Staging is quickly becoming a necessary marketing tool to sell a home. Staging is a technique that showcases a home for a smoother, faster, and more profitable sale. There are many aspects to staging a house. I would like to talk here about one area in particular that is often overlooked and neglected, but very obvious to potential buyers.
The day to day we do is a necessary part of our lives. We cook, clean, do laundry, and yes, we even use the bathroom. These daily activities are often overlooked in the sales process because they are so routine, almost expected. It is important that when you show your home you present all areas in the best possible condition, including your bathroom.
So let’s do a stay in a hotel. When we arrive, we don’t usually think about other people having to bathe, wash, throw away the garbage or, God forbid, use the bathroom! Although we are fully aware that potentially hundreds of people have been there before us, we would not want to arrive at our luxury suite and find something unspeakable there; we expect it to be clean, fresh and tidy. The appearance of the room matters. Crisp hospital corners on bed sheets and triangle-folded edges of toilet paper make us happy.
It is no different when selling your home. In fact, it is even more important. These are “guests” who intend to purchase a home, not looking for an extended vacation stay. No one wants to imagine YOU doing something in their bathroom facility and let’s try to banish all thoughts of what’s really going on there, okay?
It’s silly when you get down to it because we all do it. However, you might be surprised by how many people are actually put off by seeing someone else’s trash, dirty clothes, or toiletries sitting outside. An open toilet bowl, especially if it’s not clean, is a huge turnoff and any parent of young children reading, can you see my drift here? – Get the OUST fast!
Here’s a quick checklist to use as gentle reminders of the importance of doing these and other things you may not have thought about while you were in the process of selling your home.
TOILETS
Remove all toiletries and electronic devices from counters, especially medications. Place medication in zippered plastic bags away from cabinets. Prescription drugs are often an item stolen from homes for sale. This same rule can be applied to firearms, knives, or other weapons in a home. Always keep toilet seats closed. Keep restrooms clean and fresh. Towels, rugs, and other bath products should be out of sight while glass doors are displayed and dried once you’re done showering in the morning.
DIRTY CLOTHES
Remove all laundry and cleaning items from sight; keep them tidy inside cabinet, storage unit or garage. Put dirty clothes inside a storage unit that looks nice – wicker baskets are attractive or a cloth bag – but keep dirty piles out of reach of potential buyers, even inside the washer or dryer if you’re in a hurry .
KITCHEN
Remove and empty trash cans daily. Keep out of sight and smell. Throw out the trash that will smell worse as the day goes on, many items will do this, from tuna, pet food, beef, poultry, pork fat, and containers from last night’s dinner. This includes things in your fridge that may have started to stink. People look everywhere! Try to keep strong cooking odors to a minimum: If you MUST fry fish or cook an exotic dish, try doing it outdoors on a gas grill if there’s a side burner. Ventilate the house well if you must do it indoors.
PETS
This is difficult to do, but ideally pets should be removed from the premises while on display, caged, or kept in one place and out of reach of the buyer. Many people have allergies and/or fear of animals, even if they are the most cuddly by nature. If you have pets indoors, remove their bowls each day (especially if they’re in the kitchen) until you return in the evening, or place them somewhere out of sight where the pet has access. Clean out cat litter boxes, hamster cages, bird droppings or, as painful as it may seem, short-term relocate loved ones to a friend’s house who is willing to temporarily house them or find a good daycare for dogs.
Conduct “Poop Patrol” daily around the perimeter of the outside of your home. You don’t want your freshly cleaned or new carpets to get stained or smelly in case an unsuspecting shopper steps on one of your pup’s piles. (This has happened more often than you think) No more beating around the bush. Before you leave the house for a showing, remember to hide the bathroom, the buyers are coming!
