Four Steps For Selling Your Home
A house in today's tough real estate market has to make a good impression on prospective buyers. If the house lacks what I call the "wow-factor", it's chances of selling are greatly reduced.
So, how do you give your house more wow value?
Here are four things every home seller can do to make a better impression.
1. De-Clutter. Home shoppers want to be able to picture their belongings in your house, not be overwhelmed by all of your possessions. To do that, you have to de-clutter your house. Remove all those old photos from above the fireplace. Remove that "extra" chair from the family room. Have the kids pack-up those soccer team trophies. Clear off the kitchen counter top and put the blender in the pantry. You want to make your house look like a model home. Look at it this way, when you sell your house you're going to have to pack things away anyway. Pack stuff up now and you are getting a good start on moving.
2. Deep Clean. To be real honest here, I don't know of anything that turns buyers off faster than a dirty house. Buyers want to think that your house was always well cared for over the years. That means you have to do more than just the regular weekly cleaning. You have to deep clean the house and especially the bathrooms. It's a troublesome task, I know, but it will pay off with a sale.
3. Make Simple Repairs. Let me be very clear about this matter. I am talking about making simple repairs, not big jobs or remodeling projects. If the light switch doesn't work, fix it. If the doorbell won't ding, fix it. If the light bulb over the kitchen sink is burnt out, fix it. Don't remodel the kitchen. Don't put in a new bathroom. Don't add a room. The idea is to have what is already in your house working properly. Nothing more. And nothing less.
4. Neutralize. You may love the plum-colored accent wall in your dining room, but it may turn buyers off. For some buyers, that's all it takes to make them move on to the next house and buy it. The best rule of thumb is to make your house "real estate agent beige". That is, make the walls and carpeting a nice shade of neutral. This helps buyers visualize how their belongings will look in your house.
Why are these kind of things important?
It has to do with the psychology of selling. When they are looking at your house, buyers will psychologically picture themselves living in your house with all their stuff in place. If they like what the see, they may make you an offer. If they don't like what they see, the won't make you an offer.
By de-cluttering, deep cleaning, making simple repairs and neutralizing the environment, you give buyers minds a better, less distracting picture of what it will be like to live in your house. If they like the picture, you may get an offer. That's why these four steps are so important when selling.
For more information on real estate in the Tampa Bay area, visit my website at http://www.thestpeterealestatesite.com/.
So, how do you give your house more wow value?
Here are four things every home seller can do to make a better impression.
1. De-Clutter. Home shoppers want to be able to picture their belongings in your house, not be overwhelmed by all of your possessions. To do that, you have to de-clutter your house. Remove all those old photos from above the fireplace. Remove that "extra" chair from the family room. Have the kids pack-up those soccer team trophies. Clear off the kitchen counter top and put the blender in the pantry. You want to make your house look like a model home. Look at it this way, when you sell your house you're going to have to pack things away anyway. Pack stuff up now and you are getting a good start on moving.
2. Deep Clean. To be real honest here, I don't know of anything that turns buyers off faster than a dirty house. Buyers want to think that your house was always well cared for over the years. That means you have to do more than just the regular weekly cleaning. You have to deep clean the house and especially the bathrooms. It's a troublesome task, I know, but it will pay off with a sale.
3. Make Simple Repairs. Let me be very clear about this matter. I am talking about making simple repairs, not big jobs or remodeling projects. If the light switch doesn't work, fix it. If the doorbell won't ding, fix it. If the light bulb over the kitchen sink is burnt out, fix it. Don't remodel the kitchen. Don't put in a new bathroom. Don't add a room. The idea is to have what is already in your house working properly. Nothing more. And nothing less.
4. Neutralize. You may love the plum-colored accent wall in your dining room, but it may turn buyers off. For some buyers, that's all it takes to make them move on to the next house and buy it. The best rule of thumb is to make your house "real estate agent beige". That is, make the walls and carpeting a nice shade of neutral. This helps buyers visualize how their belongings will look in your house.
Why are these kind of things important?
It has to do with the psychology of selling. When they are looking at your house, buyers will psychologically picture themselves living in your house with all their stuff in place. If they like what the see, they may make you an offer. If they don't like what they see, the won't make you an offer.
By de-cluttering, deep cleaning, making simple repairs and neutralizing the environment, you give buyers minds a better, less distracting picture of what it will be like to live in your house. If they like the picture, you may get an offer. That's why these four steps are so important when selling.
For more information on real estate in the Tampa Bay area, visit my website at http://www.thestpeterealestatesite.com/.
-30-
posted by Terry Ward at 3:42 AM
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