There may be a real estate boom happening in the Bay Area, but selling a home in San Francisco still requires preparing your home for market. Employing the services of an experienced and qualified San Francisco real estate agent (like Danielle Lazier :: SFhotlist Keller Williams San Francisco) is essential for getting the best return on your investment, of course, but there are several ways sellers can prepare their home for market on their own. These five tips, combined with the skillful eye of an experienced San Francisco real estate agent, will optimize your house for selling.
Don’t wait until after you’ve sold your home to start packing for your move. By packing away items that are not in frequent use, you will free up space in your home. Packed items can either be stored tastefully in your home storage areas or at a storage center. The extra space created in your home can be used for accent pieces, plants, or left empty for additional breathing room. Extra space also gives you more options for rearranging furniture and staging your home for selling.
Clutter may still be an issue even after you’ve packed in advance. Take an inventory of all your belongings and get rid of the things you no longer truly need. Now is the time to take that bag of clothes to the thrift store, gift items to friends, and have that yard sale you’ve been meant to have last year but never got around to doing. Clearing out the clutter will make your home more spacious and inviting and will free up space for staging.
Before you even get an appraisal for what major repairs need to be made on your home in order to sell, you can start making minor improvements on your own. Think of it as a “spring cleaning” for selling your home in San Francisco. Now is the time to repair the small things, like loose door knobs, a stain on the carpet, a creaky door, or a tub that needs recaulking. Making these small improvements in the beginning will also free up your time for later when you get deeper into the stages of selling your home.
A person’s sense of smell is one of their most sensitive senses, with the ability to trigger memories and feelings of nostalgia. Good smells will evoke positive emotions, but bad smells have the opposite effect and believe it or not, can make or break the sale of a home. Our sense of smell acclimates to our environment, so your home may contain smells you can no longer detect. It’s a good idea to have a friend, family member, or real estate agent walk through your home to check for any unpleasant smells, such as from mildew or pets.
San Francisco is not a city where the houses are known for front yards or gardens. Most houses in San Francisco begin right at the sidewalk, which means that curb appeal is constantly being affected by débris, passersby, and even vandalism. When selling a home in San Francisco, it is important to make sure that your home is just as attractive on the outside as it is on the inside. Small details like a new door, potted plants on the steps, and attractive shrubs if you have the space, will make a positive first impression on potential buyers.
These five tips are just some of the ways you can prepare your home for market when selling in San Francisco. In addition to these tips, be sure to work with an experienced, local real estate agent, who will truly maximize the selling appeal of your home and get you the best return on your investment.
