Whether you’re selling your home on your own, or listing it with a Realtor, experts suggest preparing your home in advance to take advantage of the fall selling season. Dayton new home builder and Dayton Home Builders Association Past President, John Peebles, suggests this simple list to help get the most for your home by creating a space that shows people the home and not the stuff.
Declutter – Too much stuff makes your home and rooms look small. Whether it’s too much furniture, pieces that are too large, or just too much stuff, edit the items in your home by making 3 categories – keep it, toss it, donate it. If you’re not quite ready to rid yourself of clutter, rent a storage space and store the excess pieces and collectibles until you move into your new home. Don’t forget refrigerator art, cabinets, closets, drawers, pantries, the basement and the garage. Your goal is to make the space look and feel large and well organized.
Depersonalize – Remove family photos and personal items. Remove personal artwork and political and religious elements that could be seen as controversial. If you’ve removed items from walls, don’t forget to remove nails, patch holes, and apply touch up paint. Remember, you want guests to see the house as their own.
Clean it – Visitors will look everywhere – cabinets, drawers, refrigerator, dishwasher, closets… Give your home a great spring cleaning inside and out. From windows and baseboards to ceiling fans and tops of cabinets, you want your home to look and smell clean. Don’t forget the garage and the basement.
Keep it neutral – New paint in a neutral color will do wonders for the interior and exterior of your home. Remove busy wallpaper and trendy paint colors like last year’s chili pepper red from your master bathroom. John suggests neutral interior shades like Sherwin Williams Tony Taupe, Agreeable Gray, or Alabaster.
Curb appeal – You’ve heard it before; you never get a second chance at a good first impression. Curb appeal matters and entices guests to stop. Trim bushes and trees, apply fresh mulch, remove and replace dead grass and bushes, wash windows, remove cobwebs, sweep steps, walks, and porches. Take a close look at your home from the street. Do you need a new mailbox? Do the exterior lights need to be updated? Are the house numbers in disrepair?
Freshen up – We’ve all seen the fix and flip shows on HGTV! Freshen your rooms with new pillows, new bed linens, and neutral, fluffy towels. Clean your carpets and replace worn carpeting with a more neutral color and style. Remove small area rugs that create a tripping hazard. Check your larger area rugs to make sure they are sized correctly for your spaces.
Keep it bright – Let the sun shine in! You’re competing with the new home around the corner. New homes in Southern Indiana feature large windows and bright spaces. Move dated and dusty window treatments. Dust the shades and open them up. Replace light bulbs with new bulbs of the same wattage and style. Turn the lights on in all the rooms and on all the tables.
No pets allowed – It goes without saying that we all love our pets but the person visiting your home may not. Remove all signs of pets, from hair to toys to litter boxes. And, never have your pet at home during a showing.
Flexibility – We are a society that loves convenience and instant gratification. Once a buyer sees your home online, they will want to see it in person. The key to a successful sale is to make sure the house is available to see when the buyer is available. Remember, the sooner your house sells, the sooner your life will be your own!
Work with pros – At Peebles Homes we pride ourselves on working with the best in our industry. Whether it’s hiring a great photographer to capture the essence of our move-in ready homes in Dayton or relying on our Dayton Realtor partners, we believe that hiring a pro will help you sell your home faster and ultimately save you time, energy, and money.
Fall selling season is here and you’ve seen the reports on the lack of good, clean resale homes is at an all time low. If you’re ready to make your move into a new home in Dayton, consider Peebles Homes where you’ll find new homes in Washington Township with easy access to top golf, exceptional recreation, excellent shopping, and convenience to commuting via I-75.
About Peebles Homes: Locally owned Peebles Homes is a third-generation new home builder offering energy efficient new homes in the Dayton area for over 80 years. Offering new homes in some of the finest communities, Peebles Homes is an active member of the Dayton HBA. Second generation homebuilder Tom Peebles served as President of the HBA in 1995 and was picked by his peers as the 1994 Builder of the Year based on a record of leadership and accomplishment. In 2009, Tom was awarded the prestigious Robert E. McDaniel-Karl Zengel Leadership Award for demonstrated leadership accomplishments over a career. Third generation homebuilder, John Peebles, is a graduate of Southern Adventist University and a Certified Green Professional by the National Association of Home Builders. John has served on the Board of the Home Builders Association since 2013, serving as Vice President in 2016 and President in 2017. John was also named the 2018 Builder Member of the Year for contributions to the industry and the community.
Peebles Homes. Your Home. Your Way.
