Kate Barnes
3 steps to prepare your Palo Alto home for sale

When listing your home for sale in Palo Alto, you want to give yourself the best opportunity to sell at the highest price. Follow these simple step by step instructions to increase the appeal of your home to prospective buyers.
CLEAR THE CLUTTER
There are some things that can be done absolutely free of charge! It does however involve a little muscle...
Minimalism is IN. Prospective buyers looking for Palo Alto homes for sale want to see your home looking spick and span, with minimal decorative belongings and clean surfaces throughout. This means putting all of your excess belongings into storage.
Buyers want to imagine themselves living in your home. This helps them to subjectively decide whether they want to buy your home and it's hard to do this with clothes hanging in the wardrobes and family photos on the wall. Even though it can be challenging to remove these items, it's really important to the success of your home's sale. When possible, this is why most realtors will recommend selling your home without anyone living there.
#cleartheclutter #preparemyhomeforsale #openhome #minimalismsells
GIVE IT A ONCE OVER PAINT AND OCD CLEAN
A fresh coat of paint will make a huge difference to the presentation of your home.
Let's go back to the concept that buyers want to imagine themselves living in your home. If they feel comfortable doing that, they will start to feel connected to your home and will be more likely to make an offer. A fresh coat of white paint, perhaps with a light and airy feature wall that matches the character of you home, will bring a sense of newness and cleanliness to your home.
Also...it's time to be OCD with your cleaning...wipe down all surfaces, including skirting board, ceilings, blinds, window frames and even the places that are not as visible, like the top of fridge. Bad smells and dusty air will not do your home any favors.
It may seem like alot of work, but there is always the option of paying a professional cleaner to deep clean your home. The investment will certainly make a big difference.
#freshpaint #cleanhome #buymyhome
GET CREATIVE
“Be attentive, show off your style, and give buyers the Palo Alto dream home they are looking for.”
Saavy buyers are viewing lots of home before they get to yours, so you need to make your home stand out! A stylish and glossy magazine look can be achieved with a smaller budget than you may think.
Ditch the old and make space for the new...cover marks on your lounge with a stylish throw and cushions, clear your kitchen countertops, only leaving the larger, newly polished appliances out on show, remove bulky furniture and hire new staging furniture for the selling period, add some stylish light fixtures to brighten up your bedrooms and add a fresh green plant to your outside entertaining area.
I personally love the extra details like candles, the smell of freshly brewed coffee and beautiful perfumed flowers outside the kitchen window.
Golden rule of thumb...close your eyes, look back at the room and see what pops! If you're living room is like popcorn, it's time to remove some items!
GET INSPIRED
Selling your home doesn't have to be stressful. It's time to get creative and have some fun preparing your glossy magazine look!
With an interior design background, this is one of my favorite parts in helping my clients sell their homes.
Finally, it's also important to delve deep into the topic of doing your due diligence as a seller and checking off any red flags for buyers.
If you are thinking of selling your Palo Alto home, I would love to hear from you. Please connect to arrange an appointment via the below contact details.
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Kate Barnes
Realtor®
METIS Real Estate
415.521.6813 | kate@metisre.com | katebarnesrealtor.com
Youtube: Kate Eliza Barnes | Dre 02092777