{"id":185657,"date":"2026-04-04T19:55:58","date_gmt":"2026-04-04T19:55:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/185657\/"},"modified":"2026-04-04T19:55:58","modified_gmt":"2026-04-04T19:55:58","slug":"ive-sold-homes-in-manhattan-for-20-years-heres-7-things-sellers-must-do-before-listing-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/185657\/","title":{"rendered":"I\u2019ve sold homes in Manhattan for 20 years. Here\u2019s 7 things sellers must do before listing"},"content":{"rendered":"

Peak homebuying<\/a> season – April through June – is underway and Nikki Beauchamp, a real estate veteran<\/a> who has sold properties in New York City for more than 20 years, is gearing up for a busy period. <\/p>\n

The senior global real estate<\/a> advisor and associate broker at Sotheby\u2019s International Realty has worked with sellers in Manhattan, Brooklyn and waterfront Queens so knows what it takes to get homes<\/a> ready for viewing. <\/p>\n

Beauchamp shared with The Independent seven things that people should consider before they list their homes<\/a>. The interview below has been condensed and lightly edited for clarity.<\/p>\n

Fresh coats<\/p>\n

The easiest thing to do, with the lowest cost, is to repaint your property. That fresh coat of paint makes buyers feel like they\u2019re walking into a new space. For colors, neutrals are key. <\/p>\n

\"RealReal estate broker Nikki Beauchamp has spent decades perfecting what it takes to move a home from listed to sold (David DuPuy)<\/p>\n

I know that we all love walls with a great personality – there were years where accent walls were great. But they can cause a buyer to think about how much effort and money it’s going to cost them to repaint those walls.<\/p>\n

As to whether sellers should do the painting themselves or hire a professional, I think different people have different levels of comfort. Some people say, \u201cI have the paint. I can do it myself.\u201d Other people don\u2019t have the time and hire someone. <\/p>\n

Personally, I would hire someone. I think that’s the best use of time and resources, unless you’re really good at it.<\/p>\n

Classy kitchens<\/p>\n

Kitchens and bathrooms are two of the areas that are most overwhelming to a new buyer who wants to do work on the house after the sale.<\/p>\n

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There are some simple things that you can do to refresh a kitchen if you don\u2019t have the budget to completely redo it. New appliances are the simplest fix on the planet.<\/p>\n

A new refrigerator, stove, microwave and dishwasher make buyers say, “Wow, this is great. All the appliances are easy peasy.” <\/p>\n

People tend to make such a big production over appliance brands. In my opinion, it doesn’t really matter unless you\u2019re buying super-premium brands like Miele or Bertazzoni. <\/p>\n

Aside from those brands, GE and Whirlpool make a great range of appliances that work well for most sellers.<\/p>\n

\"UpgradingUpgrading a home\u2019s kitchen appliances can turn a buyer\u2019s \u2018maybe\u2019 into a \u2018yes\u2019 (Robin Marchant\/Getty Images for NYCWFF)<\/p>\n

Because people are buying what is probably going to be the most expensive purchase in their lifetime, they don\u2019t want to think about all the extra things they have to do after they close. <\/p>\n

The goal is to have the seller\u2019s home as close to move-in ready as possible through things like new appliances. I often see listings that need work, or are perceived to need work, will sell for a lower price.<\/p>\n

Visual vibes<\/p>\n

Upgrading a home\u2019s curb appeal is another common suggestion I give sellers. Although I am in New York City, curb appeal matters a lot for sellers here: plants, flowers, and the way that your door looks are important.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re in an urban environment, what does your lobby look like when buyers come in to see your home? I have a lot of clients who will often appoint themselves to or join beautification committees in their buildings so they can ensure people – homebuyers included – have a great feeling when they first walk into the building.<\/p>\n

Windows are a big part of curb appeal, too. Nothing is worse than looking out a dirty, grubby window, so make sure they\u2019re cleaned before showing your home.<\/p>\n

Think like a buyer<\/p>\n

I always ask my sellers to put themselves in the buyer’s position. Ask yourself questions like: \u201cWhat stood out to you when you were buying the residence you\u2019re selling?\u201d and \u201cWhat were the things that you wished had been taken care of before the home was listed?\u201d<\/p>\n

That mindset is a really effective way of getting sellers to understand that a small investment can have a big impact. The steps you take before you list are really going to impact your home\u2019s first couple of weeks on the market.<\/p>\n

Cut the clutter<\/p>\n

Declutter and depersonalize your home before it\u2019s shown, especially if you are still living in the home while you\u2019re trying to sell it. The seller needs to create a canvas that allows prospective buyers to imagine what the home would look like if they lived there and imagine their life in the space. <\/p>\n

\"\u2018Because\u2018Because people are buying what is probably going to be the most expensive purchase in their lifetime, they don\u2019t want to think about all the extra things they have to do after they close,\u2019 said Beauchamp, pictured in a home she sold (David DuPuy)<\/p>\n

Remove your personal pictures, diplomas, and consider toning down any furniture that\u2019s really bright and colorful – it might be so busy, visually speaking, that it’s hard for the prospective buyer to imagine what the room could look like after they move in. A slip cover is a great way to neutralize those bright colors. <\/p>\n

This is where staging is important, even if it\u2019s often an area where people may not want to make the investment. Your real estate agent may be able to help with this. <\/p>\n

For example, I have some things in my personal arsenal of staging items that can help with selling an apartment. I have extra throw pillows, fresh linens and towels that can help make visual accents as simple and effective as possible.<\/p>\n

Floor focus<\/p>\n

Carpets are an important fix or update for sellers, even though I don’t run into carpets as much anymore. They can be really challenging for some buyers because of how they retain allergens. Also, who really wants to inherit somebody else’s carpet? At the very least, you want to give your carpet a deep clean before selling. <\/p>\n

If you have hardwood floors or some sort of engineered hardwood or tile, it\u2019s smart to get them refinished and shined. That will make a world of difference.<\/p>\n

Spring cleaning<\/p>\n

As simple as it sounds, my second tip is a deep clean of the home. Hire a professional cleaner to come in and do a deep move-out clean. <\/p>\n

You will be amazed at the crevices that have accumulated some version of dust and grime. A deep clean makes the home feel nice again. <\/p>\n

This article is sponsored by Credit Karma. We may earn a commission if you engage with their services using links in this article.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Peak homebuying season – April through June – is underway and Nikki Beauchamp, a real estate veteran who…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":185658,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[75,84,83,9,24,63],"class_list":{"0":"post-185657","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-manhattan","8":"tag-manhattan","9":"tag-manhattan-headlines","10":"tag-manhattan-news","11":"tag-new-york","12":"tag-new-york-city","13":"tag-nyc"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/185657","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=185657"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/185657\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/185658"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=185657"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=185657"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=185657"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}