old country house blog

Monday Makeover – Getting a House Ready To Sell

My Old Country House goes on the market April 19.

We are currently away on spring break. Thank goodness. I was exhausted.

I spent the better part of last week painting scrubbing, fixing paint chips, scraping, and readying our very lived in house to be put on the market. I do not need to tell you that this process is bittersweet. We are only the second family in this house since it was built in 1880.

BENJAMIN MOORE PINK CLOUD LIVING ROOM -
BENJAMIN MOORE PINK CLOUD LIVING ROOM –

I have loved and worked on every inch of this house and I say that without exaggeration. I have raised my family in this house and I’m sending children off to college from this house. It is the most wonderful house I have ever lived in. But I do believe that the time is right for us to move to a smaller home. Though knowing so does not make much of this process much easier.

The kids in the driveway 2004
The kids in the driveway 2004

We have a wonderful realtor who is working with us to ready our house to be put on the market. I moved every three years as a child, so the steps come second nature to me. But here is my list of things to do to get your house ready to put it on the market.livingroom10

I am going to skip all of the obvious things, for instance if you have visible signs of damage – broken staircase slats cracked ceilings all of those things we need to be repaired/replaced  first. You may remember that last year when we contemplated putting our house on the market, we had a lot of structural damage that need to be addressed….livingroombeforeOnce those things were all fixed,

NEW WALL.....!!!!
NEW WALL…..!!!!

and the exterior of her house is painted, I fell back in love with my house and to be decided to postpone selling.

MY OLD COUNTRY HOUSE FRONT
MY OLD COUNTRY HOUSE FRONT

MY TOP TEN “TO DO”LIST

  1. Touch up all paint chips and refresh worn areas of paint – walls and trim
  2. give the kitchen cabinets a good cleaning and touch up paint where needed – inside and out
  3. freshen the paint on the kitchen floor.
  4. clean out all closets of extraneous things, and do the big purge. ( I filled my minivan TWICE. With items to donate )
  5. clean out kitchen drawers
  6. scrub floors, taking care to remove all paint drips
  7. . ( this took the better part of the week)
  8. Pack away to storage most of personal photos, big cluttered gallery walls etc, while leaving still some photos because after all a family does live in our house.
  9. Dust and Wash windows, baseboard and crown molding
  10. Pack up and take to storage extra pieces of furniture, and books, throw blankets and hanging coats which only serve to diminish the openness of the spaces
  11. Repaint paint on front and back porches, touch up doors, repaint shed doors.
Fresh and clean
Fresh and clean

Damon took charge of the outside cleaning up rubbish and old twigs, fixing up the landscaped areas and putting down bags and bags of mulch. We also have fresh gravel put on our driveway. And bought loads of fresh flowers to put wherever needed.

My cousin sent me a Facebook message showing me our pink bookcase in HGTV magazine!!! I haven't even seen it yet! Super exciting!
My cousin sent me a Facebook message showing me our pink bookcase in HGTV magazine!!! I haven’t even seen it yet! Super exciting! Benjamin Moore paradise pink. The exterior is BM Linen White. 

Spring is a great time to sell, all the dogwoods and tulips are in  bloom and the natural beauty is a bonus.

PHOEBE IS MY SPRING BABY!
PHOEBE IS MY SPRING BABY!

There is much to do upon our return from spring break. We will need to style each room, freshen up the spaces. But hopefully the hardest and most physical work is behind us. For now I am off to enjoy the beauty of Puerto Rico!!!!

I will be back next week with an update on

My Old Country House!

10 thoughts on “Monday Makeover – Getting a House Ready To Sell

  1. We sold our first home last Fall, much smaller than yours, but did all of the same things you did to get it ready to sell. It I gorgeous, so rich in history from both families that have called it home. Best of luck!

  2. Love the bookcase! Can you please tell what the color of pink is and the brand and the white too thank you !

  3. I see these pictures, of white walls and white halls and think “oh no, all her personality has gone”! How will you stand all that sameness until you find your next nest and make it yours? Funny, but my dilemma last week was actually applying color to a room which has sat simple, accented by colors but not wearing one, for 13 years now. I actually came to your site, knowing you would give me guidance on the exact pink and now, with paint in hand I’m so hesitant to meet the walls!!! Your wonderful house, so full of memories, will find the right next family and you will find another great space to make your own – and to share with us!!!!

  4. My heart’s with you Lesli. My husband and I have a blended family. We married in 1993 and purchased a 6 bedroom house so all 5 children plus us would have their own room. Time passed, graduations of all sorts, weddings started. One by one the move outs started. During all of this we lost 3 parents and had their homes to clear out. When our last child left after college graduation my husband and I decided it was time to be free of the big house and tons of stuff. We moved last year into a small 960 sq. ft. bungalow and we are so happy here. Life is so much simpler now as far as maintenance is concerned. We have more time to enjoy other things. There are times when I miss the big dinning room table with lots of teens around it, multiple conversations going on at once. I try to remind myself that every stage of life has it’s blessings. Good luck with selling your home and best wishes on the next leg of your journey.

  5. You house is really stunning Lesli! Each and every thing is so beautifully organized. Love the velvet & butterfly cushions on the sofa. It really hard to sell your home & move to a new place. Anyways, enjoy your weekend with family.

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