"How To" Staging

Barbara Corcoran (Barbara Corcoran Inc) — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 13:57:23 -0600

I got such a wonderful response on here last time I posted, I thought I'd share one of my new "How To" videos with you all.

I hope this will prove useful to either yourself of your clients!

How to Sell Your Home in a Weekend

Barbara Corcoran (Barbara Corcoran Inc) — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 16:42:59 -0600

You know your home has been for sale for over a month with not so much as even a low-ball offer, but you need to sell now. What’s the first thing I would do to sell your home this weekend?

Take It Off The Market

Odd as it may seem, one way to get your home noticed is to have it go away. Time in a buyer’s market is your worst enemy; the longer your house sits on the market, the less valuable it becomes. On the other hand, nothing’s more appealing than something that’s new. So take your home off the market, wait 10 days, and put it back on. But before you do, do a little homework. Find out the last sale price of a comparable home in your area. That price sets the new ceiling for buyers to bid against, so when you put your house back on the market make sure it’s 10% below that new price. Brokers will be calling their clients saying, “Have I got a deal for you!”

And by the way, don’t be afraid of under pricing your house. In a buyer’s market, you’ll simply look like a good deal, more than one buyer will make an offer, and if you’re lucky you’ll end up in an auction.

Make A Limited Time Offer

Everybody likes the things they have only a one-time chance at. And most people just hate living with a lost opportunity. That’s the psychology behind a one-day-only sale. Just think of it as the biggest garage sale you’ve ever had. Post 100 flyers around your area. Advertise your sale on www.craigslist.org (An ad costs only $25). Then collect sealed bids on the day of the sale. It’s something that generates excitement, trust me, and that’s exactly what makes reluctant buyers bid. I’ve had personal success with this technique and hopefully, this weekend, you will too.

Tempt Them

Rather than lowering the price inch by inch, do something that really stands out from the crowd: Pre-pay house taxes, the gardening expenses, or pre-pay the mortgage for the first year. Just think how appealing these could sound to a prospective buyer who’s worried about move-in expenses, on top of everything else. And think how much less this will cost you than a meaningful price reduction. Depending on the cost of your home, offering to pay closing costs can be an inexpensive way of enticing a first time buyer with little cash for their down payment. One thing’s for sure: people will talk about a tempting extra and talking about it is free advertising, and who couldn’t benefit from that?

Make A Good First Impression

Most buyers decide if they want to purchase your home within the first 8 seconds. So think first about what the buyers see first, and invest in your front door. Paint it; even replace it if necessary. After all, if your front door and entranceway are not welcoming, chances are buyers will be less receptive to what’s inside. Don’t forget to pay attention to your shrubs, and a fresh coat of paint outside can get many more buyers inside. Perhaps nothing contributes more to curb appeal than a gleaming new paint job.

Be A Neat Freak

Get rid of your stuff! Everyone appreciates a well-organized home, even sloppy people. And no clutter makes a home look bigger. Plus here’s something else: getting rid of all your clutter is the single most important change you can make that doesn’t cost you a penny.

Kill The Photos

Imagine how much easier it is for someone to see themselves living in a home that isn’t filled with another family’s photos and memorabilia. So depersonalize. Remove all those pictures from the walls and replace them with generic art.

Every House Has It’s Own Scent And The Aroma Of Apple Pie Beats The Smell Of Old Sneakers
Eliminate bad odors and play up the pleasing ones. Open the windows and send the cats to grandma’s house. A house that doesn’t smell good can turn off buyers before they even open their eyes.

Well, those are my favorite insider tips for selling your home this weekend. But as you look around your home, I bet you’ll come up with a few of your own.

Barbara's Blog

"How To" Staging

How to Sell Your Home in a Weekend