Staging Tip #20: New Year, New You!
The holidays may be over but we all know there are lingering hints or maybe even a colossal of evidence that there is work to be done to get your home back in sellable condition. I have found that each year after the holidays I spend more time sorting and purging before restoring what I think is important for future holidays. Living in Key West seems to cry out getting rid of the old. Maybe it is time to get rid of those old doilies your great grandmother made that you find in your storage closet every year but have never used, or broken ornaments made by our children. Do we really need to keep them under the bed FOREVER!
Cleaning up after the holidays provides an excellent time to organize our homes to include our storage areas, drawers, cabinets and of course, the big picture as well. Read on for an easy tutorial on how to get organized, stay organized and ready for that next showing.
Since the living room is typically the first room one walks into in a Key West home we want to tackle this room head on. Living room organization can be a challenge especially if it serves many purposes. What exactly do you do in it? Relax, entertain, play, eat? If your answer is “all of the above” then that confusing range of activities, all taking place in one room, can lead to a disorganized situation. Given how many things they’re used for, it’s no wonder living rooms often end up full of clutter. Here’s how to quickly organize this entire space in half an hour.
- De-clutter
You may have heard this term more than you care to but that is because it is the bases to everything else that follows to prepare a showcase ready home. Walk around the room and locate anything that doesn’t belong there and is contributing to an obvious state of messiness. Return items that belong in another room to their storage spaces, then return living room items to their proper storage spaces. Pillows that have landed on the floor can go back on the sofa. Determine a central space for random remotes such as a tray on your coffee table. Recycle magazines and literally get rid of anything that does not serve a purpose.
- Get Nitpicky
A very simple step in the organization of any room that takes no money, no products, and almost no time, is to simply straighten everything out and in the case of knick knacks and collectibles, pack them up. When everything’s askew it can make a room look far messier than it actually is, and when your space looks out of control your buyer (and you) can start to feel that way too. But though it might sound obvious, just quickly straightening everything from the pencils on your desk to the throw pillows on the sofa can make a major impact.
Rearrange bedroom and bath closets and kitchen cabinets. Buyers love to snoop and WILL open closet and cabinet doors. Think of the message it sends if items fall out! Now imagine what a buyer believes about you if she sees everything organized. It says you probably take good care of the rest of the house as well. This means:
- Eliminate “junk” drawers by organizing with drawer trays.
- Neatly fold towels and linens. Discard old and worn items. Splurge on a new set of bath towels for display.
- Neatly stack dishes.
- Turn coffee cup handles facing the same way.
- Hang shirts together, buttoned and facing the same direction.
- Line up shoes.
If the problem is something you can fix now, now is the time to do it. Don’t procrastinate! Make a list of things you can’t fix it now and make a plan to stay on top of this list.
- Replace cracked floor or counter tiles.
- Patch holes in walls.
- Fix leaky faucets.
- Resurface an old porcelain tub if it is worn and stained.
- Fix doors that don’t close properly and kitchen drawers that jam.
- Consider painting your walls neutral colors, especially if you have grown accustomed to purple or pink walls.
- Replace burned-out light bulbs.
- If you’ve considered replacing a worn bedspread, do so now!
- Make the House Sparkle!
- Wash windows inside and out.
- Rent a pressure washer and spray down sidewalks and exterior.
- Clean out cobwebs.
- Re-caulk tubs, showers and sinks.
- Polish chrome faucets and mirrors.
- Clean out the refrigerator.
- Vacuum daily.
- Dust furniture, ceiling fan blades and light fixtures.
- Bleach dingy grout.
- Replace worn rugs with one from Bazaar Velvet.
- Hang up fresh towels.
- Clean and air out any musty smelling areas and pet odors.
- Scrutinize
- Go outside and open your front door. Stand there. Do you want to go inside? Does the house welcome you?
- Linger in the doorway of every single room and imagine how your house will look to a buyer.
- Examine carefully how furniture is arranged and move pieces around until it makes sense.
- Make sure window coverings hang level.
- Does it look like nobody lives in this house? You’re almost finished!
- Check Curb Appeal
If a buyer won’t get out of her agent’s car because she doesn’t like the exterior of your home, you’ll never get her inside.
- Keep the sidewalks cleared.
- Mow the lawn.
- Paint faded window trim.
- Plant yellow flowers or group flower pots together. Yellow evokes a buying emotion. Marigolds are inexpensive.
- Trim your bushes.
- Make sure visitors can clearly read your house number.
If you are feeling overwhelmed, take this list apart and do one thing at a time. But, if you want to sell your home for your asking price you must outshine the competition. So let’s get started and create your new you that is going to sell your property this year!
Has this information been helpful? Give us your feedback. Let us know if there is a topic you would like for us to address. Need the assistance from a professional Stager? Contact Vicki Grant, CEO of Grant Home Staging Services, grantstaging@gmail.com or (305) 394-9201, staging Key West homes since 2009. Check out her profile on https://www.houzz.com/pro/grantstaging/public, or www.granthomestagingservices.com.
