Getting Your House Ready to Sell
Many sellers will hire an agent to put their house in the MLS and then they wait for showings to occur. While this will probably generate a few showings, they are definitely not taking advantage of the market. It is a buyer's market and sellers have got to learn to think like a buyer.
Follow these steps to not only make your house more livable but to reach your goal...to receive an offer in a shorter period of time.
- Keep the front of your house looking nice. The curb appeal is the first thing that the buyer sees when he looks at the house online and also when they pull into your driveway. This means have the bushes trimmed, the flowerbeds weeded, the grass seeded/mowed and have the gutters cleaned. If the buyer views a house that is not taken care of on the outside they may assume that the sellers are under financial stress and it will cause them to present a lower offer.
- Hide the family portraits and personal pictures in your house. Many sellers want to keep their house in the same condition as it was before they put it on the market. This is just not feasible. If you have personal pictures on the walls or tables then it will become a distraction to the buyers. Agents can tell you that your personal pictures get too much attention and the buyer never really takes a good look at the house itself. You aren't trying to sell how good of a photographer you are...you want to sell your house.
- Keep the house clean and if you keep your pet in the house, burn candles. When showing a house nothing is worse than knowing that the house has every feature that the buyer wants but when you walk in the front door you are smacked with an awful odor from pets or from smoke. Move the cat's litter box outside when you are expecting showings. Light a few candles or at least open the windows so that the house can get some fresh air.
- Go ahead and make the repairs that you know the buyer is going to ask for. If your are selling a house over $100,000 then you know the buyer is going to get an inspection. Go ahead and fix the wood rot, replace the missing and burnt out light-bulbs, fix the leaky sinks and faucets, tighten the base of the toilets and replace the missing shingles on the roof. You, as seller, are going to be paying to have these items repaired so go ahead and have everything fixed and enjoy it while you are still there.
- Make your house memorable. To you, the house is very special because it is not just a house...it is your home. To a buyer it is just a structure and they are going to be looking at 5 or more that same day. It is common for buyers to have trouble remembering certain houses after they have looked at different areas all day. Two easy ways to do this...have soft music playing in the background and/or have bottled waters and cookies available in the kitchen for the buyers. They will appreciate the gesture and that house will stick out to them at the end of the day.
One more trick...buyers will often meet in the kitchen of a house that they are interested in making an offer on to discuss their options. Buy a cheap recorder, hide it in your cabinets and turn it on when you leave for people to come view your house. You can receive valuable information when it comes to negotiating the price of the house and you will hear what the buyers honestly do or do not like about the house and this can help you to make those changes for future showings.
For more professional advice on Selling or Buying Homes contact me @ www.patricia4realestate.com where you can search the entire MLS anytime. Call ~Patricia @ 603-944-1465 you'll be glad you did!
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