The Unglamorous Areas that Up Your Home’s Glam

Whether you like it or not, a big chunk of the time you spend preparing your home for sale will be in the unglamorous utilitarian areas like the kitchen, pantries, cupboards, and closets. These areas aren’t exactly the “money shots” in your listing photos, but unappealing storage and utility areas can distract and turn away potential buyers. 

 

The thing is, you’re moving away anyways! So, packing up things you don’t need while the house is for sale and storing them elsewhere will surely benefit you in the long run.

 

Kitchens

The kitchen is a unique area in modern homes. It is a functional space, but it is also where people tend to flock and gather for social occasions. This is why it’s considered to be the heart of a home.

 

You need to highlight the utility and the “liveability” of this space. You will certainly recover the cost of a properly renovated kitchen in your resale value, but if you’re not renovating, make sure that your kitchen is attractive to buyers.

 

Before you think of adding any decorative elements to your kitchen, make sure that the kitchen is SPOTLESS and ODOR FREE. Here are a couple of tips to get you started:

 

  1. Use lemon juice or vinegar to remove any oils on surfaces
  2. Clean or replace vents
  3. Brighten work areas
  4. Ensure that all lighting is operational, and replace the bulbs if necessary to help brighten countertops and work surfaces
  5. Your countertops should mostly be empty to emphasize workspace. Leave out minor accessories or dècor. A decorative tray with coffee or bar service items is a nice, classic touch.
  6. Put away area rugs and mats – these make spaces feel and look smaller. On top of this, area rugs and mats dominate listing photos, which takes away from the actual selling features of the kitchen
  7. Store specialty appliances like electric mixers, blenders, etc., neatly in the pantry or cupboards.
  8. New cabinet and drawer hardware can make a big difference! Replace worn or damaged fixtures

Bathrooms

Unless you’re Elvis or Howard Hughes, the bathroom is probably not a major selling feature of the house. However, a poorly presented bathroom can turn off potential buyers. If you want to make your mundane bathroom a little more attractive, here are a few tips to do so:

 

  1. Just like kitchens, bathrooms must always be SPOTLESS and ODOR FREE. Clear countertops of everything but minor dècor 
  2. Put away ALL personal items such as soaps, shampoos, toothbrushes, and the like. You can stow away these items when listing photos are being taken and during showings. You can store them in a plastic bin under the sink or in the closet
  3. Put away mats or drape them neatly over the tub. It’s important to show the floor space. Bathrooms can be quite small, and putting mats on the floor can make the space appear smaller
  4. Neatly hang clean, white towels, or place rolled towels near the tub to create a spa-like feel

Closets and Cupboards

Your potential buyers will be curious as to how much storage closets and cupboards can hold in your home. With that, buyers WILL open every cupboard and drawer. So these spaces need to be prepared for photos and showings! Here are a few tips to make sure your storage spaces are in top shape for showings:

 

  1. Neatly organize the space using baskets and bins for tidy storage
  2. Keep floors empty for a more spacious appearance
  3. Store items on high shelves, not on the floor
  4. Show these storage spaces with at least ⅓ of the space empty, buyers will think “all this stuff is in here and there’s STILL room for more!”
  5. If possible, empty the closets in spare or vacant bedrooms

 

With these tips and tricks, you’ll have upped the glam in the mundane parts of your home!