If you have your Lake Tahoe home listed for sale, an open house is probably in your near future. While communicating with your Lake Tahoe Realtor on what to do is going to be the most beneficial way to achieve success, there are a few things you can do in each room to help make your home more appealing to buyers. Are you wondering where to start? Read on below for how to tackle a few of the main rooms buyers are most interested in and how to make them appealing.
The Kitchen
When you’re selling your Lake Tahoe home, the kitchen is not only one of the first rooms a buyer sees after walking in, it is also the room most buyers feel can make or break the deal. Making sure it shines for an open house needs to be a top priority and you don’t have to make it too hard on yourself either.
-This seems obvious, but clean the floors. Don’t forget the crumbs in the dark corners under the cabinets.
-With appliances, go beyond making them shine and streak free and also degrease them as well. Same thing goes for granite. Granite polish is an awesome way to make your counters look like they were just installed.
-Speaking of counters and making them spotless, take all the appliances you use, like the blender, mixer, toaster, etc. and store them in a cupboard. Having clean counter tops will make it look like you have more counter space.
-Since buyers like to go through cabinets to see how deep they are and how much space they are working with, make sure you get rid of stuff you no longer use and wipe them down. The extra space is appealing.
-If your kitchen is in need of an upgrade but you are on a budget, update your knobs. This affordable quick fix can make a world of difference.
-Think about smells. You don’t have to make cookies or muffins to lure in a buyer but on the other side, you don’t want to cook a smelly meal that lingers or overly spray with air freshener. A simple bouquet of fresh flowers on top of a deep clean can get the job done.
The Bedroom
Another important room that buyers are interested in seeing is the master bedroom. That is a place of rest and relaxation, so making sure it looks spacious and is clean and appealing is important.
-First and foremost, make the bed. This is an obvious that doesn’t need an explanation yet so many people don’t do it. Next, make it stunning with matching sheets, pillows (don’t forget to fluff!) and duvet.
-Just like the kitchen, be aware of smells. Don’t go overboard with air fresheners and sweet scents. Try to stick with a light and fresh scent which can be achieved with a decorative diffuser.
-Buyers love their natural lighting and while you may sleep in the dark, try and make the room look and feel as light and airy as possible. Pull back the drapes and turn on the lamps.
-Stage the bedside tables and dressers with books, candles, a vase or piece of art work. Be sure to remove phone chargers, that bag of cough drops, your reading glasses, the water glass and old magazines from the night stand.
-Big closets are very appealing when marketing your Lake Tahoe home for sale, so go through yours and organize it. Get rid of old clothes and accessories you no longer wear. Add more shelves if the space allows. The goal here is to make it look as big as possible.
-Hide jewelry and other small valuables. If your Lake Tahoe open house is full of people, some may be walking through unattended if your Lake Tahoe real estate agent is busy answering questions for other potential buyers in a different room.
The Bathroom
While the bathroom isn’t exactly the most fabulous room in a house, buyers are interested in as many bathrooms as their budget will allow. While it is a no brainer that cleaning prior to an open house is crucial, there are a few extra things you can do in this space to make these rooms stand out.
-Get rid of the gunk and mildew. Hair in the shower, a ring around the toilet, mildew around faucets are all something that could turn a buyer off. Take a few extra seconds to make sure those things are not an issue.
-If your cabinets look like a pharmacy, you should probably relocate your prescriptions to a different location of the house that is under lock and key.
-Close the toilet seat. Lid included.
-Check the water pressure and make sure there are no drips. It is very common for potential buyers to turn on faucets and flush toilets. If you are experiencing either one of these issues, call your plumber.
-Put toiletries away. Clutter on the countertops takes away from a buyer being able to envision this bathroom as theirs.
-If you have a ton of magazines and books, think about recycling them or moving them to a more discreet place.
-If the shower and tub have some unique features that you think a buyer would like, show them off by staging and pulling the curtain back. Making it look like a relaxing place for them to unwind after a long day at the office will go a long way.
-Check your textiles. Fluffy new towels are a great and affordable way to make the bathroom look great. Also check your rug. If it is dingy and faded, maybe remove it for the open house. A clean bare floor can also look more spacious.
If you have questions about preparing your home for sale in Lake Tahoe, call us at (530) 308-4762. Stay tuned for more ways to stage your Lake Tahoe home for sale!
