Selling a Townhome or Condo: My Top 5 Tips for Making it Stand Out From the Competition

Townhomes and condos can be a bit more challenging to sell because often they look very much the same as many of the other homes in your neighborhood.  One can easily blend right in with all the others-- not good when you're trying to attract buyers!

So how do you make your home stand out from the rest?  How do you encourage offers on your home instead of the others?  You've already heard the advice for homes in general-- declutter, clean, paint, and make repairs.  But what specifically can you do in a townhome or condo that will make a difference? 

Here are my top five tips: 

1.  Spiff up your curb appeal!  Within the limits of your home owner's association, add special touches that will make your home stand out.  Add pots of flowers to the front step or just outside your door.  Hang a wreath on the freshly painted door.  Make your landscaping beautiful with color.  When the buyers get out of their cars, help them to know that yours is the house to buy!

2.  Create as much space as possible.  These are not usually large homes and the biggest complaint I hear from buyers is that the homes are too small.  You may have outgrown the place but don't let buyers see that.  Rent a storage for extra stuff that can be packed and for furniture that is too large.  If you have a storage space attached to your home, don't pack it full.  It's a selling feature-- let the buyers see how much space you have!

3.  Play up anything unique about your home!  Do you have a gourmet kitchen?  Do you have a fireplace when most units don't?  Do you have a beautiful view?  Use what you can to highlight those features that differentiate your home from the rest.  When I sold my townhome, I focused on the view of a large pond.  In fact the first photo in the MLS was of the pond.  It caught a lot of attention.

4.  Update Standard Fixtures and Lighting!  A lot of these homes still have the original builder's grade fixtures and lights.  Add a more contemporary and "dressed up" look to yours by replacing dated shiny brass with black iron, burnished bronze, or polished nickel.  Look through current home magazines to see what's in style.  Don't think that just because your home store sells it, it's the "in" thing.    

5.  Consider Your Customer!  If someone is looking for a townhome or condo, they usually are looking for low maintenance, so do the repairs for them.  Depending on your area, your buyers could be single, or young marrieds with no children, or older with no children at home.  They may work a lot.  Know who your target is.  Consult a local professional home stager to make sure your home will appeal to the audience in your area.  The cost of a consultation is a small investment and the return will make it worth every penny!

Follow these tips and you will be pulling ahead of the competition in no time!  If you're in Burlington or Camden County and would like to schedule a consultation, give me a call!  We are here to help you get your home sold!

Michele Rose is a Realtor and Professional Home Stager in Burlington County, NJ.  She has been assisting both buyers and sellers with their real estate needs for the last 6 years.  In 2007, she founded Rose-Colored Staging, a professional home staging and redesign business, to help sellers successfully market their homes with professional home staging.