You can't just stick a SALE sign in your yard and wait for offers to pile up at your door. Those days disappeared from the Crofton real estate market about five years ago!

if you want to maximize your home sale profits and minimize the days on market, you really need to put your best foot forward from Day #1 of the listing. This requires you to transform the property from a home that reflects your taste, personality, and needs to a home with the potential to satisfy the taste, personality, and needs of prospective buyers.

Real estate agents will tell you there's a buyer for every home, regardless of condition - at that's true. There are some things you can do, however, to maximize your sale price and home-selling profits. Making these improvements could put many thousands of extra dollars into your hands at closing:

  1. ClosetSIMPLIFY! Home buyers want to imagine themselves living in your home and, frankly, it's not easy for them to do so if the space feels cluttered to them. Take half the books off your shelves, remove half the clothes from your closet, take everything off the kitchen counters, desks, dressertops and other flat surfaces; make room for a car in your garage; remove personal pictures and your cherished ceramic pig collection. Then organize any remaining items by storing them in attractive containers that aren't visible without opening a closet door.  It doesn't matter to your home sale whether you trash it, donate it, pack it, or hide it in your neighbor's attic... just simplify! Most of us have too much "stuff," so this is not a commentary on your personal decorating style or housekeeping. P.S. - De-clutter exterior spaces, too, such as your yard, storage shed, porch, and garage.

  2. CLEAN.  Again... home buyers want to imagine themselves living in your home and they don't want to Be surrounded by dirt and grime... Or even fingerprints on the walls.  The ideal solution is to replace worn and stained carpet, but at least clean it.  Wash your windows inside and out, bathroom mirrors, and any glass on light fixtures. Polish your bath tub, sink, and chrome fixtures, and consider replacing interior doorknobs. Clean the outside too... power-wash your deck or patio, remove mildew from siding on the shady side of your house, cut the grass, edge the sidewalks and beds.

  3. Roof Repair - REPAIR/REPLACE.  Replace non-working light bulbs, cracked window panes, broken hardware, leaking faucet washers; repair grout around your tubs, the latch on your fence, and anything else that needs fixing, no matter how minor. If there are major repairs or updates you can't afford to do before selling, obtain a price estimate (or two) for having the work done and reduce your list price to accommodate them. If nothing else, make sure your front door area is "perfect" with fresh paint, lighting in good condition, a nice "welcome" mat, and new or polished door hardware.

  4. NEUTRALIZE.  Neutralizing your home is an extension of the earlier suggestion to "simplify" so that prospective buyers can imagine themselves living in your home.  Neutralizing your home begins with painting walls and trim a fresh neutral color and extends to other things such as eliminating odors from pets, exotic foods, or smoking.  It also could mean replacing outdated olive green kitchen appliances or pink bathroom tile and fixtures... or removing religious symbols, collegiate memorabilia, and political signs. If you live in a condo that is sized and priced for empty nesters, don't scare them away with baby equipment and toys; confine it all to one room.

  5. STAGE.  Staging is the final touch that will take your home across the finish line. It is the art of adding finishing touches, not unlike choosing the right jewelry or accessories to wear. Many women wouldn't leave home without make-up, at least not for a special occasion, and this is a special occasion for your home. A stager may strategically arrange a trio of items on the bedside table you cleared during the "simplify" stage of preparation, lay a book open on a desk, or even partially assemble a jigsaw puzzle in a playroom. I recently staged the screened porch of a vacant home with a new rug, plants, and a table set for lunch to attract the buyer's eyes beyond the vacant living room and dining room. From there, it was likely they would fall in love with the back yard. In most cases, I will recommend a professional stager.
If all this sounds overwhelming, you're not alone. Many home sellers simply don't have the time or energy to do all this preparation. I can still sell your Crofton home, however, provided you price it accordingly. The condition of your home is totally within your control and the decision to sell at a lower price is yours alone. 
Posted originally on 2/6/13 at Focus On Crofton.

Copyright 2006-13. Margaret Woda. All rights reserved.

  DISCLAIMER: Information contained in this post is deemed reliable on the date of publication, but it is not guaranteed and it is subject to change without notice.

________________________________________

Margaret Woda, Crofton Realtor


Margaret WodaMargaret Woda, REALTOR & Associate Broker
Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc., 2191 Defense Hwy., Crofton, MD 21114
Direct:  (410) 451-6245 or click on EMAIL

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52 Comments on Five Inexpensive Improvements to Help Your Home Sell

20 Most Recent Comments Displayed Show All

FEB
20
283,127 Points 4 Featured Posts

Nice post Margaret! These simple tips are all too often ignored and cost sellers thousands at closing. If only we had a way to convince every seller that it was worth their while to keep their home clutter free and invest a little bit into needed repairs.
10:15am • #33
580,810 Points 37 Featured Posts Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

What excellent tips, Margaret, for sellers who want their home to look its very best from Day One on the market.  Your clients are lucky that you have the experience to guide them during what could be a stressful time if they didn't have your list!
10:30am • #34
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The Christiansen Team - I find that many home sellers are eager for this advice, BUT it's better to make the advice generic than address it to their home specifics. That seems to make them a bit defensive.

Edward - That can be a good idea but, in my area, removing overgrown plantings is usually needed more than adding anything.

Mike - Preparation is the first step to a successful sale.  Of course, it helps if you accept all appointments and don't decline them, as recently occurred with one of my listings.

James and Deanna - It would be impossible to itemize... someone will always come up with more.  :)

Tom, that and Christmas lights.  I have neighbors who still light them.

MaryKay, in our world, it's just common sense and it's hard to believe that home sellers don't know instinctively to do these things.  Amazing how many don't.
4:15pm • #35
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Jimmy, we do, don't we?

Jay, I think those are implied with "repair" - LOL!

Graziella, you've got a point there.

Bryan, I agree... but that last step is like the icing on a birthday cake! It's good, but something is obviously missing.

Richie, time consuming but easy on the pocketbook, in most cases.

Rob, I often recommend a pre-sale home inspection so there are no surprises and urge the sellers to address every little detail.

 
4:25pm • #36
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Daniel, the sellers who do everything on this list usually have a fairly quick sale. They should!

Andrew, you're right.

David, it's true, but some sellers are so overwhelmed by all this.  I always tell them that they don't have to do any of these things, but they'll have to price the property much lower... 10% or more.

Ridhi, you're welcome!

Pamela, I think using the word "de-clutter" can come across as insulting.  I like "simplify" as a more diplomatic choice of words.

Fred, I think that "true stories" are the best way communicate the importance of home sale preparation.  Last week, my new listing had 17 appointments made the first day and 4 contracts.  These sellers did everything I asked of them.

Maureen, I usually introduce this by talking about dressing for a special occasion and that putting your home on the market is dressing it for a special occasion.  People "get" that!
4:40pm • #37
1,653,168 Points 134 Featured Posts Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Margaret,

I love this post.  

This is THE talk or parts of THE talk that just about every seller needs.  You have taken the time to spell it out, give reasons for each one and are detailed in solutions to these hinderances to selling.  

I applaud this post!  
5:04pm • #38
304,644 Points 27 Featured Posts Outside Blog Called Shot Master

Congratulations on a well (in my opinion) feature... I especially love this:

The condition of your home is totally within your control and the decision to sell at a lower price is yours alone.

Happy Evening...
5:54pm • #39
1,156,447 Points 86 Featured Posts Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Margaret, such simple advice and yet so many sellers cannot get past the trees. They don't realize how much 'stuff', they've collected and that a new buyer doesn't really see the same treasure they have
6:56pm • #40
1,126,400 Points 90 Featured Posts Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

It's amazing what a good power washing can do for a house with old viny. 
7:01pm • #41
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Margaret, this is really great advice that cannot be given too often.
8:58pm • #42
1,352,557 Points 42 Featured Posts Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master
Margaret - Several great suggestions to help a home to sell without spending a lot of money.
9:49pm • #43
882,304 Points 10 Featured Posts Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Margaret, great tips on making the home saleable. In fact #5 (Staging) will have previous ones included in it - the stager will request to clean the clutter along with other suggestions.
9:56pm • #44
FEB
21
352,203 Points 29 Featured Posts Outside Blog Called Shot Master

I don't think your first rule, simplify, can ever be overstated! Great post!
3:45am • #45
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22
1,024,230 Points 66 Featured Posts Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

I just had 2 UPholstered chairs in my den taken out and cleaned...they came back yesterday looking almost new.....most carpet cleaning services will clean rugs, roll up carpet and upholstered furniture...makes the furniture look and house smell GREAT!

 
2:29am • #46
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Judi, I've gotten to be a real stickler about the topic of property condition and, in fact, I will only pay for professional photos if the seller takes care of these things before putting their home on the market.

Richard and Beth, that statement is so true... and not everyone has the time or energy to do all these things.  They just have to realize that the home will sell for less if they don't.  It really is their call, and some people prefer to just get outta there without all that prep.  We have to respect that.

Ed, I do think sellers are less resistant to the word "simplify" than they are to the word "clutter" - To them, their many photos and collectibles are not clutter.

Erica, isn't that the truth!  And decks and fences, too.

 

 
4:25am • #47
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Pat, we've all written blog posts on this subjects many times, but there's a new audience of consumers for them from one month to the next.  You're right... we can't repeat this too often.  If you're out of blog topics, this is a great fall-back.

Christine, it all can get expensive if a seller decides to replace carpet or there's a lot of deferred maintenance, but most sellers I encounter can transform their home by simplifying, cleaning, making minor repairs, neutralizing, and staging.

Praful, I agree... but I find that most sellers are unfamiliar with the concept of staging and it works best with them when described this way.  Maybe I'm doing the staging industry a dis-service, but it works for my purposes to describe staging as that magic finishing touch.

Wayne and Jean Marie, so true!  We all have too much stuff... Sellers seem to get it when I put it in this perspective: the goal is to transform this house from your home, which reflects your needs, personality and taste, to a house that has the potential to become the buyers home, which will reflect their needs, personality and taste. 

Wallace, that's a good point I never considered.  I'll have to remember that. 
4:33am • #48
1,347,872 Points 71 Featured Posts Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

This is the type of information we all need to share with our clients.
2:50pm • #49
FEB
23
476,655 Points 15 Featured Posts Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master
We keep doing all those things on our home and hopefully we have done what we need to do so it sells this cycle.
7:05pm • #50
FEB
24
1,521,003 Points 112 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog Called Shot Master

Doing all this stuff can make a home owner wonder if they even want to sell.  The home can look so different after and that's the point.  The way we live is not the way we need to present our homes when we want to sell them.
10:21am • #51
824,234 Points 155 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog Hit Router Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Barbara Jo, I think it helps to provide this info in a generic format so sellers don't get offended.  That being said, sometimes we just HAVE to be direct.  One thing is certain... when sellers do these things, their home does sell more quickly and for more money.  It never fails!

Jeanne and Ralph, I'm betting it will work for you.  It does for my clients!

Chris Ann, I've not only had that happen, I've done that - i.e., reconsider after fixing up my house to sell!  It does make a difference, doesn't it?
4:42pm • #52

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Margaret Woda, Maryland Real Estate & Military Relocation Services

Margaret Woda

Crofton, MD

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Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc., Crofton, MD 21114

Address: 2191 Defense Hwy., #120, Crofton, Bowie, and Davidsonville, MD, 21114

Office Phone: (410) 721-1500

Cell Phone: (301) 346-2923

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