As I mentioned in an earlier post, my family has decided to move after 10 years in our current home. It got me to thinking about people who are in a similar situation, or are having to clear out the home of a parent of loved one.
Getting the home market-ready can be very straight forward. Here are a few steps that I found really helpful!
- Brighten up any high traffic or damaged areas with a fresh coat of paint.
- Get rid of knick-knacks, family photos, valuables, and clutter.
- Remove excess furniture. People have to envision their belongings in empty spots.
- Call a foundation such as the Epilepsy or Lupus foundation to donate items that are no longer needed, or consider holding an estate or garage sale.
- Rent a storage space for excess: mowers, furniture, off season clothing etc...
- Wash windows and screens and do a deep cleaning.
- If you have more than one bathroom, consider using just one. It makes cleaning a snap!
- Brighten up the entry with a new welcome mat.
- Play soft music, classical or jazz during showings or open houses.
- Neutralize all odors: food, pet, perfume, etc. We often can't smell things that we're used to. Bring in a trusted friend and ask them to be honest about what they smell.
- Wait to put the property on the market until you can be fully behind selling it. If you can't easily resonate with the sale, get professional help to discover what you are holding on to by holding the property. With your positive energy working for you, it will sell in a snap!
Well, I could hardly believe it when I logged into my blog this morning. I haven't posted in almost one month. Life has been lived full steam ahead.
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We are still walking every morning, and now the lake path is surrounded by greenery and flowering shrubs as well as wildflowers. The goslings are getting big, and the turtles are laying eggs everywhere! I found a huge snapping turtle in my back yard last week, and we are several blocks from water. We watched a painted turtle laying eggs in a hole it had dug right next to the path.
Two days ago, the lake was magical! I was walking alone and didn't see anyone else on my trek. There was a fog rolling across the lake while a light mist fell. It was stunning. I felt so fortunate to be out in nature.
My days have been filled with regular life in addition to visiting a family member in the hospital. He had a planned surgery, but it was pretty major, and he ended up spending 10 days in the hospital before moving to a nursing home for transitional care.
I have been working several jobs since my last posting. I have started cleaning for a few clients, I planned and worked an estate sale, and I helped run a funeral luncheon in someone's home.
In the midst of all of this activity, my family decided to sell our home of 10 years and move to the country. I had to do some interior painting and some landscape work. I have found some great tips to be ready for showings in record time. I will make a separate post for that.
I am hoping that we are in a routine now, and that I can start to post regularly again. I miss seeing the world through the eyes of someone who wants to share its beauty with everyone!
