First Impressions
A buyer's first impression of your home can mean getting a serious offer in a short amount of time vs. showing your home, for months, to prospective buyers that never return.
Following are some basic tips from The Crown Team for savvy home sellers that will help insure your home is seen in the best light:
1. Curb appeal. The front of your home is the very first thing buyers see when they drive up. Over the years we have heard many buyers tell us, they where not interested, based solely on the front of the house. Curb appeal is your first line of selling.
· Keep the grass mowed, trimmed and well watered.
· Keep the porch and the front walkway clean and free of
clutter.
· Plant bright colored flowers.
· Prune and trim all trees and shrubs.
· Eliminate or cut back any overgrowth.
· Keep all toys, bicycles, gardening tools and clutter stored
out of sight.
· If needed, paint the trim in front of your house.
· For evening showings keep all exterior lights on.
2. Smell is not your friend. Even though many people are oblivious to scents, others are very sensitive to odors, good or bad. To eliminate odors, do not cook foods with a heavy odor prior to showings. Shampoo your carpets, dry clean your drapes, keep pets outside or bathe them frequently, keep the litter box fresh, and empty trash cans frequently. Do not smoke or allow smoking in the house. Introduce pleasing smells that are not too heavy like fresh flowers or potpourri and light air fresheners. A little trick we’ve always liked is using a small saucepan placed on the stovetop burner, on low, with apple cider and a stick of cinnamon…smells great!
3. Remove clutter. It’s well known in the real estate industry that a buyer has a hard time seeing past a maze of personal items. We also know that most of us do not live in a model home. Speaking of model homes, have you ever considered why new homebuilders spend so much time and money preparing their models for sale? Builder have found through market research and experience that the additional effort and investment in preparing a home for sale will result in a substantial increase in the number of sales they get. Your home is no different. Crowded rooms with to much furniture, personal photos or collections, closets filled from floor to ceiling, crowded countertops all keep potential buyers from being able to see your home. Pack up everything you don't need or use, get a jump-start on your packing now. Rent a storage space or at least store it neatly in your garage.
4. Stage your home simply and attractively. Put out fresh cut flowers. Make sure ALL windows blinds / drapes are open and ALL lights are turned on. Set your dining table with attractive dishes. For the bathrooms put out your best towels. Put a log in the fireplace during colder seasons. When your home is being shown turn the music to a quiet classical style station or CD.
5. Make repairs. Small repairs that seem insignificant to you may give a potential buyer the impression that you have not maintained the property. Sticking or creaky doors, dripping or leaking water faucets, burned out light bulbs, broken windows, broken or inoperable appliances, deteriorating or dirty paint and the like should be fixed before you put your home on the market. Most buyers are going to expect everything in their new home to operate safely and without problems.
6. Look at it through the buyer's eyes. Step outside your home, walk up and pretend you've never seen it before…then ask yourself “would I buy this home”? If you expect your home to sell, your answer better be an enthusiastic yes! We have had a few clients tell us after they where done “they where having second thoughts about selling because the house looked so great”.
