How to Prepare Your Home to Sell in Hilton Head Plantation

Remember that most Buyers will have an emotional reaction to your home within 15 seconds of entering it, so what they experience at the entrance is CRITICAL. You will want your entrance and front yard to be clean, de-cluttered and inviting. Paint your front door if needed, invest in fresh throw pillows or cushions on patio furniture, add fresh flowers to a pot, pull weeds, put away your hose. Invest in a fresh new affordable welcome mat and simple wreath. Power wash exterior and driveway if needed. Keep front porch swept before showings.

It’s important for home sellers to be honest with themselves about the smells curating in their home and take care of the root cause of the smell, rather than simply masking the smell. A clean smell and a deodorized smell are two different things. A strong scent can distract the Buyer’s ability to make a decision. You may want to also limit cooking certain things that leave a strong odor before showings. Vanilla and citrus are some of the best scents. Essential oils are a great option too.

It’s easy to forget about all the bulbs that have burned out over the years, but you will want your home to be as bright as possible. Lighting makes an incredible difference. Please ensure every bulb is working, including lamps, pool light, landscaping lights and the light over your oven. We will have these all on for photo day.

A fresh coat of paint is one of the cheapest ways to freshen up your home. Bold colors are bound to be a turn-off to some Buyers, so to appeal to the most people possible take the time to re-paint if needed. Kitchen and main living areas should have neutral colors. Light colors will help small rooms look bigger. Bedrooms can usually get away with bolder colors, our team will help you with those suggestions. Don’t forget about baseboards and ceilings – they might need some white paint. Popular color by Sherwin Williams that work great for most homes: “Accessible Beige”.

A big part of the adventure you’re about to embark on involves reducing clutter. (You can find free boxes on local FB neighborhood pages.) Think of it as getting a head start on moving. You’ll want your home clutter free so the new owner can picture themselves living there. Box up anything you are not using. Organize closets and pantries. Think of your last visit to a model home. Less is more.  Don’t pack anything that you don’t plan to bring to the next house. Consider donating anything you do not want.

Unless your carpets are brand new, you’ll want to have them steam cleaned. You’ll be amazed at what a difference it makes. If your tile grout is discolored you may want to consider having that professionally cleaned as well. If your carpets are past the point of cleaning we may want to discuss other options for replacing flooring.

Investing in professional window cleaning before your photo and video day is well worth it. 

Once you list your home for sale think of it as an investment you are trying to get top dollar for. You will want your home to appeal to as many Buyers as possible. That will only happen if they can picture their own stuff in your house. Walk through every room in your house and pretend you’re a Buyer.

The kitchen is one of the rooms Buyers are most attracted to so if you’re looking to skip a room, this shouldn’t be it. You’ll want the counters to be as clear as possible. Clean inside the oven, microwave, fridge (and remove the magnets, photos and reminders). You may also want to clear the decor on top of the cabinets which can be distracting and collect dust. Consider investing in some fresh flowers and a beautiful white or clear bowl with some fresh fruit in it such as lemons.

The bedrooms should be inviting. That means more cleaning and decluttering and investing in a few props if needed. If you don’t already have one, invest in a neutral-colored duvet cover or a fluffy white down comforter. 

Living Room - Clean the sofa and chairs and you may want to invest in some new light colored throw pillows. Hide the magazine rack and all the clutter that has accumulated. Hide the wires from your TV/stereo/speakers in all rooms, especially for photo and video day. Family photos are usually fine as long as there are only a few.

The Dining Table should have one simple centerpiece.