Clear the clutter to boost home sale appeal

Need advice for a winning edge in selling your home in a depressed real estate market? Ensure your home stands out by highlighting its best features and eliminating items that prevent a potential buyer from picturing themselves living in the house.

Collaborate Design Studios offers some tips to help homeowners sell in today’s challenging real estate market. “No doubt one of the biggest mistakes home sellers make is not being objective about how their house looks to a possible buyer,” said Kim Pesavento, senior designer at Collaborate Design Studio, based in Deerfield, Ill. “Too often, homeowners think their personal touches and decorating styles add value and visual appeal to the house. Most of the time just the opposite is true because too much personality in a home design might be fine for you, but it makes it difficult for anyone to visualize your house as their future home.”

Pesavento believes sellers who successfully market their homes in a buyer’s market usually follow a few simple, proven rules. “First, clear the clutter,” she said. “Your home should look like someone could move in tomorrow. Toys on the floor, for example, might convey a homey family image, but they are a distraction, as are too many family photos and other personal stuff.”

Other timely tips to home sellers today are:

Neutralize rooms to broaden your market. “You limit your market when there are too many taste-specific colors. Someone who hates deep blue, for example, won’t be able to look past it when evaluating your home,” Pesavento said.

Clear excess furniture. The rule for furnishings is less is better. In addition to making a room look more spacious, removing excess furniture also lets the buyer better determine how they can furnish or use the room to accommodate their lifestyle preferences.

Keep the home well maintained. Shaggy shrubbery, overgrown foliage and peeling paint take away from the buyer’s critical first impression. You don’t need to spend a lot to keep your property in top shape for maximum curb appeal.

File photo