Pack up your personal photographs, family heirlooms and other objects and clutter that might distract potential buyers and hurt a possible sale. You want to present buyers with an impersonal, clean environment so they can imagine the cottage perhaps decorated with their own photographs, furniture, and art objects. Depersonalizing your cottage makes it easier for potential buyers to visualize what the cottage would look filled with their own items.
In view of furniture, only leave understated pieces which are not a distraction and don't create an unintended impression. Cottages also tend to collect all the unwanted furniture of various households, so if you have too much furniture, now is the time to give some away.
The goal is to make it easy for a potential buyer to visualize the property as their future cottage.
Part of the service we offer, is to replace the family photo hanging on the wall with a more generic painting.
Discard items in a useful way by donating them to a charity.
Remove books and other knickknacks from bookcases, and take everything off your kitchen counters. Essential items that you use daily can be tucked away in small boxes which can be placed in a closet when they're not in use. Consider this process an efficient start to your packing.
Leave just enough furniture to showcase the room's purpose with plenty of room for buyers to move around.
If you plan on taking certain window coverings, built-in appliances, or fixtures with you, remove them prior to us showing the house. If the chandelier in the dining room once belonged to your great-grandmother, be sure to take it down before a buyer sees it and asks that it be included with the cottage. Telling a buyer they can't have an item that appears with the cottage and enhances its appeal can hurt the sale.
In some seller's markets you can sell a cottage in lived-in condition without much complaint. But in “normal” or a buyer's market, repairs can make or break a sale.
Replace cracked floor or counter tiles and patch any holes in the walls. Fix leaky faucets and doors that don't close properly, as well as kitchen drawers that jam. Consider painting walls neutral colors, especially if they're currently hot pink or purple. Don't give buyers any reason to remember your cottage as "the one with the orange bathroom."
Replace burned-out lightbulbs and also consider replacing those that have been in service for a while. Avoid the potential of having a bulb blow out when you flip the light switch during a showing. It's a small incident that can easily be avoided if you are mindful. You want the buyer's experience to be as positive as possible. Perhaps also consider changing the smoke detector battery to avoid an annoying beeping sound to disrupt a showing.
Throw open the curtains and blinds and turn on those lights. Houses show better when each room is clean and bright.
Prospective buyers need to be able to envision themselves in the cottage, and that's hard to do if there's a bright green wall and crazy, patterned wallpaper staring them in the face.
Cleaning may include washing the windows inside and out; renting a pressure washer and spraying down sidewalks and the exterior; recaulking tubs, showers and sinks and polishing chrome faucets and mirrors.
Kitchens are a big selling point for many buyers, so make yours as spotless and uncluttered as possible. In the event of someone opening your refrigerator, make sure it appears clean and orderly.
Above all, clean and air out any musty areas. The night before a showing avoid cooking particularly odorous foods such as fish, garlic, curry or cabbage. These smells can linger the day after.
A potential sale is lost quickly if a buyer won't even get out of their agent's car because the exterior of your cottage turns them off. Make the exterior more appealing and welcoming by painting your front door and perhaps adding a wreath of dried wildflowers, or placing one or two flower pots on your front porch. Clean up your lawn and add a few shrubs or flowering plants. Consider hiring a contractor to fix any cracks on your front steps or walkway.
Back inside your home, linger in the doorway of each room and imagine what your cottage will look like to a buyer. Examine the furniture arrangement and it until the room achieves visual appeal. Make sure window coverings hang evenly. Once you've cleaned and gotten everything repaired and organized, you will be ready for our team at Bracebridge Realty to come in and stage your cottage.