We hate to break it to you, but houses aren’t supposed to look cluttered and overly cramped. Don’t get us wrong, we appreciate the charm and comfort of our own lived in homes, and we get it- kids, dogs, jobs, family, life… they all create a lot of stuff that becomes a cherished part of our lives and fills our homes. Potential homebuyers, however, do not appreciate your stuff in the same way you do. To the people looking at your home, your stuff is just stuff, and it is in their way: it is in the way of their ability to envision the space as their own, it is in the way of their ability to see potential problem areas in the home, and it is in the way of their ability to see how big your house actually is. When you are selling your home, you must store non-essential belongings to make the house look more appealing. Your belongings must be out of sight and out of the homebuyers’ minds.
Even if your home is not cluttered, older, out of style, and otherwise unsightly furniture can decrease a potential buyer’s impression of your home. Realtors commonly stage furniture in homes to facilitate sales, but what is referred to as “staging” furniture is very different than leaving your furniture as it is in your home. When realtors stage homes, they work with experts to attractively arrange furniture- typically furniture that is rented and kept in impeccable condition, to facilitate sales. Your furniture, belongings, and decorations are likely tailored to your own tastes, and not necessarily appealing to other people looking to buy your home.
Consult with your real estate agent and if necessary, remove whatever furniture and belongings you can prior to listing your home. This may be difficult if you are still living in your home while it is on the market, but the temporary inconvenience will reward you with a faster sale and potentially more money (none of this will lower the appraised value of your home, but value is ultimately determined by the buyer, not the appraiser). I know what you are thinking now (yes, I can read minds), and no, you shouldn’t pack everything into your garage. Even if you have garage space, a cluttered garage full of stuff can drive away buyers as well. “A recent survey of 500 real estate pros found that four out of five think a cluttered garage creates a bad first impression that might make a buyer less likely to put in an offer[i].
So, what to do then? The solution is simple: rent storage space! At Smith Valley Storage, renting a unit is easy. We have a large variety of units, sizes, and features starting as low as $40.00 per month. Rent for a month, a year, or more. Given the benefits of storing your stuff when selling your home and the extra money, it can make you on the sale, renting a storage unit is a no-brainer! Storage unit rental is an affordable, secure, easy way to maximize the speed at which you sell your home and the value you get for it. Call today or simply rent your unit online here (link to: http://www.smithvalleystorage.com/pages/rent).