Before you can buy your perfect Ucluelet home, you may need to sell the home you already have!
To help you start living in Ukee more quickly, we have compiled a list of 10 things to do before taking photos and listing your house.
Prior to showing your home to any potential buyers, you will want it to be in great shape. This includes the sneak peek they will get in the listing photographs. Clean and empty space can really make a house more appealing to homebuyers, so here is a head start at what to do before making your listing:
As much as you can, empty the home of any furniture that doesn’t serve a functional purpose.
Whether you sell it, lend it or put it in storage, just get it out of the way. The more empty space there is in the home, the easier it is for the buyer to imagine their own belongings in the house. Before shooting the photos or showing the home, get any excess out.
The same goes for the storage areas of the house like the basement, attic, garage or shed; anything can be removed for the time that you are showing the house, really should be gone.
Before taking any listing photos or showing your house, hide the knick-knacks and the toys.
Unless there is a designated area used as a playroom, kids toys need to be hidden, neatly. This also goes for toys for all-ages, like art supplies, video game consoles, and sentimental statues on shelves. Buyers want the space they are looking at to feel fresh, clean, and grown up.
For the listing photos as well as for every home viewing, be sure to open all of your interior doors.
In photos, open doors expand the idea of space and it helps the buyer understand the layout of the house. Do your best to make the photographs flow together sequentially from one room to the next.
When showing the house, the potential buyers need to be able to easily walk from one room to the next, and the open doors will also increase the amount of light streaming in.
Speaking of lighting, when photographing and showing your home, turn on all of the lights.
By having the lights on, the home will be brighter and will allow for better and easier viewing of the house. The last thing you want to do is make the potential buyers search for light switches. This is especially true if there are light switches in unusual places, as can be true in some homes.
There is so much dirt and dust that accumulates on windows, so take some time to clean them inside and out before listing.
It is amazing to see how much more light comes through when the windows are clean! So even though it can be quite a daunting task to wash the windows, it makes the entire room feel cleaner and can really brighten up your home and make for better photos and more impressive viewings.
This tip touches on the previous tip about clutter, but in the kitchen, do take a second look. Maybe you normally keep the toaster, the coffee maker, the mix master and the blender on the counter, however if you can stash these types of things away, you will instantly make the counter space look larger, and to most people, that is a major kitchen plus.
Also, put the bread and bananas in the cupboard before the listing photos are taken or your house is shown. You want potential buyers to feel like there is plenty of counter space. Take the magnets off the fridge as well to make your kitchen look more clean.
If you've ever cleaned doors in your home, you will know just how dirty they can get! And if you haven't cleaned the doors of your home, then you are in for some fun. The door knobs can get slippery with oils or sticky from fingers. The door jambs are often covered in finger prints, and the exterior doors will usually have a coating of dirt. Cleaning the doorways may not seem like the most obvious task, but when the doors are clean, the house becomes more inviting.
While you're at it, be sure to take a look for spider webs around all the entrances and the associated light fixtures. This small detail is often over looked, but rarely unnoticed.
How your home looks on the outside can have a significant impact on the home buyers first impression, so do your best to make their first view inviting.
This doesn’t mean that your front yard needs an entire makeover, but make sure it is neat and that there is some character to the front yard. Plant some flowers, fix the fence, wrap up the hose, and mow the lawn. Some effort in this area really will go a long way in impressing potential buyers. It's the little things that can make a big difference.
The first impressions home buyers will have of the home you are selling will be from the listing photos, so make sure they are good! You've already cleared the clutter and washed the windows and doors, so now put these boons to work for you by taking photos that maximize the space in each room.
Potential buyers want to look at photos of a clean, spacious and light-filled house. Pay attention to detail when taking photos: put down the toilet seat, open curtains and doors, hide the clutter, and most importantly, make sure there is ample lighting. Dark photos do not do any space justice, so set up the photoshoot for when there will be lots of natural light.
The smell of your home will be one of the very first things that the potential buyers will notice when entering the home. Be sure to eliminate the causes of any pungent or musty smells well before the first viewing. Open a couple of windows for cross-ventilation a few hours before showing the house, if at all possible.
A few more ideas for making your home smell wonderful for a showing: Simmer a pot of apple juice and cinnamon on the stove (never leave unattended!) or if you are a whiz in the kitchen, perhaps you could bake a loaf of fresh bread. (or just buy a pre-made one from your local bakery) An essential oil diffuser can help freshen any space, but be careful of synthetic or strong scents as many people can be sensitive to them - so opt for natural, earthy smells such as pine or citrus.
If you have any questions about Ucluelet Real Estate, please feel free to Contact Us.
