Selling your home? Here’s how your storage unit increases your selling price
When you sell your home, one of the first things you think about is the resale value and what you can list it for. Of course, you want the most value out of your investment, and while market conditions and area play a big role, so does the condition and staging of your home.
Listen, buyers want to purchase something that looks shiny and new, and are willing to pay more for it. The best way to give your home a freshly built look and feel? A self-storage unit.
5 tips for using self-storage when selling your home
1. De-bulk your backyard
First impressions are everything, right? Well, the first thing a prospective buyer is going to see is not the house, but the area around the house, aka the front yard.
The front and backyard are likely places where a happy family sometimes dumps sporting equipment, gardening tools, and outdoor toys. And while that does add an element of charm, it can be hard for a new buyer to envision themselves in your home with all of your personal touches lying around.
So take your sprinklers, rakes, soccer nets, lawn mowers, and more to your storage unit. An open, well-landscaped outdoor space is ideal when people tour your property, and packing these items away in your unit is the easiest way to give that impression.
2. Take out the personal touches
When touring the inside of your home, as you did for the outside, do a sweep and remove any personal touches. Childhood art, diplomas, toys that don’t fit in a basket or on shelves, and anything else that paints a picture of the current owners should go right into storage.
It sounds extreme, but it’s all about creating a blank slate. Buyers don’t want to feel like guests walking through your home; they want to picture themselves moving in. Open wall space, clean counters, and blank fixtures are key.
3. Open up that space
Speaking of creating a blank slate, an open space in your home will be a huge help. The buyers in today’s market like a neutral, modern, open home. Open spaces also create the illusion of more square footage and higher ceilings.
To open up your space more, it’s all about removing bulky extra furniture. An extra ottoman and chest of drawers, spare kitchen seating, and a half-empty bookshelf can all be stored in your self-storage unit. The wider the footpath is in your home, the more expensive and modern it will appear to the people walking through it.
4. Declutter, declutter, declutter!
Once you’ve done steps one through three, it’s time to do another walkthrough of your home and remove the leftover clutter. We’re talking jars, little appliances, tchotchkes, and any overflowing decor. This is the last step to creating an open, modern space that people can picture themselves in.
These items can be stored in bags, bins, or boxes, directly in their storage unit. The perks are two-fold here. One, it’s the last step for perfect staging, and two, you might learn to declutter more regularly (and enjoy it!) going forward.
5. Separate your seasonal items
Christmas trees, menorahs, pumpkins, and other seasonal items should also be removed. Better yet, pack those items into separate, marked boxes and put them in your storage unit before anything else.
Then, once your house is sold, you can move your items into your new home, and leave the seasonal items at the back of the storage unit until the applicable season hits. It’s effective staging, smart moving, and a way to move into your new home with less clutter.
So what kind of self-storage unit should you rent, then?
So glad you’ve asked, reader.
A good storage facility will offer you a range of rental options and amenities. You should expect to be able to choose between:
- Units of different sizes
- Climate-controlled units
- Units with exterior and interior doors
- Units on an upper level or ground floor
- Units with flexible access hours
- Units with strong security
Get a unit that meets the needs of your move, but also one that would be useful for the future. Many people rent self-storage units for things like renovations, when going off to school, when they build their small business, when they need a coworking space, and more. If you thought a self-storage unit was helpful for staging your home, imagine what it could do for any stage of life.
Call us at Pandora Mini before you put your house on the market
Start your home-selling journey on the right foot by giving us a call at Pandora Mini. Our team is happy to walk you through your best storage rental options for your unique needs. We offer a range of amenities, flexible locations, secure units, and the best service in the greater Montreal area.
Fill out the form here, and we’ll be in touch, or call 1-855-368-7376.