t wait to move into!