Seller's Checklist
Congratulations on making the decision to sell your home!
If you are planning to work with Christina, she thanks you! And is very excited for the opportunity to work together.
Christina utilizes a professional photographer and many social media platforms for additional marketing on your home, which means it will be seen by thousands and we’ll want top notch photos out there.
Realtor walk through. Christina has conducted many pre-photography walk throughs. No need to be photo ready just yet! She knows what will look best in photography and the typical buyer reaction to how a home is displayed and is happy to give tips for photo day.
Change light bulbs, and possibly update lighting fixtures. In real estate photography, light and bright is best, so we’ll want all light fixtures and even lamps to have working light bulbs in them. Lighting fixtures themselves can sometimes be an inexpensive update to really change a room. For example, taking a heavy outdated chandelier and replacing it with something simple to today’s standards can really make a difference in a room.
Clean clean clean. If possible, when your home is listed, the cleaner the better in the eyes of a buyer. A professional carpet clean, and professionally cleaned tile will do wonders. Tip - you can often find deals on this on Groupon. Frequently overlooked cleaning items that stand out to buyers are dust on the baseboards, ceiling fan blades, and air conditioning ducts. A fresh change to the AC filter may help keeping it smell fresh too.
Organize. You’re thinking, no duh right? Beyond your typical organization, putting extra items into boxes and storing in the garage or shed can really help. Think of the difference between a bedroom closet that is overflowing with clothes versus one that still has room to add more, a buyer is thinking of how much space there is in the closet instead of it might not be big enough.
Kitchen. This is an important room, maybe the most important room for many buyers. Less is more. Wide open countertops look best in real estate photography. If you can, clear the counter top except for maybe a plant or flowers. If you usually leave a dish towel hanging somewhere, those should be put away as well for photo day. Don’t forget to clean the fridge, inside of the microwave and stove, and remove any magnets or items hanging on the fridge. Bonus tip - an updated kitchen faucet can be inexpensive and make a big impact. On photo day, removing the garbage can will look best.
Bedrooms. Make that bed! You might even enjoy the new habit if it's not something you already do. Bedding without a pattern usually is best for photography to keep the focus on the bedroom itself, not the bedding - if your bedding has a pattern you may be able to flip it over to keep it simple and clean. A few large pillows can also make the bedroom look really luxurious and help buyers to see themselves relaxing in there. If any of the bedrooms are purple, blue, or pink - they’ll do best to be painted a neutral color. Christina’s favorite neutral paint for a sunny bedroom is Revere Pewter by Benjamin Moore.
Bathrooms. It goes without saying that these should be sparkling clean. For photos you’ll really want to have zero toiletries in the shower or on the countertops. Also, removing towels all together for photography keeps the attention on the room itself. Think hotel bathroom as you’re getting this space ready. We really want buyers to be able to envision themselves living in this space.
Curb appeal. Many buyers are going to have an opinion on wether or not they will like the home they are viewing as they walk through the front door. First impressions matter. Clean the front door and the threshold. General landscape (front and back) should be cleaned up. Outdoor lighting should be clean and working. A pot or hanging basket of flowers out front can be very inviting.
Make a plan for the pets. Make a plan to have the pets out of the house for showings if possible. For photos it’s best to not include litter boxes, food and water bowls, pet beds in the background. After photos while your house is listed litter boxes should be kept cleaned out regularly.
Pool. If you have a pool, do your best to keep it clean. Photos will look best to not have any vacuum hoses in the water during the photo shoot.
Make an extra set of keys for showings. There will be a special real estate lock box on your home for buyer’s agents to access the keys and show. The only people with access to the lock box are industry professionals, agents, home inspectors, and appraisers. Christina will talk through a few options on an extra security code that can be added to the lockbox and the process for showing request. Agents use an app called ShowingTime and either Christina or the homeowner or occupant can be directly in charge of approving showing requests.
If you are planning to work with Christina, she thanks you! And is very excited for the opportunity to work together.
Christina utilizes a professional photographer and many social media platforms for additional marketing on your home, which means it will be seen by thousands and we’ll want top notch photos out there.
Realtor walk through. Christina has conducted many pre-photography walk throughs. No need to be photo ready just yet! She knows what will look best in photography and the typical buyer reaction to how a home is displayed and is happy to give tips for photo day.
Change light bulbs, and possibly update lighting fixtures. In real estate photography, light and bright is best, so we’ll want all light fixtures and even lamps to have working light bulbs in them. Lighting fixtures themselves can sometimes be an inexpensive update to really change a room. For example, taking a heavy outdated chandelier and replacing it with something simple to today’s standards can really make a difference in a room.
Clean clean clean. If possible, when your home is listed, the cleaner the better in the eyes of a buyer. A professional carpet clean, and professionally cleaned tile will do wonders. Tip - you can often find deals on this on Groupon. Frequently overlooked cleaning items that stand out to buyers are dust on the baseboards, ceiling fan blades, and air conditioning ducts. A fresh change to the AC filter may help keeping it smell fresh too.
Organize. You’re thinking, no duh right? Beyond your typical organization, putting extra items into boxes and storing in the garage or shed can really help. Think of the difference between a bedroom closet that is overflowing with clothes versus one that still has room to add more, a buyer is thinking of how much space there is in the closet instead of it might not be big enough.
Kitchen. This is an important room, maybe the most important room for many buyers. Less is more. Wide open countertops look best in real estate photography. If you can, clear the counter top except for maybe a plant or flowers. If you usually leave a dish towel hanging somewhere, those should be put away as well for photo day. Don’t forget to clean the fridge, inside of the microwave and stove, and remove any magnets or items hanging on the fridge. Bonus tip - an updated kitchen faucet can be inexpensive and make a big impact. On photo day, removing the garbage can will look best.
Bedrooms. Make that bed! You might even enjoy the new habit if it's not something you already do. Bedding without a pattern usually is best for photography to keep the focus on the bedroom itself, not the bedding - if your bedding has a pattern you may be able to flip it over to keep it simple and clean. A few large pillows can also make the bedroom look really luxurious and help buyers to see themselves relaxing in there. If any of the bedrooms are purple, blue, or pink - they’ll do best to be painted a neutral color. Christina’s favorite neutral paint for a sunny bedroom is Revere Pewter by Benjamin Moore.
Bathrooms. It goes without saying that these should be sparkling clean. For photos you’ll really want to have zero toiletries in the shower or on the countertops. Also, removing towels all together for photography keeps the attention on the room itself. Think hotel bathroom as you’re getting this space ready. We really want buyers to be able to envision themselves living in this space.
Curb appeal. Many buyers are going to have an opinion on wether or not they will like the home they are viewing as they walk through the front door. First impressions matter. Clean the front door and the threshold. General landscape (front and back) should be cleaned up. Outdoor lighting should be clean and working. A pot or hanging basket of flowers out front can be very inviting.
Make a plan for the pets. Make a plan to have the pets out of the house for showings if possible. For photos it’s best to not include litter boxes, food and water bowls, pet beds in the background. After photos while your house is listed litter boxes should be kept cleaned out regularly.
Pool. If you have a pool, do your best to keep it clean. Photos will look best to not have any vacuum hoses in the water during the photo shoot.
Make an extra set of keys for showings. There will be a special real estate lock box on your home for buyer’s agents to access the keys and show. The only people with access to the lock box are industry professionals, agents, home inspectors, and appraisers. Christina will talk through a few options on an extra security code that can be added to the lockbox and the process for showing request. Agents use an app called ShowingTime and either Christina or the homeowner or occupant can be directly in charge of approving showing requests.