When people are going through the process of getting their home ready for sale, they often overlook a few important steps: 

1. Tackle the junk drawer. We all have at least one drawer somewhere in the house where an odd assortment of items ends up, like pens, batteries, papers, tape measures, toothpicks, etc. Be sure to clean out your junk drawer and start decluttering.

2. Clean out your closets. Every day, it seems like we put a little bit more stuff in our storage areas and we become used to it over time.  You’d be amazed how many houses I’ve been through where stuff literally fell out when I opened the closet door. This can be funny, but also off-putting to buyers, so clean out your closets to make your closets look bigger and more spacious. Store the extra stuff in a box and put it somewhere out of the way, like your garage.

3. Clean out your kitchen cabinets. The kitchen is one of the most important rooms in a home for potential buyers. They don’t want to see cabinets in a state of disarray—they need to be able to imagine their own stuff fitting in them. So, to ensure your home presents well to potential buyers, clean and organize your kitchen cabinets, including your pantry.

4. Declutter the attic. It’s easy to forget all about the attic during home preparation, but it’s important not to. Before you put your home on the market, sort through all the items you’ve stored up there over time. Put them into piles of things you want to keep, donate, or throw away.

5. Clean up the garage. Your garage doesn’t need to be spotless; after all, you’ll need some place to put the stuff you removed from your drawers, closets, cabinets, and the attic. But, like the other areas I’ve covered, it’s important to go through the garage and straighten it out so that it doesn’t look like a mechanic’s nightmare. Organize and store your tools, lawn equipment, holiday decorations, etc., so that buyers can see the potential of your garage for their own belongings.

After the main items on your home staging checklist are all finished, if you take care of these five tasks, you’ll be amazed at how nicely your home will present to potential buyers. If you have any questions about selling your home or can I help you at all, please give me a call at 901-591-8100 or send an email. I’m always happy to help.