Clean Up that Messy Garage!
Remember that “ooh-ahh” feeling you got when seeing your new garage for the first time? You imagined all the projects you would complete and the toys you would store. You marveled at the space designed to keep your car safe from the Florida heat and keep you dry from the Florida rain. Maybe you imagined late night ping-pong tournaments or that oh so coveted man-cave.
Now it sits, cluttered and dirty. Cobwebs in the corners; projects half complete. There are paint cans, crushed boxes, recycle bins and oil stains. The paint is peeling, the ping-pong table has a broken leg and all those yard sale chalk-paint projects are now taking over the garage!
It’s time to stage. Yes, that is indeed a thing when it comes to the space now last on your priority list. Just as you did years ago, buyers want to re-imagine their new space. They want to be amazed by the storage options, the potential for game nights and a place to park their new car. Seeing your college kid’s left-behind memories, your half empty paint cans and dirty yard tools do nothing to help the buyers imagine the potential. Clean the garage! Just as you would for the inside living space, give those outside areas some attention. Whether a car port or a 3-car garage, the floors and walls need a good scrubbing. Properly dispose of the chemicals and paints. Hold your own yard sale and re-gift those roadside treasures. Let the kids know it’s now or never to claim their stuff! A bit of kitty litter can help soak up some of those oil stains. Here’s your chance to show a future buyer just how much stuff this garage can hold!
TV real estate shows make it seem so easy and effortless. You paint a room, move a chair and VOILA! Buyers are beating your door down to make an over asking price-cash offer to close. In TV land, sellers make a small fortune and closings happen in 1-day. Fast forward to the real world. I am currently helping a close family member prepare to sell their home. We are buying boxes to help in the sort process. One for donations, one for the garage sale items, one to save and one for the curb. We are going through and thinning out wall art, patching holes and becoming more vanilla by the day with an emphasis on neutral, basics, clean, good smells and inviting decor. But that’s only phase 1.
Beyond the garage, freshly mowed yards, mulched flower beds, power washed exteriors and touch up paint is a must. Plants need to be trimmed. Consider adding a bright welcome mat with some pretty flowers at the front door. Backyards matter too; this isn’t the place to store old stuff. The backyard should make you feel as though you can’t wait to light the grill and spend memory making weekends with family and friends. Hose down the fence, remove mildew, paint if necessary. Cover the grill, throw away the broken patio set and add colorful cushions to replace the tired and faded ones. Throw away the pots with dead plants, too.
The bottom line is to paint a picture for a future buyer that your home has been well maintained and loved. It will look so much better in the photos and who knows, you just may create a bidding war for a cash buyer to close in a day and you become the seller that makes a small fortune! Ready, set , sell!
Happy Mother’s Day from everyone at Leslie Wells Realty and Thank you to all of our Military Families for all of their sacrifices for our Freedom.