Depersonalizing Your Home to Sell
Whether you are a newly married couple planning to grow your family, a single individual dreaming of a bigger backyard to cultivate your green thumb, a family with small children who are starting to take up more and more space, or you are empty nesters with too many empty rooms to clean...you have outgrown your home. When you are entering a new phase of life, you may realize that the home you originally fell in love with just doesn’t work for the way you want to live now and in the future. Growth, change and transition are a part of life. Whether you are someone who easily “goes with the flow” through a transition or you need to force yourself, kicking and screaming, we all handle change differently. When it comes to something as emotionally charged as your home it may feel impossible to imagine such a huge transition. You begin to look around at your rooms and are having a difficult time picturing someone else living there. That space over there is where your daughter took her first steps. Your heart swells when you glance at your wedding photos on the wall. You remember searching for that great eclectic furniture piece that fits perfectly in that corner over there. It’s a monumental decision to sell your home. And it’s hard! But you know in your heart you are ready for your next phase. It’s time to sell.
In order for someone else to come in, look around your house and picture themselves living there, they can’t be bombarded with all of your personal mementos at every glance. They need to start their own nesting as they walk through your home, not be reminded of yours. So where do you start? Below are 5 Basic Steps to start de-personalizing your home:
Neutral Paint Color. I know your daughter loves her hot pink ballerina themed bedroom, but if a potential homebuyer has three soccer loving boys, they will have a difficult time envisioning their boys making that room their own. I know you’re thinking “it’s just paint, anyone can see past that.” While some people can see past a once-trendy paint color or floral wallpaper, why take the chance of eliminating potential buyers who might not want to spend weekends painting over your personalized walls. Right now the most popular neutral color palette is tones of gray. A little elbow grease and a few gallons of paint (or hiring a painter) can really help get your house sold more quickly and appeal to a broader range of buyers.
Personalized Artwork and Photos. And while you have your walls prepped to paint, its time to evaluation what should go back on the walls. You have a beautiful family and can’t imagine walking down your hallway without being able to glance at your precious little ones’ photos. You love looking at evidence of your travels to Europe through the photos and mementos on your shelves. Even if a potential homebuyer also loves looking at your items (they are fabulous), they become a distraction from what you really want them to be looking at...your home! Box them up. They can come out again when you find your new space to nest.
Declutter and Minimize. When I was getting my previous home ready for the market, I was looking through my space for evidence of clutter. I did the basic things like cleaning unnecessary food boxes, toasters, and utensils off of my kitchen counter. I placed all of my personal toiletries in a basket that can be neatly tucked in my bathroom cabinet. I took all of the personal items from shelves, dressers, side tables, fireplace mantels, etc. I cleaned my closets of unnecessary items. I minimally decorated my walls and surfaces with neutral, beautiful pieces. I was walking around trying to look at my home through the eyes of a potential buyer, when BAM! I noticed the corner of my bedroom. There was a pile of books and magazines that had probably been there for five years! It's so easy for clutter to become invisible when you walk past it every day. Take the time to really look everywhere. Why not start the packing process by boxing things you don’t need right now, or better yet, throw away things that you haven’t touched in five years.
Furniture. A room full of furniture may give you lots of seating options and be your comfy space to lounge and watch the big game on Sunday, but too many bulky furniture pieces tend to make a room look smaller. You will want to create an open space with a good traffic flow to walk around. It might be necessary to place some pieces in storage until you move. Another thing to consider is making sure the furniture in a room fits the room’s intended purpose. Your formal living room has always been used as your child’s playroom, and your dining room has always been your work-from-home space. But when potential buyers walk through your house, you want them to see the formal living room as a living room and the dining room as a place to dine. To your kids, ALL of the toys are essential, but hide them away in a chest or box to return your living room to its intended purpose. Put your desk and filing cabinets in storage and find a temporary work space until you move. Just move it out of the dining room.
Furry Family Members. I know it's hard for you to imagine...but not everyone likes to share their home with furry companions. Your pets are an important part of your daily life. They are your family members But prospective homebuyers may not share your love of animals. You won’t want to eliminate a potential buyer because of your pets. Your home may even (gasp!) smell like you have pets. Because you are in your home daily, you probably don’t even notice any animal smells, but someone who is not around animals will notice. You need to make evidence of your pets disappear. Make sure food bowls, toys, pet beds, and litter boxes are stored away. And most importantly, clean thoroughly and consider using an essential oil diffuser or subtle air freshener to clean the air. It would also be a good idea to arrange for your pets to be out of the home when its being shown.
Looking at your home through the eyes of a potential buyer is the key to getting your house ready to sell. A buyer needs to visualize themselves living in the spaces and making it their home. Following these tips will have you heading in the right direction…closing this chapter and opening the next.
