If you’re planning to sell your home this year, take a minute to review some of our best recommendations; AND if you had your home on the market this past year (or maybe longer??), don’t repeat mistakes from the past. These few suggestions are sure to be useful before you launch your next home selling attempt.
1. Buyers start mentally buying (or rejecting) a home from the minute they drive up. Make a good impression by having the outside ready to impress; attend to deferred exterior maintenance.
2. Once the outside is clean and fresh, focus attention inside. Don’t expect buyers to ignore dated wall coverings and dull paint. One of the least expensive fixes to a dated interior is fresh paint. If you have a steady hand, go ahead and do this work yourself, but don’t be forgiving of an amateur attempt – buyers won’t!
3. Look at your home’s interior spaces; really look! It’s critical to remove clutter & get organized. Don’t let your home tell buyers you’ve outgrown the space! This sends an immediate message that they will too. First, purge all the excess “stuff” you’ve collected. Next, rent a storage facility for all the little treasures you want to move into your next larger home. Believe me, it’s worth the expense.
4. Give your home the smell test! Don’t be forgiving of pet odors or any unpleasant odors for that matter – buyers won’t! A bad smell stays with a buyer, and it’s a very hard objection to remove from a buyers mind (and nose). Be sure to correct the problem and not simply mask it! Once your home is fresh as clean folded laundry (as my mother would say), you can find a nice fragrance to spray just before showings.
5. Bathrooms and Kitchens! I really can’t say enough about these spaces. If your home has dated baths and kitchen, and you’ve priced the home with that condition in mind, then please follow this rule: Clean! Clean! Clean! Buyers DO look inside your refrigerator and oven. Be sure these appliances, all appliances actually, are as clean as can be. Kitchen counter tops should have no clutter, refrigerators should be free from family pictures and art work and the table or eating surface should look inviting for a company meal.
6. Stairways to the second floor and basement must be free of items, and a hand rail should be in place for these stairways. Realtors hate to pick up broken bodies at the bottom of stairways!
7. It goes without saying, doesn’t it, that all closets are tidy. Fold towels in the linen closet, hang coats without crowding in the closet and contain hats and mittens in some way so they are not falling off a shelf.
8. Be honest with yourself and ask “Who priced the house”. Did you really get a professional Market Analysis from a real estate agent that did her homework? No amount of advertising, open houses and showings will ever sell an over priced listing. We in the real estate industry know this – for a fact! Price your home correctly, follow the above tips and your home will attract a new buyer.
9. Work with a real estate agent you like and trust. It’s not easy to sell homes, sometimes it’s down right hard, and it helps a lot to have an agent you feel comfortable with and know you’re with someone who “feels your pain”!
The “4forU” team wishes you a Happy New Year and a successful home selling experience in 2010.
