Month: July 2021

Whether you have outgrown your home or simply need a change, listing your home for sale is a big decision to make. Before your home is portrayed in local real estate listings with “for sale” phrasing and a price, be sure to get your home prepared. Here are five good tips to help you along.

1. Declutter

Professionals who handle staging a home before showing it to prospective buyers say that decluttering helps by:

• Making the house appear roomier
• Keeping prospects from feeling distracted
• Opening up room for visualization

If your home is brimming with belongings, prospects may not only have a hard time seeing the potential of the house, but they may also find it challenging to envision the home as their own.

2. Depersonalize

You don’t have to strip the home of everything that belongs to you necessarily, but it can be a good idea to pull out highly personal items. For example, family photos are highly personal belongings, and pet supplies are not something every prospective buyer would have in their home. In a sense, you want to make the house look lived-in and livable, but in a way that is open to interpretation. Perhaps neutral art prints could take the place of large family photos, for instance.

3. Decorate

To give the house a more home-like appearance, do take the initiative to do some interior decorating. Again, minimalistic is vital, and opt for neutrality as much as possible. Try removing everything from the bedrooms except for the most critical pieces of furniture and adding a few decorative elements, such as a vase of flowers on the dresser, some complimentary throw pillows, and a figurine perched on a nightstand.

4. Distinguish

Every home has its unique selling points or points that are bound to capture the attention of a prospective buyer. A few examples could be:

• A large picture window in the dining or living room
• A recently remodeled master bathroom
• A picturesque stairway
• A lovely outdoor living space

Take a good, critical look at your home. First, consider the aspects a buyer could find most desirable and then truly distinguish those areas. For instance, if you are sure the stairway will be a significant selling point, put a little extra effort into making that area as attractive as possible.

5. Determine

What in and around the house could be a turnoff in the eyes of a buyer? While you may not have the funds to fix every flaw or problem, taking steps to improve or correct any significant problems will always mean you see better results when you list the house for sale. First, determine what problems could be most hindering. Maybe you have a few rooms that desperately need to be painted or carpet in one area that should be cleaned. Odd paint colors and dirty rugs happen to be two of the biggest turnoffs for home buyers.

Sold! Need Help with the Move?

With the best dedication to preparing your home before you list it on the market, you will likely be ready to move in no time at all. However, when your home sells and you are making your way to your new place, be sure to reach out to residential movers who can help you with the transition.

Moving with pets adds a layer of complication — but sometimes houseplants are even trickier.

Houseplants need a specific environment to survive. Moving changes it.

There are several ways you can minimize damage to your houseplants as you pack up and move. Here are a few things you can try.

Check Health Before the Move

Travel tends to be harder on plants, especially those that live in a specific environment indoors. You want them in their best health before transportation.

A few months before the move, check your plants’ general condition. If you need to move them to new pots or it’s time to prune them, do it well in advance.

Treat for pests, and be sure to avoid overwatering and underwatering. That way, your plant will be able to handle the stress of moving better.

Research Transportation Options

Moving plants isn’t always as simple as how to get them there. In addition, you might complementary face quarantine requirements and other state guidelines to prevent the spread of pests or diseases.

In addition, moving companies often won’t move plants if the distance is more than 150 miles or across state lines.

It doesn’t mean that you can’t bring your plants with you, just that you need to plan ahead. Consider putting your plants in commercial soil a couple of months ahead of time to minimize most problems.

Protect From Sun

Most houseplants prefer indirect lighting at most. However, putting them into the backseat of your car can expose them to bright, direct light and heat.

You might consider buying a pre-made shade for your plant. That way, you can keep them in a car without exposing them to direct light.

If you have many plants to move, you might need to rig a portable plant screen. Just make sure that it doesn’t block your visibility while you drive.

Avoid Drafts

Your plants like regular air circulation, but you’ll need to control it during transit. Just like heat can burn a houseplant, drafts can cause it to wilt.

And this isn’t just a problem that comes up during cold seasons. For example, ifHowever, putting you blast the air conditioning while you drive, your plants might react to it.

Think about the placement of your plants before loading. Turn vents away from the plant so that the air reaches it indirectly. Try to stick to a moderate temperature to avoid running it full-blast the whole way.

Transport Quickly

No matter how carefully you move your houseplants, they’ll probably deal with some stress. Many species can bounce back, even if they are almost dead. You should research in advance to rehome a variety that isn’t likely to make it.

Trips less than 24 hours are best. If you’re planning to take a road trip as part of your move, you might want to make other arrangements for the plants. Gift them to friends or family.

And once you arrive, be sure to set up a healthy environment for the plants on the first day. They can get back to health faster that way.

Moving On

Houseplants can survive a move if you plan ahead and take care. To discover your options for a safe and healthy move, contact us for a quote.