INDUSTRY INSIGHT
Real Estate
Sponsored Content
Getting Your Home
Ready to Sell
G
etting your home ready to sell can sometimes seem like a daunting
task, especially if you’ve lived in it for a decade or more. We all
acquire lots of “STUFF” that serves no real purpose but somehow
becomes a fixture in our world. Just this morning, I was looking
at the chair in my bedroom that is covered with old magazines and
cookbooks. In thinking about the fact that we are getting ready to list
our own home, I started wondering why I haven’t thrown that stuff away
or donated the books to the library because they have been on that
chair for about a year! So I quickly grabbed a box and off to the library
I went. Now I have a clean chair and I am one step closer to being
ready to sell.
Getting your home ready to sell is a lot about decluttering spaces.
Spring just happens to be the best time of the year to make this happen.
I recommend that people go through each room of their home and
look around to see what is not needed and get rid of it. I promise
you will find a lot of things that should be pitched. Also, look to see
if there is too much furniture in a given room. Sometimes too much
furniture can make a room appear small. In addition, check whether
the placement of the furniture is blocking a window. Buyers list “natural
light” as one of the top attributes they are looking for in a home.
Speaking of windows, we recommend that sellers have their windows
professionally cleaned prior to listing their home. It makes a world of
difference to have clean sunshine (I’m sure hoping we get some soon)
coming through the windows.
Buyers today are savvy and, for the most part, don’t want to do a lot
of work when they move into a home. So, if you have items in the home
that are in need of repair, it is a good idea to make those repairs prior to
listing. Therefore, we suggest that sellers have the carpets professionally
cleaned. Make sure that your paint colors (though special to you) are
as neutral as possible. A fresh coat of paint can freshen up the look and
make the home stand out.
Finally, make sure that your curb appeal is what it should be. This can
easily be accomplished with some fresh seasonal flowers on the front
porch or a pretty, seasonal wreath.
This Industry Insight was written by Kelly Hanna Riley.
A licensed Realtor in the state of Pennsylvania since 1992,
Kelly Hanna Riley is the sales director of Howard Hanna Real
Estate Service’s Seven Fields office. A graduate of the Alan
Kells School of Real Estate, Kelly has additionally earned
the designation of Certified Relocation Specialist from the
National Association of Realtors.
A lifelong resident of Pittsburgh, Kelly has excelled to
become one of Howard Hanna’s top agents. A consistent,
multi-million dollar producer, she has received the National
Sales Excellence award and, based on positive feedback from
her clients, has received the 2011 & 2012 Pittsburgh Magazine 5-Star Realtor rating.
Coming from a successful real estate family, she knows the importance of privacy
and confidentiality in the real estate transaction. Whether her clients are home buyers
or sellers, Kelly is known for her dedication and pursuit of the best possible results,
and knows what it takes to get them. A former elementary school teacher and
mother of three, she knows the importance of local schools to clients with children.
With her teaching background she is able to best assist her clients with school and/
or school district decisions. As the wife of a local homebuilder, Kelly knows the
new construction business well and is able to guide her clients through the new
construction process.
A graduate of Winchester Thurston (’91) and Chatham University, Kelly serves on the
boards of Winchester Thurston and the Howard Hanna Children’s Free Care Fund
Foundation. She and her husband Patrick, owner of Riley Homes, reside in Seven
Fields with their three children, Connor (16), Hanna (14), and Liam (8).
She can be reached at 412.418.5248 or by email KRiley@howardhanna.com.
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