Are there things in your home that you overlook? Are you so used to them that you simply do not see them anymore? We walk past shoes, blankets, car keys, and other random items every day. What should we be noticing and addressing when our home is on the market? Here’s my list of a few things I see that stand out and make homes look cheap:
1. Faded or Ratty Towels
There aren’t too many more disappointments than seeing old towels hanging in a high-quality home. New towels are an inexpensive way to add that luxurious feeling throughout your home. What’s more, there are wonderful ways to reuse your old towels. Check out this article: What To Do With Your Ratty Old Towels. And here’s a great video for How To Fold, Roll & Hang Towels for that professionally staged look.
2. Litterboxes
This seems like an obvious one. But pets are a precious part of our lives. Having a litterbox sitting out can be as normal to cat lovers as a bathroom is to others. Try hiding Fluffy’s toilet. Check out these great furniture ideas from Wayfair: Wayfair Cat Litter Boxes.
3. Light switches
Specifically, I mean dirty light switches. If you haven’t painted your home in a while (and really, who does this unless they follow through on an exciting update), the area around light switches shows incredible wear. Clean the light switch and the area all around the plate. You may not notice a big difference, but it’s one less thing to stand out to potential buyers.
4. Broken blinds
Unlike the other items on this list, replacing or fixing blinds isn’t easy or without significant cost, unless you have only one window with one blind per room. What I suggest is to completely remove the blind. It’s better to have an uncovered window than a broken blind. If you need privacy or sun protection, open the blinds completely by pulling (not tilting them open) all the way to the top of the window.
5. Burned-out lightbulbs
Talk about an easy fix! This item seems like a no-brainer, but you would be surprised at the number of houses on the market that have burned-out light bulbs. At best it says the homeowner doesn’t do the minimum amount of upkeep in the home. At worst it says that the light fixture may be broken and leads the buyer to wonder what else is wrong with the home.
6. Clutter
Clutter is at the top of the checklist I give to all Sellers. No matter how nice the home is, clutter will diminish its value. Buyers cannot see past the clutter to see the home.
