7 Signs You’re Not Ready to List Your Home

April 22, 2020

As a professional real estate stager and stylist, I’ve seen it so many times, homeowners rushing to have their first home showing even before the house is ready for sale.

Think you’re ready to sell your house? Another walkthrough might help – here are signs you’re not ready to list your house on the market just yet.

YOUR MAIN LIVING AREAS ARE A WRECK

Your living room, family room, kitchen or dining room are the first rooms that will greet your buyers. If these important rooms are not showing exceptionally well, you are definitely not ready to list your home just yet. Highlight every room’s function and features and then add a little pretty! If you’re unsure ask a friend for an honest opinion or better yet, work with a professional stager who can guide you through.

SOME INTERIORS NEED A PAINT JOB

It’s amazing what a coat of paint can do to brighten up a space. It’s like an instant ‘facelift’ for your home. The rooms instantly look cleaner, newer, and smell fresher too! But beyond applying a fresh coat, what’s important is to help potential buyers visualize themselves living in your home. So, set aside your personal tastes and select paint colours that appeal to all. Boring as they may seem, neutral is the magic word.

YOUR CLOSETS ARE ALL FULL

Buyers are mostly upgrading when buying a new home. They want more space and storage that they don’t currently have, so whatever amount of storage space you have right now show it to its best advantage. My advice is to always reduce what you have in your closets by half and then edit some more. The best way to achieve this is to get a rental storage unit to store extra clothing and other stuff while the house is listed.

YOUR FAUCET IS LEAKING

All minor repairs that have been irritating you for months like leaky faucets, sticky doors, noisy toilets, cracked floor tiles and loose cabinet handles should be looked after. These could signal skittish potential buyers that you haven’t maintained your home properly and might alarm them to bigger problems, and in turn, decide to look elsewhere.

YOU HAVE TOO MUCH CLUTTER

Clutter eats equity in real estate and having too much is definitely not a good thing. Get rid of unnecessary stuff! Kid’s toys, sports gear, broken appliances, pet items, family photos and tchotchkes from your world travels are the culprits most of the time. This is the perfect time to donate, purge, or box them and move it to rental storage for now.

YOUR HOUSE ISN’T CLEAN

Nobody wants a dirty house, period. Dirty windows, dingy, stained—or worse, smelly carpets, dirty kitchen and bathrooms — can kill the mood instantly. My suggestion is always a professional deep cleaning before listing. It goes a long way toward making a good first impression.

YOU DIDN’T STAGE IT PROPERLY

How do the rooms look like coming from the main door? Is it enough to convince your buyers that this is their next home? If your buyers cannot see themselves living in your home, it’s game over. If you have no idea how to showcase your home to your buyers effectively, it is time to call in a pro and contact your local stager.

RED BARRINUEVO

Toronto-based, award-winning Interior Stylist, Red Barrinuevo is an Interior Decorator and Principal of Redesign4more, servicing clients in Toronto and the GTA. The firm’s known for enhancing and creating stylish yet functional spaces through their creative home staging, interior styling services, and design services.  www.redesign4more.com.

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