Selling Your Home

Parting is such sweet sorrow, but bidding adieu to closet clutter and kitchen kitsch is one of the best moves homeowners can make when putting their property on the market.

Before opening their front doors to potential buyers, sellers should banish boxes and eliminate excess in an effort to boost their home’s visual appeal, real-estate professionals say. That means ruthless removal of books, magazines, CDs, DVDs, linens, cookware and clothing.

Painful as it might be, eliminating extra items from the kitchen cabinets, family-room shelves and bedroom wardrobes will make the home appear fresh, airy and as if it has more storage space than the buyer could imagine. The professionals don’t advise storing the stuff in boxes at the top of the closet or stashing it in the garage because that simply makes for a different kind of clutter. Their advice: Extract it to a remote storage unit, or get rid of it altogether.

The theory is, buyers want to envision themselves in a new home that offers both a figurative and literal clean slate. They want organization and order -- not chaos and commotion. One industry expert said superfluous items stacked in corners make the home look like it needs to be renovated in order to increase living space. The result is a decrease in home value.

Throwing away things that have personal value or evoke fond memories isn’t easy, so the job might take a few weekends to complete. Sellers should be deliberate and decisive and not look back. After all, moving is the perfect time to shed the antlers, as Dr. Seuss fabled in his book Thidwick The Big-Hearted Moose.

The more that is moved out of a home for sale now translates into less that has to be moved out later and a lower relocation fee for transporting items from one place to another.

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4 Quick Tips for Prepping a Home For Sale

Before listing your home, you may want to consider some of the following general staging tips in prepping your home for sale.

1. Super Clean. Make the house shine from top to bottom. Don't forget about cleaning the carpet, drapes and windows, too.
2. Clear the clutter and unload some furniture. Remove unnecessary items from countertops, bathtubs, and shower stalls - areas that often attract the most clutter. Keep only necessities. A decluttered home helps buyers mentally 'move in' with their own things. You may need to rearrange or remove some furniture. Pieces that crowd a space make it look smaller than it really is.
3. Prep your landscaping. Check gutters and roof for dry rot and moss, and ensure they are clean. Examine all plants. Prune bushes and trees, make sure no plants are blocking windows, remove dead plants, and keep the lawn freshly mowed.
4. Add nice touches. Coordinate towels in the bathroom in one or two colors only. Keep accesories restricted to groups of one, three or five items. Make sure all lights and lamps are on for showings, and set an inviting mood.

Paying attention to some of these small details can mean less time on the market and more money in your pocket.

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When it comes to energy efficiency, look for smart features and expertise to help you save energy and money and add value to your home.

1. Begin with a Right-Sized Home.

If the home you buy is simply too large for you or your family’s needs or plans, you stand a good chance of wasting energy through excessive heating and cooling costs. If it’s too small, you’ll feel cramped and uncomfortable. It’s a big investment, so seek balance and buy it “right” from the outset. 

2. Purchase Energy Star Appliances Such as Your TV, Dishwasher, Washer and Dryer, and Microwave.

And especially the refrigerator, as it alone contributes about 10 percent of the energy use in a home. Also, unplug electronics not in use or turn off power strips to avoid phantom charges. 

3. Install Efficient Lighting Such as Compact Flourescent (CLF) or LED Bulbs in Every Fixture.

Lighting accounts for about 6 percent of an energy bill each year.

4. Get an Energy Audit and Have Tests Performed to Identify Ways of Improving Your Efficiency.

You can always upgrade your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system as well as your  thermal envelope, which includes insulation, windows, and doors  and the seals or weather stripping around them. Visit energy.gov/energytips for more tips.