SUGGESTIONS
TO HELP YOU SELL YOUR HOME QUICKER.
Obviously you will want to sell your home as quickly as possible and get the best possible price. The very first and most important thing you will have to decide is what price to list your home at. Rich and I will give you some sheets on comparable properties in your area that have sold, expired and are still for sale on the market. Basically it’s the market that determines the price so we try to take all things into consideration to help you find the best possible asking price for your home. In the end it is up to you to decide what to list your house at after listening to our advice on market conditions in your area. The most important thing to remember though is to price your house correctly in the beginning. Why you ask? Well the first two weeks the house is on the market is when the activity on your home will be the busiest. The reason for this is that anyone already looking will be waiting for new listings and will go into your house at that time. If the house is priced too high then anyone looking in that higher price range will be disappointed as they won’t find the value. Anyone looking at the price range your house is actually worth won’t come through as it’s out of his or her budget. Even if you reduce the price to where it should be later on then you’ll miss a lot of the previous potential buyers and anyone new to the market will wonder what’s wrong with the home since it’s been on the market so long. At this point buyers could think your getting desperate and offer below what it’s actually worth. Today’s purchasers are well educated because of the Internet and other learning tools. After saying all this and as we’ve said earlier it’s you that makes the final decision as to the price and in most cases we will be happy to work with you whatever you decide.
IN ORDER TO GET YOUR HOME READY FOR MARKET RICH AND I HAVE MADE A FURTHER LIST OF SUGGESTIONS THAT WILL HELP YOU TO SELL YOUR HOME.
HAVE EVERYTHING CLEAN AND SHINY: The first and most obvious chore is to clean your home top to bottom and don’t forget to clean the windows. For showings make sure the beds are made and the dirty dishes are out of sight.
GET RID OF CLUTTER: Clutter takes away from the feeling of spaciousness and will even distract the buyer from what needs to be seen. Box up things you won’t be using in the near future and store elsewhere if possible. Have a yard sale to get rid of things you won’t need. Remove as many things from your closets as possible otherwise the buyer will feel there isn’t enough storage space in the home. Remove as many appliances from off the kitchen counter tops as you can and have them as clean and bare as possible.
MAKE SURE YOUR HOME IS AS BRIGHT AS POSSIBLE: Replace any burnt out bulbs and use as high a wattage as is safe for each fixture. If you have a dark home the purchaser won’t feel the atmosphere is warm and inviting. The buyer may even feel your trying to hide something.
REPLACE OR FIX OLD OR HARD TO USE FAUCETS, FIXTURES, DOOR HANDLES ETC.: Small things like this will put a buyer off as it gives them the impression that the home has not had the proper maintenance. They will also think that if the little things haven’t been attended to then what about the bigger costlier things.
TOUCH UP DENTS AND SCRATCHES TO WALLS: Patch and touch up walls with paint of the same colour or if necessary paint the walls a clean neutral colour.
REMOVE ODORS: Cooking smells, pet smells or smoking odors etc. will make a big impression with buyers. It’s a nice touch to boil water with a cinnamon stick in it, make bread in the bread machine or light aromatic candles (keeping safety in mind) although with perfumed scents a little goes a long way. Or as I often do at open houses I’ll bake a homemade apple pie to leave an inviting scent in the air and yes I even leave it behind for my vendors to enjoy.
MAKE SURE YOUR GROUNDS ARE IMMACULATE: Keep the grass cut the shrubs trimmed and the beds weeded etc. as this will be the buyer’s first impression of your home. If it’s winter make sure the walkways and driveways are shoveled.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Make sure the front of your home is well maintained and inviting. If your door looks worn then give it a fresh coat of paint, in the warmer weather have a bright potted plant sitting by the entryway or hanging by the front door, put a nice mat in front of the door. |