Georgia Real Estate Voice

Getting Your Decatur GA Home Ready to Sell - Part 7 in the Series

Clutter, it's what makes real estate agents and home buyers shudder... Clutter is distracting to home buyers and they tend to notice that more than the house itself. 

Closet Clutter

Closets are great for accumulating clutter, though you may not think of it as clutter. If you have a lot of clothes, try thinning out your closet by removing your winter stuff in summer and summer stuff in winter. If the season has passed and you didn't wear something, try getting rid of it. (This rule applies except for formal occasion clothes.) Do without these items for a couple of months by putting them in a box, because these items can make your closets look crammed full.

Furniture Clutter

Many people have too much furniture in certain rooms - not too much for your own personal living needs - but too much to give the illusion of space that a homebuyer would like to see. Look at model homes to see how the furniture is placed. Put the extra furniture in storage or move it out.

Storage Area Clutter

Basements, garages, attics, and sheds accumulate not only clutter, but junk. These areas should be as empty as possible so that buyers can imagine what they would do with the space. Remove anything that is not essential and take it to the storage area.

Do not just put the box in the attic, basement, garage or a closet. Part of preparing a house for sale is to remove "clutter," and that is the next step in preparing your house for sale.

Paper Clutter

If you don't already have a paper shredder, get one. Start going through and shredding unneeded paperwork. If you must keep it, box it up and store it. For your financial security, checkbooks and financial documents should always be put away when your home is being shown.

Bathroom Clutter

If you are one of those people that has multiple shampoo bottles, conditioners, bath toys, bubbles, scrubbing sea salts etc in your bath, please thin that out. Keep out what you use daily, but put the extra stuff away. Start using it up too. You'll want less stuff to move.  Prescription drugs like financial documents should be safeguarded when your home is being shown too.

Uncluttering is the hardest thing for most people to do because they are emotionally attached to everything in the house. After years of living in the same home, clutter collects in such a way that may not be evident to the homeowner. However, it does affect the way home buyers see the home, even if you don"t realize it. 

If it overwhelms you, start in one room and commit to just 15 minutes a day. If you do that everyday, soon you will control your clutter, instead of it controlling you!

Clutter collects on shelves, counter tops, drawers, closets, garages, attics, and basements.  You want as much open clear space as possible, so every extra little thing needs to be cleared away.

Take a step back and pretend you are a home buyer. Let a trusted friend help point out areas of clutter, as long as you can accept their views without getting defensive. You can also try taking digital pictures. Sometimes pictures help us to see the things we don't normally see. Let your real estate agent help you, too.  

By reducing the clutter in your home you will have less to clean, dust and maintain. When your Decatur GA home is on the market, it needs to look pristine. Less clutter can help with that. 

I hope this 7 post series has been helpful in Getting Your Home Ready to Sell in Decatur, GA.

If you are thinking of buying or selling real estate in or around Decatur, GA contact local expert and Realtor Jen Bowman, Broker Associate & e-PRO with Success Realty at 404-456-5024.

View more of the Georgia Real Estate Voice.  Search Decatur GA homes for Sale

See Part 1 of Getting Your Home Ready to Sell in Decatur GA - Kitchens

See Part 2 of Getting Your Home Ready to Sell in Decatur GA-  Garage 

See Part 3 of Getting Your Home Ready to Sell in Decautur GA- Curb Appeal

See Part 4 of Getting Your Home Ready to Sell in Decatur GA- Floors and Walls

See Part 5 of Getting Your Home Ready to Sell in Decatur GA- De-Personalizing  

See Part 6 of Getting Your Home Ready to Sell in Decatur GA- Lighting

Getting Your Home Ready to Sell in Decatur GA- Part 6 in the Series - Lighting - Part 6 of the series Getting Your Home Ready to Sell in Decatur GA covers lighting which is a really important aspect of a home.

Natural Light

• Trim the bushes around windows to let in as much natural light as possible.
• If using blinds, 2" blinds let in more light than mini blinds.
• If there are windows that you don't open, remove the screens and put them in storage.
• Wash the windows inside and out.
  

 Exterior Lights

• Uplights at the base of trees add elegance to a home. They also provide lighting for extra security.
• Be sure that exterior lights have working bulbs.
• Clean the glass on the fixtures. If the fixtures are looking faded either replace them or take them down, use some spray paint to freshen them and reinstall them.
• Use solar lighting or low voltage lighting along paths or along flower beds.
  

Interior Lights

• LED Lights under cabinets in the kitchen are easy to install and add a lot to the looks of the kitchen
• Above the kitchen cabinets, you can add white Christmas lights or rope lights for a soft glow above the cabinets. (Be sure to hide the light strand so that it's not visible from below.) We use an X-10 remote control system to turn them on and off.
• Replace any and all burned out light bulbs even in the garage.
• Make sure that visible Vanity light bulbs in the bathroom all match.
• Add table lamps to create softer light than overhead lights which can create harsh lighting.
• Add uplights to large potted plants. They are available at Lowes and Home Depot for around $20.
• If you have a plant ledge, add soft lights to add visual interest.
  

 When your Decatur GA home is for sale and being shown, turn on all the lights, even in closets so that potential home buyers aren't looking for switches. Lights create a "homier" atmosphere. If the home is being shown in the evening, be sure to put on the exterior lights, especially at the front door. Like the motel commercial says "We'll leave the Light on for You!"

Stay tuned for the next post in this series of Getting Your Home Ready to Sell in Decatur, GA.

If you are thinking of buying or selling real estate in or around Decatur, GA contact local expert and Realtor Jen Bowman, Broker Associate & e-PRO with Success Realty at 404-456-5024.

View more of the Georgia Real Estate Voice.  Search Decatur GA homes for Sale

See Part 1 of Getting Your Home Ready to Sell in Decatur GA - Kitchens

See Part 2 of Getting Your Home Ready to Sell in Decatur GA-  Garage 

See Part 3 of Getting Your Home Ready to Sell in Decautur GA- Curb Appeal

See Part 4 of Getting Your Home Ready to Sell in Decatur GA- Floors and Walls

See Part 5 of Getting Your Home Ready to Sell in Decatur GA- De-Personalizing  

Getting your Home Ready to Sell your home in Decatur GA- Part 5 in a series. This post covers de-personalizing.

When you are selling your home, you want to de-personalize it. What does that mean? It means take your personality out of your home. Living in our homes is much different than when we are selling our homes. 

*Remove the family photos from the walls. - We love our families and we enjoy their photos, But...they are a huge distraction for home buyers looking at your home. Do you want them stopping to look at your photos or stopping to look at the amazing floor plan you have?

*Remove things that show your political viewpoints - I have seen home buyers go into homes and create an opinion based on someone else's political views. What if they are a member of "X" political party and you are a member of "Y" political party? You may have alienated a buyer because they may think subconsciously that they wouldn't "fit in", in the neighborhood.

*Remove things that are of a religious nature. It's for the same reasons as the political viewpoints. You can keep your faith without turning off a homebuyer of a different faith.

*Remove the magnets, your social calendar and the children's artwork from the refrigerator. Home buyers will actuallystop to read your social commitments and see if they can figure out who lives in the house.

*Remove things that can offend. I was selling a home for a single guy once and he had posters of scantily clad women hanging up. I let him know that while he enjoyed it, he sure would turn off some buyers.

*Reduce clutter- Your personal collection of vacation memorabilia, porcelain dolls, ceramic cats may be fabulous to you, but don't let it detract from the great details of your home.

I remember when my parents came to visit and we were selling our Decatur GA home, to move up the street to another Decatur home. I had taken down all of my personal photos and anything that identified me. My mom asked "Where are all your photos?" I told her that I had de-personalized my home. That way, no matter who came to look at it, they could picture themselves living there instead of wondering who lived there.

When selling your home, you want to try to appeal to everyone. That's the point of de-personalizing your home. Stay tuned for the next post in this series of Getting Your Home Ready to Sell.

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If you are thinking of buying or selling real estate in or around Decatur, GA contact local expert and Realtor Jen Bowman, Broker Associate & e-PRO with Success Realty at 404-456-5024.

View more of the Georgia Real Estate Voice.  Search Decatur GA homes for Sale

See Part 1 of Getting Your Home Ready to Sell in Decatur GA - Kitchens

See Part 2 of Getting Your Home Ready to Sell in Decatur GA-  Garage 

See Part 3 of Getting Your Home Ready to Sell in Decautur GA- Curb Appeal

See Part 4 of Getting Your Home Ready to Sell in Decatur GA- Floors and Walls

Getting Your Home Ready to Sell in Decatur GA -  Part 4 of this series talks about the Floors and Walls.

 To begin with, don't do anything expensive, such as remodeling. If possible, use savings to pay for any repairs and improvements - don't go charging up credit cards or obtaining new loans. Remember that part of selling your Decatur GA home is also preparing to buy your next home. You do not want to do anything that will affect your credit scores or hurt your ability to qualify for your next mortgage.

  Ceilings, Walls and Painting

•·        Check all the ceilings for water stains, whether the leak is caused by plumbing or a faulty roof or the condensate line from an AC unit. Find the leak and repair it and make sure a proper job is done. This is critical. I have seen real estate contracts fall apart because of something simple that a seller should have done that places doubt in a home buyers head.  

•·        If a water stain is left after something you have already repaired, do the cosmetic work necessary to improve the desirability of your home.  That means painting. A stain blocker primer like Kilz will have to be used before the paint; otherwise the stain will usually just come back through the paint.

•·        You may have to paint anyway, especially if dirt has accumulated in spots or you have an outdated color scheme.  Painting makes a home look fresh and new on the inside and never fails to impress. 

•·        Painting can be your best investment when selling your home. It is not very expensive and often you can do it yourself. Do not choose colors based on your own preferences, but based on what would appeal to the widest possible number of buyers. You should almost always choose an off-white or beige color because white helps your rooms appear bright and spacious.  Behr has a paint that's called Navajo White which is a great color choice. Yes, some people may consider it boring, but everyone can live with it, at least for a little while.

•·        If your walls are in good condition you may not have to paint. Try a damp wash cloth with soap and water to gently wipe smudges off the wall. You can also try a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser but I only like to use that on walls that don't have flat paint on them. Its fine for trim, but it seems to scuff the flat paint.

•·        If you are going to try to just do touch ups on your walls do not use your paint full strength. You may not realize it, but the paint that's already on your walls has faded. If you try to just do touch ups, it will be noticeable. Put some paint in a disposable cup. Add water, at least 3 parts paint, 1 part water or ½ and ½ if your wall paint has been there longer. Yes, the paint will be thinner, but it won't stand out as a section on the wall that was touched up. Don't use a paint brush. A small paint sponge is smoother and won't leave the brush streaks.  They are available at craft stores like Michaels for less than a dollar.

•·        If you haven't already, remove the wallpaper border and wallpaper. Wallpaper and borders tend to be pretty personal in taste. While you may love it, chances are good that it won't appeal to the next person. Your little slugger's baseball room may be the home buyer's little ballerina's room or home office. Appeal to everyone and make those rooms neutral.

•·        Take a good look at your interior doors and trim. If they are scuffed and dirty paint them. Doors and trim often seem to be overlooked when cleaning a house. Once again, a damp rag or washcloth with a little dish soap and water works great for wiping down the doors and trim on a regular basis.

Floors

•·        Unless your carpet appears old and worn, or its definitely an outdated style or color, you probably should do nothing more than clean it. You can hire a carpet cleaning company or rent a carpet cleaner at your local hardware store. Last time I looked, they had them for rent at Lowes and Homes Depot.  If you do choose to replace it, do so with something inexpensive in a neutral color.

 •·        Repair or replace broken floor tiles, but do not spend a lot of money on anything. Remember, you are not fixing up the place for yourself. You want to move. Your goal is simply to have good impressions upon those who want to purchase your property. Floor and Décor Outlet on the access road off of I-85 near Clairmont Rd in Atlanta has great prices on flooring. The address is 1690 Northeast Expwy NE, Atlanta, GA.

 •·        Hardwood floors - They need to be clean and shiny.  Johnson's Min-wax is a good wax for doing old hardwood floors. We did it in an old house we renovated and it brought those floors back to life. If your hardwoods are newer, you may not need to do anything but vacuum.  If they need a complete overhaul, I like a company called Floorworks in Norcross, GA. They do an amazing job refinishing hardwoods with little to no dust.

If you are thinking of buying or selling real estate in or around Decatur, GA contact local expert and Realtor Jen Bowman, Broker Associate & e-PRO with Success Realty at 404-456-5024.

View more of the Georgia Real Estate Voice.  Search Decatur GA homes for Sale

See Part 1 of Getting Your Home Ready to Sell in Decatur GA - Kitchens

See Part 2 of Getting Your Home Ready to Sell in Decatur GA-  Garage 

See Part 3 of Getting Your Home Ready to Sell in Decautur GA- Curb Appeal

Getting Your Home Ready to Sell in Decatur GA - Part 3 of this series  covers the exterior and curb appeal.  You've probably seen the HGTV shows on Curb Appeal, you've probably heard the buzz words. What's it mean to you as a home seller in Decatur GA?

Curb Appeal can be the difference between someone actually stopping to see your home or just driving by. Most home buyers think that if it doesn't look good on the outside. it can't possibly look good on the inside. I have been with buyers when as we pull up to the house, they say "Ugh, let's just skip this one." Don't let that happen to you as you sell your Decatur GA home. 

• Start with clean. Pressure wash the driveway, the siding, the steps. A driveway with dirt stains or a home with mildew on the sides just doesn't look appealing. You don't have to buy a pressure washer. (Then you'd have to store it too.) They can be rented for a reasonable price at stores like Lowes and Home Depot. Check with your local hardware store or tool rental place.
• Rake up leaves, trim the bushes, mow and edge the lawn. Bushes should not block the windows and they should not overrun the driveway. Bushes that are too big crowding the driveway, make the driveway appear too small. Nobody likes that.
• Bushes should be below the window height, allowing as much natural light into the home as possible. They also need to be trimmed so that they are not touching the side of the house causing possible damage to the siding and allowing easy entry for insects.
• Clean the gutters and make sure there is no debris on the roof. I use a company called Atlanta's Best Gutter Cleaners to clean my gutters twice a year. It's $120 per visit for my house and well worth it. These guys are have been in business more than 14 years and are insured. 770-677-6690.  Clogged gutters not only look unsightly, they can cause damage that is easily preventable. Clogged gutters will back up and can end up leaking into the house.
• If the mailbox has faded, paint it. It's part of the whole package. We just negotiated with a painting company to come into the neighborhood and paint everyone's mailbox and post for $20 each. It's an inexpensive thing to give appeal right from the curb.  
• The front door needs to be clean and in good working order. If it sticks, fix it. The door should be clean. A fresh coat of paintworks wonders. The hardware should be shiny. If it's faded, replace it. If the key sticks in the door, use some WD-40 to lubricate the lock. WD-40 also works great on hinges and gates that squeak. WD-40 can help sliding glass doors slide more smoothly in the tracks. Use it there only after cleaning the track first!  Put a shiny new door knocker up or spray paint the one you have. Make sure the door bell works. (Home Buyers will test it.) If the push button on the door bell is cracked or worn, replace it.
• Put a fresh clean welcome mat at the front door. This will help to keep your home cleaner too.
• Plant some seasonal flowers for a punch of color. Choose low maintenance. In Decatur GA drought tolerant plants would be a good thing.
• If the paint is peeling or faded, a fresh coat will make a world of difference. Plus, if there is unprotected wood it will rot. Replace rotted trim, prime and paint it. Rotted wood often comes up in a home inspection. If there's enough of it, it can cause a buyer to walk away during their due diligence period. 

 Stay tuned for the next post in this series of Getting your Home Ready to Sell!

If you are thinking of buying or selling real estate in or around Decatur, GA contact local expert and Realtor Jen Bowman, Broker Associate & e-PRO with Success Realty at 404-456-5024.

View more of the Georgia Real Estate Voice.  Search Decatur GA homes for Sale

See Part 1 of Getting Your Home Ready to Sell in Decatur GA - Kitchens

See Part 2 of Getting Your Home Ready to Sell in Decatur GA-  Garage 

This series of Getting Your Home Ready to Sell in Decatur GA tackles the garage. If you're getting your home ready to sell, don't forget the garage. Getting the garage cleaned and ready may not be so scary if you do it systematically.  

The garage is supposed to be used for parking your vehicles. Do they fit in there? If not, you have some work to do. 

Gather some empty boxes.  Label the boxes for:

• trash
• donate
• recycle
• sell

Be ruthless. If you're not brave enough to do it, get a trusted friend or family member to help.

Ask yourself, if you haven't used it in years why do you still have it? 

If you have a collection of car washing items and you haven't washed the car yourself in years, it's time to get rid of it.

If you have half empty cans of paint, move ‘em out. Dispose of them, properly. Check your local guidelines. In DeKalb County, GA you cannot put your paint in the landfill or throw it in the trash.  You can solidify it by adding kitty litter or shredded paper from your paper shredder. Then you can toss it.

Sports equipment or toys that no one uses - donate or sell it.  Play it Again Sports will buy good used sports equipment.

Broken tools, are you really ever going to get around to fixing them?  

If you have things you're not using you can put it out on the Yahoo group Freecycle, there's one for Decatur and another one for Atlanta.That's the group for giving things away and keeping them out of the landfill. Freecycle groups are all over the country. Check your local area. You can also sell items on Craigslist or have a yard sale. Many local charities will pick up your unwanted items for donation. 

Clean the cobwebs out. Sweep the floors. Organize the tools.  Home Sellers often overlook their garages when it comes time to sell the house, but if the garage looks clean and well maintained it gives an overall better impression. 

Stay tuned for the next post in this series of Getting your Home Ready to Sell!

If you are thinking of buying or selling a home in or around Decatur, GA contact local expert and Realtor Jen Bowman, Broker Associate & e-PRO with Success Realty at 404-456-5024.

View more of the Georgia Real Estate Voice.  Search Decatur GA homes for Sale

See Part 1 of Getting Your Home Ready to Sell in Decatur GA - Kitchens 

Getting your home ready to sell in Decatur GA and don’t know where to begin? This series of blog posts will give you the tips you’ll need to have a picture perfect house to sell. The house needs to be ready in order to get it sold in the shortest amount of time and for the highest dollar.

Let’s start with the kitchen, which is a really important selling feature in a home. First, get everything off the counters, even the toaster. Put the toaster in a cabinet and take it out when you use it. Find a place where you can store everything in cabinets and drawers. Of course, you may notice that you do not have cabinet space to put everything. Clean them out. The dishes, pots and pans that rarely get used? Put them in a box and put that box in storage. If you have stuff that you haven’t used in years, donate it. Really, how many cookie sheets will you ever use at once?

Home buyers will open all your cabinets and drawers, especially in the kitchen. They want to be sure there is enough room for their stuff. If your kitchen cabinets, pantries, and drawers look jammed full, it sends a negative message to the buyer and does not promote an image of plentiful storage space. The best way to do that is to have as much empty space as possible. 

If you have a junk drawer, get rid of the junk Do this with every cabinet and drawer. Do one drawer at a time so it’s not so overwhelming. Create open space.

If you have a large amount of food items crammed into the shelves or pantry, begin using them – especially canned goods. Canned goods are heavy and you don’t want to be lugging them to a new house, anyway – or paying a mover to do it. Let what you have on the shelves determine your menus and use up as much as you can. It might be time to get creative!

Beneath the sink is very important too. Make sure the area beneath the sink is as empty as possible, removing all extra cleaning supplies. There might be stuff you forgot about under there. You should scrub the area down as well, and determine if there are any tell-tale signs of water leaks that may cause a home buyer to hesitate in buying your home.  This should go without saying, but if you have a leak, even a little one, it needs to be fixed, now.  Deferring maintenance does not help to sell homes.

Once you’ve de-cluttered, it’s time for a deep cleaning, including polishing the cabinet doors and making them shine. The refrigerator needs to be clean too. I don’t know why but home buyers seem to like to see what’s in the fridge. They’ll open the door. Make sure it’s clean inside and out. It can stay cleaner by wiping the containers before you put them back in the fridge. I always wipe down the bottom of the milk jug when I bring it home from the store and before putting it away. It can be really dirty!

Now that the kitchen is done, stay tuned for the next post in this series of Getting your Home Ready to Sell!

If you are thinking of buying or selling a home in or around Decatur, GA contact local expert and Realtor Jen Bowman, Broker Associate & e-PRO with Success Realty at 404-456-5024.

View more of the Georgia Real Estate Voice.Search Atlanta GA homes for Sale