It’s a buyer’s market in Ventura right now. Any home seller tips that may give you an edge sounds good for anyone thinking about putting their property on the market. Here are a few smaller things that may hinder your home sale. Plus, we included what you need to do to change them into positives.
Home Seller Tips: Small Things That May Hinder Your Sale
Eliminate/Reduce Clutter
We talked about decluttering your Ventura home before placing it on the market before. However, we don’t want you to limit that to just the areas you see right away (such as countertops, shelves, etc.). You also need to address your bedroom closets. Pare down your wardrobe to eight or nine days worth of clothes. Limit your shoe collection to just two or three pairs per person. Accessories also need to be extremely limited. Pack up the rest and store those boxes away (preferably off-site). Do the same for your linen closet. You want potential buyers to see extra space, not a bunch of stuff crammed in every nook and cranny.
Next, head into the kitchen. After moving the toaster oven, crockpot, insta-pot, spices, etc. off the countertops, open up your cupboards. Keep just enough plates, cups, bowls, and silverware to take care of a meal for each person living in your household. Everything else should get wrapped up, packed up, and stored away while your Ventura County home is on the market. Also clean up that junk drawer. Believe it or not, potential buyers open every cupboard, every drawer, and every closet when they consider purchasing a property.
Clear the Cobwebs
Most likely, you performed a deep clean of your home. You scrubbed your windows. You cleaned the counters. Even the walls received a good scrub down. Just remember to clear out the cobwebs. That means taking a duster or broom to the ceilings as well as the baseboards.
Consider Rearranging the Furniture
Another one of the home seller tips to consider: furniture placement. Nothing makes a room feel smaller than oversized furniture filling it up. If budget constraints mean a professional home stager is not in the cards, our staging strategies may help. Besides, a staged home may sell up to 10% faster than an un-staged one and may bring you a higher offer as well.
Pay Attention to Your Curb Appeal
While not exactly a “small” thing, your curb appeal (or lack thereof) may make or break a buyer’s impression of your home. Keep your grass trimmed. Get rid of weeds. Place trash bins out of sight. Store toys and tools neatly in a shed or the garage. Add a few pretty plants to the entry way. Then, add a fresh coat of paint to the front door. If necessary, replace the door knob and other hardware so as not to appear old and weathered. Finally, make sure your doorbell works properly. This may sound trivial. But a broken doorbell may prompt worry in a buyer’s mind about what else may not work in the home.
Remove Evidence of Pets
While roughly two-thirds of US households include a pet of some kind, buyers do not want to see (or smell) evidence of any such creature living there. Clean out your cat’s litter box daily and before every showing. Pick up any droppings from the back yard just as often. Store pet toys out of sight. HGTV offers some great tips on how to eliminate pet odors from your home, too.
Tuck Away the Cords
Finally, many people mount their TVs to their walls. However if your cords hang down, it looks like a huge mess. Again, this may seem silly, but it also presents a sloppy appearance to home buyers. Tuck those cords neatly behind the television or hide them within the wall.
Dave & Pat Zumbrun, your Ventura County real estate specialists
