Windermere is a highly desirable Florida neighborhood and if you’re a resident, you understand how coveted this small town can be. Owning a luxury property in Windermere is every Florida local’s dream — with enormous properties, exclusive clubs, and beautiful surroundings, it’s no wonder everyone want to settle down in paradise.
However, if you’re looking to sell your Windermere home, it’s still important to adequately prepare it for sale — no matter how perfect the neighborhood may be. Here are our top tips for prepping your Windermere home to sell.
Consider curb appeal
Your Windermere home may look beautiful at first glance, but it’s essential to consider the property with the discerning eye of a potential buyer. After all, buyers will primarily judge homes by their covers.
Begin preparing your home by updating its exterior. You’ll want to make sure your home is free of chipped paint, crooked shutters, or mangled walkways. Fresh coats of paint make homes look crisp and well-maintained, as do clean windows and window fixtures. Buyers want to feel welcomed by your home, so make sure any walkways and entrances match the pristine exterior of the house itself.
Need some quick tips to enhance curb appeal? Add lights to the walkway to beckon potential buyers. Make sure the mailbox is modern and in good condition. You may also update the address numbers on your home to reflect today’s
contemporary trends. All of these small touches make big differences.
Enhance the landscape
Even if your Windermere home has a regularly maintained lawn and garden, consider a thorough assessment of the outdoor areas before listing your home. Potential buyers want to see well-manicured (and ideally green) lawns, robust, well-trimmed hedges and bushes, and even a few pops of color. Stage a seasonal plant or two in statement-making planters by the front door, or add some pops of color to your garden. Your local
garden center is sure to have recommendations.
Garden accessories, like sculptures and fountains, can also elevate your outdoor spaces.
Studies show that fountains decrease stress and are very welcoming — ideal for potential buyers.
Emphasize outdoor spaces
The past few years has shown an increase in the importance of
outdoor spaces. Our outdoor areas became gyms, dining rooms, and places to socialize. It’s essential for your Windermere home to reflect this trend and transform into an inviting space for families to gather and enjoy the extra outdoor square-footage, so make sure any patio or lawn furniture is in tip-top shape. Power wash your patios and decks and increase privacy with a few tall potted plants or fencing. Buyers want to feel like they could sit back and relax in your Windermere yard.
Stage your home
Staging your Windermere home is crucial in today’s market and requires a combination of decluttering, depersonalizing, and neutralizing. Begin by clearing out unwanted items, such as loose papers, excess clothing, unwanted toys, and other “filler” items, which will make both the staging and moving processes easier. You’ll then want to remove and stow away any personal effects — buyers don’t want to walk into a home full of personal photographs and memorabilia.
Once things look streamlined and neutral, work with a staging expert (or do your own research) to decide what can stay and what needs to go. Focus on providing clear shelves and countertops, neat, symmetrical bedrooms, and neutral colors. Beiges, grays, and off-whites are ideal wall colors and furniture base colors. Once you’ve established your neutrals, you can pepper spaces with pops of color depending on the
latest trends.
Perfect the interior
Just like with the exterior of your home, you’ll want to go about touching up each room, focusing on even the tiniest of details. Kitchens and bathrooms are the most important rooms for potential buyers, so focus your resources here. Upscale buyers want modern appliances. If your home isn’t quite up-to-date, consider replacing outdated appliances with stainless steel ones. Hands-free faucets, Smart refrigerators, and deep sinks are just a few kitchen must-haves for upscale homes.
For the bathrooms, try to create a spa-like ambiance. Soaking tubs and heated towel racks are sure to impress buyers, as is ample storage space. If your bathroom already has in-demand features like built-in cabinets, for example, be sure they’re clean and free of clutter — you want your home’s natural qualities to shine through.
Keep it clean
It may seem obvious, but a clean home is a home that sells. Be sure every room is scrubbed from top to bottom. Tiles and grout need to be pristine, countertops and appliances should glisten, and make sure to add a pleasant (but not overwhelming) smell. Opening the windows and letting in as much natural light as possible will emphasize the cleanliness and openness of your home and will help keep the space feeling fresh.
Stage it appropriately
While staging your
Windermere home is crucial, you don’t want to overdo it. Focus on finishing touches that will make a statement. Bouquets of freshly cut flowers, some pretty candles, and a quiet environment will help potential buyers envision themselves in your home. Staging and mood go hand-in-hand — make sure the staged space creates a relaxed atmosphere, one where potential buyers will feel at ease and excited about living in your home.
Understand the market
Preparing to sell your Windermere home means understanding the local and national market. Is it a buyer’s or a seller’s market? Meaning, are there more homes than interested buyers in your neighborhood, or is the reverse true? Understanding the market will help you choose an accurate sale price and level your expectations.
Work with an experienced agent
Perhaps the most important part of preparing to sell your Windermere home is working with an agent who knows the Windermere market like the back of their hand.
Toni Cafferty is a Florida native with years of experience selling top-end
Windermere real estate. Contact her today to begin your buying or selling journey with one of Florida’s top agents!