Your home is a sacred place. It is a place to live, love, rest, and be you. There will be a time in which you experience change and your home, or perhaps even your neighborhood, no longer fits your lifestyle.
When you decide selling is your next best step, there are several ways to make your home more appealing to potential buyers. The suggestions you find here will allow buyers to see your homes greatest potential and guarantee you the greatest return on your investment.
In real estate, all buyers are judging the book by its cover. If a buyer is not impressed with the outside of a home, then there is little chance they will be willing to look inside.
Proper landscaping provides a frame around the home and sets the tone for the design at a first glimpse. Even small touches listed below will make a noticeable difference in your curb appeal and make buyers feel more at home:
The goal when de-cluttering your home to prepare it to sell is to make it look like you barely live there. This may be especially difficult if you have pets or children, but it well worth the effort.
Buyers need to be able to picture themselves in the space, and that is pretty difficult amongst sellers’ personal photos and items.
Organize cabinets and drawers throughout your home. This will allow buyers to realize the functionality they provide.
Before leaving your home make sure beds are made and toys are in their proper places in case a showing pops up!
Sometime we can become de-synthesized to a point where we do not notice the small things buyers would notice in our homes. Try looking at your home from the buyers perspective. If this is something that you struggle with, call me, your local realtor, or someone your trust for an honest eye.
Provide touch up paint to walls where needed… this will give the home a fresh new feel.
Replace necessary light bulbs.. blown bulbs have buyers thinking electrical issues.
Call a repairman… even the smallest repairs have buyers thinking of extra money that will need to be spent. Example: loose hardware on sink.
When we think about home odors we often think about the unpleasant odors including those related to garbage or pets. However, it is important to remember the power of a positive odor. Smell is strongly related to memory and emotion, and you can use this fact to your advantage when selling your home.
To make room for the positive smells, make sure you remove the garbage often and add odor eliminating products to your washer/sink/garbage cans/bathrooms. Remove pets if possible
Based on your preference, light a candle before showings or use essential oils to add fragrance to a space… smells to match the season are always a safe choice. Be sure not to overpower your space with more than one scent.
Baked goods always bring back memories of homes. If time allows, bake cookies, cake, brownies, or bread an hour or two before a showing
There is nothing more important than making sure your home is clean when inviting buyers inside. Buyers feel at peace when they can look at a home for what it is instead of being clouded by dirt and grime that remind them that someone has lived there before them. Don’t have the time or the patience? Hire a professional to deep clean your home before listing. This will make it easier to spot clean later.
Clean rugs and carpets.. this will also help remove unwanted odors throughout the home.
Wash walls, baseboards, and cabinets for a new home feel.
Pay close attention to bathrooms and kitchens as these are most likely to become dirty quickly.
The way we live our lives comfortably in our home may be very different from the way others do the same. For example, you may need a couch that fits 15 in your small living room because you have a large family, but for someone who does not, that couch is only going to make the room look smaller and uninviting. Taking steps to stage your home for the typical buyer is key. If this isn’t your cup of tea, reach out to me and I can refer you to a local professional staging company.
Replace oversized furniture with furniture that appropriately fits the space.
Give every room and space a purpose.. not all buyers have a good imagination and they need your help!
Remove dated decor.
As a realtor, there are always a handful of homes that you have shown that you will never forget. Some sellers make a choice to go above and beyond what is asked of them when selling, and they have no regrets. These extra steps show the buyer that you cared for your home and you care who lives in and loves it next.
Have each person living in the home write a letter about what they love about it most and leave it in the room they possess for the buyer to read.
Write a quick welcome letter on a dry erase board at the entrance.
Provide hand sanitizer at the front door for buyers use.
Leave out baked goods or treats for buyers as they tour your home.
Provide your realtor with a written history of the home so tat you can make sure the buyer knows exactly what makes it special.
Reach out to me for assistance when selling is on the horizon for you. I work alongside you to prepare your home to list, and I guide you through the selling process by pricing your home competitively and designing a specific marketing strategy for your needs.
