There are things that can really help for different reasons when you are selling a home. Today, I am going to talk about 10 things you SHOULD have in your home when selling.

This is not to be confused with the last video I did on what you should NOT have in your house when selling. This is important too. If you missed that video, you can click on the link below to catch up.

https://youtu.be/CwTpNvgXcTM

Stay tuned for my two bonus items at the end. You don’t want to miss these.

So, what are these 10 things?

#1 It’s one of these things. An electronic lock box. Not one of these old manual jobbies and please don’t use the code to the electronic keypad on your front door.

I am all about safety when I list a house. The beauty and importance of an electronic lockbox is I can see when the lockbox is being used and by whom. No one can use a lockbox except a licensed Realtor who has been through the training and has the ability to access the app to open your door.

I don’t know when someone is using a manual lockboxes or the code to your front door. If by chance someone uses the lockbox who hasn’t scheduled a showing, I would never know.

The electronic box even allows me to look at the log on the box. If a seller thinks someone has been in the house, I can check to see if the lockbox has been used.

Please don’t use the code to your front door. Agents aren’t going to give the code out but you just never know what could happen.

Make sure your agent is using the safest option out there when selling your house, one of these expensive jobbies. They are worth it and your agent should have plenty of them.

#2 Fresh, neutral paint

It is incredible how far fresh paint can go when you are preparing your house to sell. If your paint is already neutral, you may only need touch ups.

If you have bold or dated colors in your home, I highly suggest painting the interior one or perhaps two colors and make sure they are bright, warm and neutral. My three go to neutrals are: Benjaman Moore White Dove, Sherwin Williams Alabaster and Sherwin Wiliams Simply White. If you are going to paint your trim, which you should if it is scuffed and worn, Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace, is the color to use. I put the paint colors and their numbers below.

#3 New neutral Carpet

If your carpet is worn or you have multiple colors of carpet it is best to replace it with something neutral. It is truly amazing how much fresh paint and new carpet can transform a house.

#4 A Detailed Feature Sheet. It is critical that your agent know and market all of the features in your home AND all of the upgrades. It is so important to highlight these things. Buyers need to know what you did to your home and the added value.

#5 Your house must be spic and span clean. Buyers don’t want to see a dirty or smelly house. Dirty houses are a major turn off.

#6 Turn on all of your lights and open the blinds and curtains for showings. Make sure you have bright, warm white, light bulbs and that all of the light bulbs are working throughout your home. When buyers come into your house, they want to see a bright space.

#7 Stage the house for the buyer’s eye. This means decluttering your home and repositioning your furniture to best show off this space. This may involve removing rugs to showcase hardwood flooring and moving furniture around to as we say in the business “show off the money in a room.” If you have beautiful windows with wooded views, for example, you want to draw attention to it. Remember, when you are selling your house, you have to give up that the house is yours and you have to pretend like you aren’t living in it. Stage the house for the buyer and remember it should be easy to walk around each room.

#8 Keep toilet lids down. This may seem like something simple but it’s important. And pull up shower mats to showcase your flooring.

#9 Smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors. These are required so you should make sure they are not chirping, those are so obnoxious and they are on every floor of the house and in the right places, like inside every bedroom.

#10 Have the right landscaping. Like painting and carpet, fresh mulch is your friend. But don’t use the red mulch. It is weird. Use nice brown mulch or pine straw where its appropriate. And, add some nice color in pots at the front door or on the steps and add some color in the beds in the front. Make sure the grass is cut, and the edges are neat. You do not need to overdo it.

You have made it this far so let’s get right to my Bonus content

#1 Have fresh cut flowers in key places in your home, possibly the kitchen, the fireplace mantel and the dresser in your bedroom. There is nothing like the color you can bring into the house with fresh cut flowers.

#2 If you have a nice feature in your back yard, like a great sitting area or fire pit with chairs, draw attention to it. Get some colorful pillows and create a nice vibe with a bottle of wine bottle and glasses.

I am Jodi Bakst with Real Estate Experts. If you want to discuss selling your Durham or Chapel Hill home, reach out to me at the contact information below.

As always, if you liked this video, please click on the like button and subscribe to my youtube channel. Come back because I am adding new content weekly. And if you have topics or questions, you would like me to address, please comment below.

Thank you for watching today and stay tuned for my next video on How Sellers Should Respond to Low Ball Offers on Their Home.