| Most of us have an emotional attachment to our | | | | to want it for their own. Therefore we must allow |
| home, and while this is a good thing, it is best if we | | | | them to visualize it with a view to it becoming their |
| can be detached from it when it comes to the sale | | | | home. This means that they do not want to see a |
| of our house. Emotional attachment can lead to lost | | | | your kids' latest art work on the fridge door, or |
| equity. | | | | granny's faded family portrait hanging in the hall. It will |
| There are many areas where our emotions can | | | | be helpful to have some of your husband's golf |
| show, for instance we may think that our home is so | | | | trophies packed in advance, and while you are doing |
| wonderful that we believe it should be higher priced | | | | that there is another area where you should exercise |
| than the realtor is suggesting. This can lose us many | | | | caution. Any religious or cultural artifacts which may |
| interested purchasers as it may not even fit inside | | | | deter others from feeling comfortable in your house |
| their price range. If we finally drop the price in | | | | should be removed.. |
| frustration two months later, it does not have the | | | | Have you checked for curb appeal? Have you |
| same effect, prospective buyers feel cheated and it | | | | washed the windows and swept the driveways? |
| does not encourage a positive feel at the negotiating | | | | Removed your garbage cans? As you open the front |
| table. | | | | door will the smell of smoke waft out to greet your |
| Another big area where emotions play out is the | | | | prospective buyers. A no-no! Remove all coats from |
| actual appearance of our home. It is our home and | | | | hooks and stair rail and all shoes from the front door. |
| the parts of it that have our stamp of identity are | | | | The personal ornaments and photos that you so |
| the parts where we most recognize the home as | | | | proudly display must be packed into boxes, thus |
| ours. Yet it is just for this reason that the personal | | | | exposing clear and clutter-free surfaces that will |
| things should be removed. Any prospective buyers | | | | make your home look more spacious. And more like |
| will not want to feel as if they are intruding on your | | | | a show home. Remove your DVDs and take most of |
| personal space You want them to feel an emotional | | | | the books from your shelves. Apply the same |
| attachment to your home, to be able to imagine their | | | | de-personalizing rules to the bedrooms (teenagers will |
| things in it, and to visualize the house as their house. | | | | NOT like this idea!) |
| Therefore, if you are hoping as we all are, to sell | | | | In the bathroom, do not have any shampoo bottles |
| your home quickly, schedule a quick walk through the | | | | showing, or toothbrushes or baby's training potty! |
| house with your realtor to help you to identify any | | | | Think show home! Spend a few dollars on a couple |
| areas you may have missed. There are employable | | | | of plug in deodorizers so that you know the |
| experts in the field of 'home staging' but it is also | | | | bathroom and the hall will always smell nice. |
| something that you can achieve easily yourself. It is | | | | In the living room, keep all the side lamps on and if |
| not very expensive, or troublesome, and it only | | | | you have wooden floors, remove the rugs and show |
| requires that a few simple rules be followed. | | | | it off. If it feels overcrowded put an armchair in the |
| The first rule would be awareness. Its only when you | | | | garage and make more space. Play low volume easy |
| accept the positive impact you can make on your | | | | listening music. In the kitchen, fix any dripping taps |
| buyers' emotions, that you will feel motivated to | | | | and have the appliances sparkling clean. They will look |
| prepare your home as a show place.The buyer will | | | | newer. Check the caulking around the taps. Remove |
| not want to feel that he or she is intruding in your | | | | those fridge magnets and tuck toasters etc in a |
| space, and home staging helps this feeling to | | | | cupboard. Empty counter tops give a suggestion of |
| dissipate. | | | | more counter top space. |
| When we put our home on the market, we get it | | | | Once you have recovered from all this, sit back and |
| ready to sell. We have to encourage someone else | | | | fight off the offers! |