Where to begin….
As you noticed from all my posts, we have been eliminating items from the house over the course of a year. Yard sales, Goodwill donations, giving to friends in need, and some garbage have been our lives for the past year. It is a lot of work and made me realize I need think before I buy ever again. Is the item something you absolutely need and will you use it daily? If neither question is answered, then don’t purchase it. As mentioned before, America is the country of hoarders and accumulation. There’s so many stores for cheap stuff so people just buy without any second thought to the purchase, because, well it’s so cheap!
Once we paired down majority of our items in the home we reorganized to sell. Let me tell you, it may be a pain to do, but rearranging your kitchen and bathroom cabinets will help you sell quickly. Seeing the back of the cabinet is nice for those looking at the home. My realtor said: “if it can open, they will probably open and look”. So make sure closets and cabinets are organized enough. We sold our electric appliances with the house, so those items were also spotless and organized. Yes the fridge had to be organized so they could see how much space they have.
From there we downsized furniture to pieces we definitely needed. Getting rid of useless furniture will help make the home feel less cluttered. The more clutter the less desirable. It was inconvenient because we had no coffee table, we had a smaller tv, we had less of everything. But it was a good transition for coming to our new home here in Paris.
Next, we repainted the entire house. Our bedroom was the only exclusion because I repainted it a year ago to a neutral grey. The rest of the house got a neutral tan/grey from Behr called toasty grey. It was perfect because the rooms all looked different depending on the light. So a 5 gallon bucket of paint, some new white trim paint, and supplies for painting ended up being around $200. Then I got the carpets cleaned and the grout cleaned. That is important even if they remove them, especially if you have pets and need to have a less allergic space for people to come see. Shockingly getting the carpets cleaned wasn’t breaking the bank.
Before paint:
After paint:
The warm color made it feel more comfortable and look really clean. Make sure you declutter all surfaces especially the kitchen and the bathroom. Those two rooms are the most important to buyers. Make sure you keep it clutter free so that it will be easier to leave for a short-notice showing.
Here’s my checklist for getting your house prepared to sell:
- Declutter every room, cabinet and closet. Rearrange the cabinets and closets so you can see the back of them.
- If your appliances are staying, deep clean them. Oven, microwave, dishwasher, fridge and washing machine/dryer.
- Downsize amount of furniture to necessities. That corner table that holds a photo, yeah get it out.
- Remove all personal items like photos, calendars and anything with you all over it. The new homeowners need to see themselves in your house, without your face or your family members faces looking at them.
- Empty rooms that you do not use daily. You can live without your craft room for a little while.
- Clean all your windows.
- Repaint if needed, including trim.
- Recaulk counters, cabinets, bathtub, and anywhere else that has been caulked.
- Clean blinds or curtains. (Old socks work well for dusting blinds)
- Get the carpets and tile cleaned professionally if needed.
- Declutter the yard and any outdoor space like a patio/deck.
- Clean your basement, laundry room, and garage. (I know, yuck)
- Minimalize items on every counter or piece of furniture.
- Purchase cheap neutral colored linens, shower curtain, and towels, preferably white or beige. It makes the bathroom and kitchen look clean.
- Maintain the decluttered lifestyle for easy preparation for a short-notice showing.
Believe me, once the massive overhaul is done, you will like having less to worry about. Your hard work will pay off. It will be easier to maintain for your showings and you will be able to give up your home easier.
becominglesswaste 