As a home seller, you're not putting your home on the market to sit. You want it to sell in an efficient manner which means in a reasonable amount of time AND while bringing you a great sales price. Creating demand for your home is what will help make that happen, so it's time to put yourself in the driver's seat of being a buyer and thinking objectively how you would see your home. Okay... it's almost impossible for a seller to objectively look at their own home, but you'll have to try and probably take some hard advice from a professional who is trying to help you conquer your goal of prepping and selling. To help get you in the mindset, here are a few (but there are many more) tips to get your home ready to make a great impression.
- Make It Bright - Homes with a lot of light are naturally welcoming and feel larger. Buyers feel great in bright homes and ALWAYS comment on a home flooded with light. If your home design doesn't include lots of windows, then consider additional lamps to help bring up the light level (and ensure they're on for showings). Also confirm all bulbs are functioning because burned out bulbs make a poor impression.
- Clean Those Windows - It's not a task everyone loves, but giving buyers a clear view through your windows will help make a great impression that your home is cared for. Take a look at your windows at various times of day too because a setting sun can quickly make dirty windows worse and even spotlight streaking from cleaning attempts.
- Say Goodbye to Home Smells - Most homes have some sort of smell. The popular response to this is "mine doesn't" You might be right... or you may have simply acclimated to it so you no longer notice it. Either way, this needs to be confirmed. Smells can be a top turn-off to buyers. These may include pet odors, musty odors, tobacco smells, and more. Now, before you go breaking out those industrial deodorizers... beware that those to can send up red flags. Buyers will wonder what you're covering up. The answer is to properly neutralize the cause and take proper measures for clean up even in areas it may have penetrated (wood, carpet, etc.).
- Paint It! - How much? Well, that depends on how dated or how worn your home is. If you're home is severely out of date with paint trends, then perhaps a thorough painting is order. If you're still in the trend zone, then let's get things touched up. Those scuffs on the walls and baseboards you've been overlooking... buyers will be considering those as lack of care for the home.
- Start Disconnecting - You're trying to convince another family that the home will be great for them, right? Well, let's start by not reminding them the home is YOURS. It's easier for their imaginations to see their family in the home without reminders that your family is there. No, it doesn't require a complete move-out, but start packing up those family photos, big wall-size award-displays, personalized wall clings, as well as anything else that stakes YOUR claim on the home.
- Make It Big! - How does a space appear bigger? Yes, lighter paint too, but I was thinking more about having less stuff in that space. In other words, some of your stuff needs to be packed up and either sold or stored off-site. If buyers see your home packed to the gills with stuff, guess what... they will think their stuff won't fit. Your home needs to display all the space it genuinely has... only without your stuff filling it. That doesn't mean shove it all in closets and the attic because buyers look there too. Get rid of it, or store if off-site.
- Curb Appeal - If there's one thing about home shopping that a seller should remember, it's that a buyer will often not even consider a home if they don't like the outside. Even with a showing scheduled, some buyers (with an agent) will pull up to the curb and say "nevermind" if they don't like the exterior or feel the home has been neglected. The exterior (front elevation) is usually what is displayed in online listings as well, so you better make it good. It may be your only shot with buyers who are skimming the thumbnail images online. This should include everything on the exterior including the home & landscaping. Pay special attention to your entrance (make that front door area spectacular) for those who do make it for a showing. This will provide an outstanding first impression.
- Make the Quirks Vanish - You know all those little things like squeaks and adjustments you've been living with for years? Well... those are new to a buyer and will not be overlooked, but instead will be perceived as lack of care. Spend some time and get those things oiled and adjusted. Doors - including walk-through doors and cabinet doors - should work properly and quietly. Same for everything else. Floor squeaks? Sometimes those have an easy fix, so consult with your handyman, and make visits by buyers a great one.
- Showcase It! - Often times homeowners tend to accumulate things of all sorts which can lead to a hodge-podge arrangement within the home that may not result in one coherent theme for the home. To some, this could look messy, and while they are not purchasing your personal things, the display of them can impact their impression of the home. After your decluttering (#6 above), consider using a stager to help get your home in display shape. This doesn't have to include the import of furniture. Many times, a stager can simply advise on the best way to arrange your own belongings to make the best impression with a buyer.
- Use Logic With Pricing - If you genuinely want to sell your home, then price it correctly and competitively. There's not a seller out there who doesn't want to get the most they can, but the reality is that if a seller prices a home in hopes of getting a price equivalent to winning the lottery, they are doing everyone a disservice. Priced too highly, the home will sit on the market, accumulate days on the market, deter buyers from even coming to see it, and most of all it will frustrate you (if you really want to sell). Another catch to that is that even if a buyer does offer the lottery-level price, if they are using financing for the purchase your home will need to appraise well enough for the lender to agree, and if not then the entire deal may fall apart and will have wasted everyone's time. Now, there is also the camp of sellers who thinks "well, if nobody wants to pay my price, then I will stay". Yes, you can take that approach (which usually includes an ambitious price), but this should be discussed with your agent so everyone has realistic expectations. If you really want to sell, get recent market data and price a home correctly. You'll have buyers lining up to see your home.
