At Home with Tammy Real Estate Magazine Winter 2018 | Page 6

10 BIG-TIME TIPS FOR HOME SELLERS
Useful tips for selling your home quickly
1. HIRE A PROFESSIONAL. This is no time to
navigate the real estate market on your own. MSN
Money shows that homes “For Sale By Owner”
typically sell for 18.9% less than homes sold with a
Realtor. You want someone who can help you
accurately price your home, bring in potential
buyers, manage showings, handle contracts and
market your home to the masses.
2. PRICE IT RIGHT. Make sure your Realtor has
extensive experience in home valuation. It is much
wiser to price a home correctly from the start than
to have a house sit on the market for months, only
to have a price reduction. You will have more
interest in a well-priced, newly listed home. Make sure
your Realtor can show you the competition so you can
see the world through a buyer’s eyes. Be tough and
honest with yourself. Compared to other homes in
your area, what price would make a buyer choose your
home over the competition?
your house is not clean. Clean your carpets, place air
fresheners. You can even use fresh flowers on the
dining room table or a bowl of fruit in the kitchen. If you are
having an open house, send your beloved pet to the spa
for a day. Odors, including pets and smoke are the first
and loudest complaints we hear when showing a home.
7. ORGANIZE & DE-CLUTTER. As hard
as it is, it is very important to de-clutter and
de-personalize your home. Buyers need to be able to
visualize their furniture and possessions in your home.
The more stuff you have, the harder this is. Less stuff
makes a home look larger, cleaner and even calmer.
Consider staging your home. Look at photos of
staged homes to get an understanding of how much
3. BE READY TO SHOW. Your house needs to
be “show-ready” at all times. You never know when
an agent is going to have a buyer who wants to see
your home. It may be on short notice, so make sure
it is always in top shape. Don’t leave dishes in
the sink, clean out the dishwasher, sparkle that
bathroom and remove any dust bunnies. This small
inconvenience is critical to helping your house sell.
4. FIRST IMPRESSIONS. are crucial. To build a
of every home. It’s more like you are
selling your kitchen than your house, that’s how
important it is. The benefits of remodeling your
kitchen are huge with an anticipated 85% return on
investment. It may take a few thousand dollars to
replace counter tops, but buyers may knock
$10,000 off the listing price if your kitchen looks
dated. The fastest, least expensive kitchen updates
include painting and new cabinet hardware. Use
neutral color paint so buyers can see a blank canvas to
envision their own style. If you have a little money
to spend, buy one high-end stainless steel appliance.
When people see one high-end appliance they tend to
think the rest are expensive too. of your personal possessions should be present,
which is not much (especially in the main living
areas). Put family photos, memorabilia collections
and personal keepsakes away. Empty the garage to
show off these wonderful caves and clear out the
closets. Buyers want to be able to explore these
areas without feeling like they are invading
someone’s personal space. Buyers need to
envision their own things in the area. Even if it means
renting a storage unit for a few months, you will get
better results if you reduce and remove. Plus, you’ll
be ahead of the game when it come time to move by
being organized.
6. CONCEAL the walls is probably the best thing you can do
to add appeal to the interior of the house for
buyers. Saturated colors on walls are less attractive
than neutrals in most cases, even if you love your
purple and green bedroom. Consider colors like
gray, tan or white so future buyers can envision
their own color and art on the walls. Touch up the
THE
CRITTERS,
and
deodorize from smoke and other offensive odors. You
would think a cuddly dog or beautiful cat would warm
buyer’s hearts, but they usually don’t. Buyers don’t
want to walk into your home and see a bowl full of
dog food, smell the kitty litter or have pet hair stuck
to their clothes. It often give buyers the impression
9. DON’T OVER-UPGRADE. Quick fixes
before selling usually pay off. Mammoth make-
overs, not so much. You probably won’t get your
money back if you do a huge improvement project
before you put your house on the market. Instead, do
updates that will pay off and get you top dollar. Apply
a fresh coat of paint on the walls. Clean the curtains,
replace door handles, cabinet hardware, and make sure
closet doors are on track. Fix leaky faucets and clean
the grout. A good Realtor will help guide you with what
improvements will have the best chance of recapture
upon the sale and which ones will just cost you time,
labor and money. They should discuss these items with
you when you sign the listing contract, so before you
sign make sure they know enough to offer you good
advice. You might be surprised by which items are a
big deal vs. those that are not.
10. LIGHT IT UP & DISAPPEAR. When you
stronger first impression, start from the outside
by improving your home’s curb appeal. Spruce up
the exterior with inexpensive shrubs and brightly
colored flowers. You can typically get a 100%
return on the money you put into your home’s curb
appeal. Entryways are important too. You use it as
a utility space for coats, shoes and keys, but when
you’re selling, make it welcoming. Use a small
bench, a vase of flowers or even some cookies.
5. KITCHEN FIRST! The Kitchen is the heart
baseboards and trim too, since dirty trim and scuffed
baseboards make a home look dingy. Clean, clean,
clean! Clean the whole house including the windows and
carpets. Hire a professional window washer or carpet
cleaner if necessary. The importance of a clean home
cannot be overstated and the ultimate goal is like a
spotless luxury hotel. Simple things like cobwebs on the
ceiling, a dust bunny on the floor or a piece of
dog hair on the duvet can be a major turn-off to
discerning buyers. A clean house is a house a buyer
wants to move in to and gives the impression the home
has been cared for.
8. SPRUCE IT UP INSIDE. Fresh paint on
have a showing, maximize the light in your home.
After location, good light is the one thing that
every buyer cites that they want in a home. Take
down the drapes, clean the windows, change the
lampshades, increase the wattage of your light bulbs
and cut the bushes outside to let the sun in. If you
have blinds on your windows, raise them (but make
sure your windows are clean) and then go find
something else to do. Sellers can put a lot of heart and
soul into staging a home and getting it ready for the
market. You might be tempted to hang out during the
showings, but resist the urge. This makes it very
uncomfortable for buyers. So during showings
of any kind, be sure to be scarce. Rely on your
Realtor for feedback from the showing to know what
went well and what could be changed. Flexible and
accommodating sellers will always have a better
chance of success.
Following these tips will help you be successful in
your efforts to sell your home quickly. Your Realtor
should be there with you every step of the
way, and when in doubt ask.
Real Estate is not about business.
It’s about families, friendships, & trust.
It’s about people helping people!
CONGRATULATIONS - you’re SOLD!