An Overall Marketing Checklist
De-Cluttering Guide
You are moving. The less you have in your home, the easier it is to tidy up before showing a and it helps buyers see how big your space really is.
Take on One Room at a Time. the key to decluttering is to throw or give away what you don't need and organize your remaining items in containers.
Sort through your stuff and list it as one of these three decisions:
1. It's going with you: Pack & Move
2. It should be thrown or donated: Get Rid of It
3. You need it to live: Leave it alone (for now)
Depersonalize - Your Home will be on the Internet
1.Remove personal photos, baby names on wall
2.Remove sports, business and personal awards, political and religious items
3.Daily use items can be tucked away during showings
Closets, Cabinets and Drawers:
1. Pack up out-of-season items
2. Get rid of never-used shoes
3. Throw out/Donate never-used items in Kitchen and Bathroom cabinets.
4. Take note of the additional time you will need to remove the excess clutter from your small spaces (like bathroom & kitchen drawers) as these take the longest to sort through.
Final Tips
1. Organize and label what is getting moved so you and your movers will know where it goes in your new house.
2. Do not place a pod in your driveway, while you are getting ready for market or the photo shoot.
3. If needed, pressure wash the garage floor, driveway, sidewalk, deck and patioremoving stains, debris and spiderwebs
New home buyers need to visualize how they would utilize the space. Make your home beautiful, warm and inviting
For the Photo Shoot and Home Showings
Foyer/Front Porch/all Entry ways: This is the gateway to your house. There should be no clutter, no dust, no spiderwebs, no excess furniture. Put away excess shoes. If there is space for a bench or chair for someone to sit and remove their shoes on a rainy-day day, that's a plus.
Kitchen: Please remove everything off your counter tops for Photo Day and for Showings. Remove any Kitchen Rugs and make sure the trash can is out of sight. It's fine to have decorative pieces at the top of the cabinets in settings of 3 or 5 - or nothing at all. Place the coffee maker and toaster out of camera view (in a cabinet or the pantry). Dish towels and dish washing liquid out of sight. Refrigerator cleared of all magnets, and shined up.
Breakfast and Dining Rooms: The Dining Room should function like a Dining Room for most buyers to assess it properly. So, if you are currently using it as a play room or a pool hall, it will save you a lot of lost days on the market, to convert it back to a Dining Room. Set the table in a simple fashion. If the room is small, make the table an appropriate size by removing some of the leaves and limit the number of chairs you are using. If is large, showcase it's size. Clean all light bulbs, and shine up the lighting and baseboards.
Bathrooms: Remove all items off the counter-tops, throw rugs, shampoo, soaps from shower/bathtub. Place personal items in a shower caddy, so they can be placed under the sink during showings. (Go for a spa effect with new fluffy white towels.) Minimize and fold what is in the linen closet and get rid of excess under the sink. Make sure the light bulbs are clean and working. Shine it all up with a good cleaning top to bottom. Remove access to all medicine/drugs
Bedrooms: Put your valuables away. Check and clean the light bulbs and fan blades. Extra pillows to fluff up your look (think luxury beach rental house). Calm it down with neutral colors, a throw blanket for the corner of the bed, and an accent pillow. Bedding should hang so your sheets are not visibly showing.
Children's Rooms: Remove all extra toys for the photos, you can add them back after the photos have been taken and pack up the toys that are not being used all the time as this will help someone visualize the space they can use. This is just a temporary solution. Your boxes move when you do!
Main Living Areas like Family Rooms and/or Bonus Rooms:Show off good open space by removing excess furniture, and creating clean passageways. Remove anything you are not using. Tuck away remote controls, extra magazines, books, stray paperwork and stuff. Dust. Shine. Sweep/Vacuum. Light bulbs working. Windows are Clean.
Front, back and side yards: Place fresh mulch (and fluff up), add seasonal flowers in pots (or beds) Clean your outdoor lighting fixtures. Straighten up tables and chairs, clean cushions, and remove hoses and garden tools from sight.
Key Maintenance Tasks
1. Check the Airflow: Make sure that your vents, room fans, dryer vents, baseboard heaters, and HVAC unit are all free from dust buildup so that they function properly. In addition to cleaning these areas thoroughly, it is also a good idea to have them inspected and serviced by a professional HVAC technician pre-season, in the Spring and Fall. Change your filter(s).
2. Preventative Maintenance: Trim back shrub and trees that either press up against your home. The foliage will hold extra moisture up against your house, which can cause algae growth, wood rot, and overall, problems you shouldn't have to deal with had there been some a space between the structure and the foliage.
3. Inspecting and repairing the roof. Storms can cause serious damage to roofs, so it is important to keep an eye on them. If you are not sure, contact a local roofer. If any repairs are needed, be sure to take care of them as soon as possible to avoid further damage.
4. Cleaning gutters and downspouts. Clogged gutters can cause water to back up and pool on the roof, which can lead to leaks and damage. Remove any debris or buildup and check for rusting or leaks in your gutters and downspouts to keep them working properly.
5. Cleaning the fireplace and chimney. If you have a fireplace in your home, it is important that it is well maintained. Make sure that the fireplace flue and liners are free of ash and soot buildup and that there are no cracks in the chimney bricks.
6. If you have a crawlspace, deck or any other structure that has space to place unused items, make sure to keep these areas tidy. Unused wood can be a magnet for termites, so remove what is deemed to be trash. Any additional planters, or pots, should be turned in such a way that they will not become a container for water... as those become magnets for mosquitoes.
Scheduling Home Tours
My Services include a Call Center (free for you) that schedules your showings per your instructions.
Sellers are automatically notified of upcoming showing requests.
Sellers can receive request by phone, text, email, or all three.
Sellers can confirm, decline or reschedule the appointments in the same manner you receive them- by phone, text or email.
Online activity reports, along with automated feedback requests.
24/7 access allows you to change showing instructions to fit your schedule.
Preparing Your Home For Showings
■ Make sure all beds are made; don't leave money or valuables out.
■ Make sure all dishes are either in the dishwasher or out of sight.
■ Tidy up the bathrooms. Hide prescription drugs
■ Give the floors a quick sweeping and vacuuming if they need it.
■ Put lights on so the buyers walk into a bright home.
■ If you have pets, make sure they are out of the house or are secured.
■ Make sure there are no odors from cooking, pets, etc.
Step Out For Agent-Assisted Showings
Some homeowners feel it would be a good thing for them to be around when agents (with buyers) come through, others simply just don’t want to leave. But they should.
The biggest reason is that buyers need some “space” in order to make your space their own. Let them look at your home with their agent. Rather than feel like you’re watching and listening to them. If you were in their shoes, it's like being in a store and the only other person in the store is the owner. Even though the owner doesn't feel pressure, buyers do. And instead of getting a good feel for your home, they opt to leave quickly.
If You’re Stuck…
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