After nearly a decade of selling at a high level in this business, I can confidently say that 99% of sellers will obtain a higher sales prices (and more importantly a higher net!) if they do these 3 things. They are all very simple, and yet, I’m amazed at how many sellers are either not advised by their Realtor® to do these or just choose not to fully prepare their home for the market. Even in an intense, sellers’ market, you must do the following:

First: Deep clean your house. I am not talking about a simple 3 hour clean. I am talking about getting the professionals into your home to touch every surface. I can’t tell you how many times I stand with a buyer in the kitchen to discuss details of the house and one of us rests our hands on the counter only to discover a sticky, tacky spot that was not visible previously. It’s a major turn off to buyers and takes the focus away from the important discussion of whether or not they want to make an offer. In a perfect world, fans are cleaned, light bulbs changed to match, spaces under sinks are cleared and wiped down, carpets washed, windows are cleaned inside and outside, including the tracks, especially on any sliding doors! You get the picture.

Second: Paint. It’s very rare that I find a house that won’t benefit from a fresh coat of paint. Even my most reluctant sellers are in awe once they see the finished product and apologize for any initial doubt they had! I like to see the interior of the house all painted one, neutral color and trim in Swiss Coffee. Accent walls are out. You want to appeal to the greatest number of people and a mostly white color has the broadest appeal. When rooms are painted different colors, the house comes off as very choppy in the photos. As easy as it is to paint a house, buyers can have very emotional reactions to colors. Most first-time buyers don’t want to have to do anything to the house before moving in. Even if the house is one color, most walls, and especially baseboards, will show some wear and tear. New paint just refreshes everything. You won’t regret it!

Third: Professionally stage. Again, in a perfect world, the house is vacant to sell and is professionally staged. Most buyers have a hard time picturing themselves living in an empty house. This is especially hard with open floor plans. It’s hard to put an exact number, but most estimates show a 5% increase in sales price for staged homes. In Sacramento, where the average home is now well in the $500,000s, a $2,000 investment can return $25k- a pretty great ROI if you ask me! If the home must be lived in while selling, a skilled and experienced Realtor ® will be able to advise on decluttering and how to move furniture around to best highlight the features of your unique home.

Deep clean, paint, stage. There you have it, that’s it. And if you hire me, I will just arrange all these services with my preferred vendors if you desire!

It’s my pleasure to make your life easier and put more money in your pocket at the same time.

Katie Butler

916.616.2856