You’re prepared to sell your San Jose home. But is your San Jose home prepared to sell?
In the mad dash to get their home on the market, sellers often neglect this most important phase of the process. And they pay for it in the long run.
So take a step back before you dive in. The stakes are high and you stand a chance to sell your San Jose house fast and for top dollar. Here’s a 3 step solution to prepping your San Jose home before you enter the market.
Clear Out The Clutter
Remember when you were the home buyer? Walking through a house, the last thing you’d care to see (and hopefully never saw) is a homeowner’s collection of family photos or personal belongings. Now that you’re on the other side of the things, your mission is clear. Get rid of all that junk. It’s offensive to potential buyers looking for a space to fill with their own junk.
Don’t overlook the garage, the outdoor storage shed, and the unfinished basement. These are not places to deposit your junk. They are spaces that need equal attention. Declutter and depersonalize every square inch within your property line.
Don’t waste time! Anticipate moving sooner, not later. Box up what you don’t need immediately and pack it away, whether in storage or at a neighbor’s house. A lot of sellers assume clearing things away entirely is only for open house, but they are mistaken. Since the majority of buyers begin their search online, you’re going to need clear, open spaces immediately for those attractive listing photos. All this before the photo shoot and before your home is even listed the for sale!
Deep Clean Every Corner
A clutter-free home makes cleaning easier. Your second step of prep is to clean like you’ve never cleaned before. Floor to ceiling, wall to wall; clean your home until it sparkles. Your goal is to get potential buyers to want to walk barefoot during the open house. (It’s up to you, of course, whether you actually insist they do.)
Best practice deep cleaning means working from top to bottom. Climb high to clean ceiling fans and light fixtures. If they’re particularly awful, take them apart to clean harder to access cracks and crevices. Wash the walls with a mild bleach solution. Spackle holes in the walls and apply touch up paint or wallpaper, if necessary. Sweep and mop the floors; vacuum and shampoo the carpets. Don’t be too proud to hire help.
For bathrooms, scrub the tubs, remove build up and sanitize everywhere the sun doesn’t shine. Once clean, keep it clean. This may require limiting the home use of certain areas. Round up family members and get everyone on the same page. You might want to designate one bathroom for use or close off some rooms to maintain their immaculate clean. Establish rules for kids and pets. If they don’t have boundaries, you’ll only have more to keep cleaning.
Set The Stage
Once things are pristine and presentable, your goal is to get your home to look like it belongs on reality TV. Arranging furniture in welcoming, neutral ways is an art. If you’re not cut out for the nuances of home staging, or don’t have time to do a good job, seek a professional opinion. Professionals know what it takes to achieve that camera ready look, especially when it comes to subtle decor and lighting. If home staging is out of the question, at least get an outsider’s opinion on your efforts to ensure you didn’t overlook anything.
Curb appeal is real. The appearance of your property on the outside is just as important as what it looks like on the inside. Give porches and patios a minimalist look. Outdoor furniture is fine but tools, toys, and other stray items are not. Don’t just mow the lawn and call it a day. Trim hedges, pull weeds, mulch garden beds, rake leaves, fix the mailbox, and give the front door a fresh coat of paint. That backyard pool is a selling point even if you never made much use of it. Now’s the time to make it look as inviting as you feel about diving into the San Jose seller’s market.
These are simple steps but they’re going to take some time. Set aside a few weekends to get it done and don’t call it good until it is!
When you’re ready to sell your San Jose home, you’ll want to know your options. We’re here to help. don’t hesitate to get some advice from professional home buyers in your area!