Many things are involved in successfully selling a home. Properly pricing your home to the market and making sure the home has a real marketing plan in place are two of the most important things for a successful sale. Fortunately, those are two things that Nick LOVES to do. After making sure you are priced properly and that you have a good online selling strategy, you want to prepare your home to be viewed by potential buyers. As everyone knows, first impressions are huge. Make sure your home is show-ready by following these helpful seller tips.
Entry / Front Door – Make sure the area is clean, swept clear of leaves and spider webs. The front yard should be well-maintained for best “curb-appeal”. Remove weeds and add flowers to brighten the area.
Windows – Clean windows and open blinds to brighten the house and make it look bigger.
Lights – Replace any burned out light bulbs and leave the lights on when you are expecting the house to be shown.
Reduce Clutter – Wherever possible remove collectibles and personal items. Put unnecessary furniture in storage to make the house seem larger and more open. Clean and organize closets so they don’t appear too small. Don’t forget the backyard.
Clean, Clean, Clean – I can’t stress this enough. No one wants a dirty, dingy home. Pay particular attention to the bathrooms. Be sure to sweep floors and vacuum carpet – consider shampooing the carpet, if needed. Clean out the fireplace, too. And make sure your home doesn’t smell! This is a huge turnoff to potential buyers. As I often tell people, “Clean goes a long way!”
Pool – Of course this should be swept clean and sparkling. Green pools don’t encourage offers.
Minor Repairs – Repair calking, fix leaky faucets and toilets, tighten loose handles, and fix squeaky doors. New paint and carpet goes a LONG way in making a home look fresh and clean. Additionally there are many common items that come up during a home inspection that can be proactively addressed. If you make sure GFCI switches are functioning, replace broken roof tiles and flashing, repair stucco, make sure windows open properly, and replace broken or missing window screens, you won’t have to worry about doing them after the inspection. Additionally, potential buyers are less likely to wonder about how you’ve maintained the home if these things have already been taken care of.
Pets – Take them on a walk during showings, if at all possible. Otherwise, it is best to kennel them or keep them to a confined area. And of course, be sure to pick up the yard.
Music – Soft, soothing background music can be a nice touch, particularly if your home is near a busy street.
It’s much better if you allow potential buyers to view the house uninterrupted. Please try to leave so they can take their time and take it all in. It’s awkward for buyers when the homeowner is there – especially if you insist on showing them around. Not only that, you may unintentionally relay information that could negatively impact negotiations. Our job is to successfully negotiate a sale for you, and we are experienced in answering any questions potential buyers may have. Please don’t be that seller who needs to be in control of showings. It doesn’t help.
One last note, make your house easy to show by avoiding as many showing restrictions as possible. “By appointment only” and “24 hour notice required” makes it more difficult for REALTORS to schedule showings, particularly if you refuse to put a lock box on the home. Easy access improves your odds that more buyers will see your home. Of course, sometimes your situation doesn’t allow for this, and we can work out a solution to meet your particular needs. As always, we are here to help. Please call Nick at 602-803-6425 with any questions!