|
PREPARING YOUR HOUSE FOR THE MARKET!
You know the feeling! You see a beautiful house, and you just know that you’d like to live there. That’s what you want prospective buyers to feel when they see your home. The deciding factor in most home sales is the “curb appeal” an attractiveness of the house. Remember, buying a home is EMOTIONAL NOT ALWAYS LOGICAL.
Do the repairs that are necessary in order to make your home look its best. Be careful not to invest in overly expensive or large scale improvements like room additions and new plumbing systems. Making these major repairs will only return you a fraction of their actual cost. It would be much better to disclose the problem and adjust the sale prices accordingly.
Instead, you should invest your improvement dollars and energy into cleaning and painting. You most likely will realize more cash at closing time than you will have spent for the cleaning and painting supplies!
Be as objective about your property’s appearance as a buyer will be. Your home decorating is as important as being clean, neat and in good repair. Listen to your Realtor and see what tips and advice she/he can give you on what you should consider doing prior to listing and showing the property. Remember, they are here to sell your home, cosmetic appearances sell the home! The buyers want to imagine themselves sitting in your living room enjoying a book or watching television.
The first look a prospect will have at your home is when they pull up into the driveway. Be sure the landscaping and general appearance is attractive and neat. Are your house numbers clearly marked and clean or rusty? Is your mailbox leaning? A trimmed lawn, cut shrubbery, trees free of dead limbs, weeded flower beds (with flowers opposed to weeds), a swept and stain-free driveway, clean sidewalks and gutters, etc. are all important on making that first impression last and encourage a contract to be written quickly. Plenty of flowering plants and flowers give the home a fresh well taken care of look when a buyer approaches. That goes for the inside as well as the outside. Stop by the local florist and purchase a cute bunch of cut flowers and put them in a vase on your dining room table or better yet, put a second bouquet in the bathroom. Sellers can enjoy them too! If the interior of your home needs repainting, consider white or light colors to add brightness and it encourages a larger look to the home. It is also much easier to match furniture to a lighter color.
Make sure all rooms are clean and neat and de-cluttered. Fingerprints, clutter and laundry should be eliminated. Air fresheners should be “plugged in” so that there is a nice aroma when the buyers enter the home. Fresh paint and polished woodwork will always improve the look and value to the buyers. Kitchen and bathrooms should be very clean. These two rooms alone do more GOOD to selling a home, so it is essential that they are at their best when a home is shown. Make them SPARKLE!!!!! Put out your guest towels and matching flowers with new shower curtains. It will add luxury and glamour for a little bit of cost. To make the dining room, living room and bedrooms look
even bigger and roomier, remove some of your furniture and put it in storage. The rule of thumb is 1/3 of your furniture should be in the room when selling your home. Also, consider putting away any collectibles, antiques etc. which will be exposed to buyers coming through for safety and protection.
Put away dishes and store counter top appliances under the cabinets. Have your counter top completely empty except for some decorative items. Have your carpets cleaned and deodorized. Remove throw rugs and area carpets if possible. If you have wood floors or tile floors, let the buyers see their beauty. Visit a local model home for a builder and see what they do to “stage” these homes for sale. You are competing with that look. Do everything possible to make your home look its very best. It doesn’t have to take a lot of money. Most of these suggestions are simple elbow grease types of things to be done.
Get rid of junk you have stored in closets and in the basement and garage. Rent a storage locker and make sure your two car garage has room for two cars!!! Have a garage sale today! Play soft listening music and have it well lit when an appointment is being made for a showing. It adds warmth and charm to a home when it looks comfortable and welcoming to buyers. Even if it is a daytime showing, have the lights on all over the home.
Please, when we are showing your home, do not be present. All children and pets should also be gone from the home or penned up in their quarters. Buyers want to be able to freely move around and discuss the home when they are browsing.
KEEP IT READY TO SHOW ALL THE TIME!!!!
|
