Seller Tips To Prepare Your House For Sale

Every seller wants to get top dollar for their home.  Well its not just luck that can make this happen. It takes careful planning and knowing how to professionally spruce up your home in order to make buyers scurry for their checkbooks. In order to accomplish this, one must go through a series of events that will make your house an irresistable and marketable home.   

 


Disconnect From Your Home: No Emotions

The hardest thing for sellers to do is disconnect themselves from their home, a home that they may have raised a family in or have had for generations. When you hear a real estate agent speak about buying real estate they will often refer to the property as a home but if you are selling a property they will refer to it as a house.  There is a reason for this. Buying real estate is often an emotional decision, but when selling real estate you must remove emotion from the equation. You need to view your house as a marketable commodity. Property. Real Estate. The goal here is to get potential buyers to view your home as "theirs" not "yours". If you can't accomplish this you may inadvertently delay the sale of your home.

De-Personalize Your Home

If you have ever visited a model home you will have noticed that generally they are professionally and lavishly decorated homes that anyone can live in.  They are anonymous.  They may have "personality" but no "person".  You should putaway all personal photos, trophies, knick-knacks, and souvenirs.  When a potential homebuyer sees your family photos on the wall it momentarily shatters the illusion of living in the house themselves. You may want to rent a small storage facility to store your personal items while your home is on the market.  Think of this process as a head-start on the packing that you will need to do anyway.

The No Clutter Clause

After years of living in the same home, clutter will collect in a way that may not be evident to the seller.  Clutter can collect on countertops, shelves, drawers, closets, garages, and basements.  You will need to look at your house through the eyes of a buyer.  If you can take the criticism, ask a friend to point out areas of clutter. You want as much open clear space as possible. The rule of thumb here is if you haven't used it in the last 6 months then put it away.

Inside Stuff: Setting To Show

The most important room in the house is the kitchen.  Make sure to remove all clutter from the countertops, even the toaster.  Clean out all your drawers and cabinets.  Take all of the pots, pans, and dinner plates that you only use 2-3 times a year and pack them.  That junk drawer that you have, you know you have one, get rid of it.  Typically the first room that buyers will go into is the kitchen.  They will open all the drawers and cabinets.  They want to make sure that there is enough room for "their" stuff.  If your cabinets and pantries are jammed full, it sends a negative message to the buyer and does not promote an image of plentiful storage space.  You want to have as much "empty space" as possible.  Clean under the kitchen sink and get rid of everything except the neccesary cleaning supplies.  This will also allow you to determine if there are any tell-tale signs of water leaks.  Re-caulk all tubs, sinks and showers.  Polish all chrome faucets and mirrors.  Vacuum all the floors and carpets everyday.  Clean the dust off all ceiling fans and light fixtures.  Hang clean decorative towels in the bathrooms and clean any grungy grout lines.  Go outside your front door and stand there.  Do you want to go inside?  Does the house feel welcoming?  Buyers will do this and they will do it in every room.  You may also want to ask your real estate agent about staging.  If done properly this can expedite the sale of your home.

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