If you followed my last column, you know to get rid of all the junk cluttering your home before you sell it. But that's just the beginning. Head back to the kitchen and bathrooms. Scour all the cupboards inside and out. No cracker crumbs or stains from soya sauce bottles. No old shampoo bottles and empty toothpaste tubes.
Those nosy buyers will look in all of your cabinets. Check for water stains that might indicate leaking pipes. Fix the leaks and paint over the stains when you're done. A good cleaning and shelf liners will go a long way. If necessary, paint the interior of badly stained cabinets.
New countertops, provided you don't have miles of them, are an inexpensive way to make old kitchens and bathrooms look modern. Ikea has reasonably priced counters that can be custom cut for your kitchen. Check out local suppliers as well.
Sink fixtures should look clean and sparkling. Buy new ones if you can't polish them up. Replacing tap sets can be done easily and inexpensively. Make sure hot and cold water faucets are easy to turn on and that none of the faucets leak. Look for any stains on porcelain sinks or tubs. There are products that remove these stains. If that doesn't work, sinks are inexpensive to replace and, with a new set of taps, can really update an older bathroom. Tubs are more expensive, so if your tub is beyond cleaning, there are restoration specialists who can resurface it at a reasonable price. Clean up or regrout your ceramic tile floors and surrounds.
Examine all the walls and ceilings for water stains, cracks or dirt. We don't often look closely at the walls that surround us, so there could be residual stains from leaks that have already been fixed.
Painting the walls may be your best investment when preparing your house to sell it. Stick to neutral colours that will appeal to the widest range of buyers. It's not about your personal taste. A shade of white or taupe is best for most rooms.
If you have a lot of artwork, stick to pieces that are nicely framed or mounted.
Do your carpets look old? Are they outdated colours? If the answer is yes, consider replacing them. Replacement carpeting is relatively inexpensive. Always opt for neutral colours. Consider updating to laminate [wood finish] flooring in the main living areas. Most buyers prefer it to carpets. Any visibly broken floor tiles should be replaced. But make sure you don't spend too much on these replacements. The goal isn't to re-vamp the entire house, just to make it look well maintained.
The icing on the cake. My husband was a homebuilder for 20 years so we've bought and sold many homes. He'd probably disagree, but the single most important thing you can do to stage a home is buy new linens-bedding, towels, tea towels and dishcloths.
Buy a duvet cover, a few cheap pillows and pillowcases for each bed in the house. You can buy duvet sets with pillowcases for $30 to $40 for each bed at Ikea. You can stuff the duvet cover with an old quilt or just throw it on over top like a bedspread. (Make sure it covers up your current bedding.)
The Bay, Sears, Costco and Canadian Tire all have inexpensive fluffy towels. Don't use them or they'll just look worn. Arrange them hotelstyle with decorative soap. Put out too many rather than too few. They'll make your bathroom look plush and inviting. Do the same thing with tea towels in the kitchen. Treat your new linens like the company china and only bring them out for showings.
Deb Abbey is a real estate agent at Royal LePage City Centre in Vancouver. She's the author of two books on sustainable investment. You can contact Abbey through her website abbeypartners.ca or email questions or comments to [email protected].
