or instant water heater; those would be the 20% of the 80/20 rule.
EASY/INEXPENSIVE WAYS TO STAGE A HOME
If money were no object, you could hire a staging company that would transform the look of your home into a palace. You don’t have to spend a fortune to make your home look ready for opening night, but you might pay a psychological price. You’ll have to look at your beloved property objectively to spot the eyesores and problems a buyer will quickly notice. Then, you’ll have to store your treasures, which strangers might consider trash. Ouch! Take a deep breath and consider these common, staging improvements that agents such as myself recommend. Declutter: Clutter makes you want to flee your own home, so imagine its impact on a buyer. The problem is, everybody has his own clutter threshold. You might think a refrigerator covered with kids’ art adds a homey touch, while a buyer might think it makes your kitchen look messy. The trick is to look at your home through the eyes of a stranger. Sort, sell, or give away all the stuff that litters closets, tables, countertops, and bookcases. In the best of all worlds, you’ll have months to wrangle your clutter; but in a pinch, you can bag or box the stuff, store it in a storage unit, and go through it at your leisure. As a standard, go through your home and get rid of 50% of your belongings. Highly personalized items, photographs, out- of-season clothes, random junk, and excessive furniture need to go. To be clear, you do not have to throw the stuff out! Donate it. Sell it at a yard sale. Give it away. Someone can use what you don’t need.
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