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Advice for Sellers: PREPARE Your House BEFORE It Is Listed

Real Estate Agent with Better Homes and Gardens RE Shore and Country Properties RES.0781237

October 01, 2011 04:44 AM

Today I saw what was the third house in the last week that was not ready to be listed. I just don’t understand it. The most precious and important time for a house to be in tip top shape is the first few weeks of listing.

When it’s showtime and that listing goes live and the curtain in drawn, that house better be making the performance of its life. Sadly, this is not always the case.

Here is a conglomeration of what I noticed in those three houses.

Exterior
Exterior grounds messy
Front walk full of weeds
Dead shrubs and/or flowers
Filmy light fixtures
Broken light fixture
Dull or missing bulbs
Torn up welcome mat
Fascia board falling down
Mildew on siding

Interior
Dirty walls
Grimy wall plates
Water stains on walls
Cracks in ceiling
Damaged kitchen countertop
Stained carpeting
Dirty windows
Dusty blinds
Bathroom tub grout pulled away from wall
Cigarette smoke smell in house masked by potpourri
Leaky kitchen faucet
Clutter in corners

Most of these issues just require some elbow grease and cleaner; Others, minimal expense to correct.

You see, buyers notice EVERYTHING. Sometimes, it’s those small things or a group of small things that become BIG in the buyer’s mind and are a distraction when viewing the house.

They also put that bad seed of deferred maintenance in the buyer’s mind. In other words, if these sellers can’t clean up and fix these small issues, what bigger issues have they let go as well?

Sellers: PREPARE Your House BEFORE It Is Listed. Get it ready for prime time. When it goes on the MLS, this is NO rehearsal. This is showtime. Your house MUST be ready for its performance … and scrutiny by its critics … prospective buyers. After all, don’t you want a good review AND an encore??

Thinking of selling your house? Please contact me for expert advice and tips on preparing your house for sale and getting it SOLD.

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Barbara Altieri

Better Homes and Gardens RE Shore and Country Properties - Shelton, CT

REALTOR-Fairfield County CT Homes/Condos For Sale

Deb -- That's the point. Buyers don't really see past these things. It puts doubt and question into their minds and all for things that are easily corrected. (Glad to see you're back!)

Oct 01, 2011 05:00 AM

Birgit Anich

Birgit Anich Staging & Interiors, 203.807.4040 - Norwalk, CT

CT Home Stager Fairfield & New Haven County

Barbara, great list. This is a great list of the absolute minimum that needs to be done to a property that is being listed. The house is usually the single most valuable asset of the home seller. I don;t understand why there is less effort made in preparing this most valuable asset than when selling a car.The condition and the showcasing has a big impact on how the property shows online, where 94% of home buyers does start their house search. If they do not like what they see the home seller will loose the potential sale as buyers will not come to visit it.

Often home sellers need to hear this from a third part, such as a home stager. Frequently clients tell me on my consultation, "oh, my agent told me some of the things you mentioned" and when I ask them why they did not take care of it, they tell me "I needed to hear this from a professional stager" - figure.....

Oct 01, 2011 05:05 AM

Barbara Altieri

Better Homes and Gardens RE Shore and Country Properties - Shelton, CT

REALTOR-Fairfield County CT Homes/Condos For Sale

Birgit -- You're right that it's the absolute minimum. I could not even believe what I saw at these houses. With proper preparation none of these should have been as evident adn noticeable as they were.

Oct 01, 2011 05:12 AM

Ken Brandon

Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage (Jacksonville, NC) - Jacksonville, NC

Camp Lejeune, Jacksonville, NC

Thanks for the great list. It serves as a reminder that part of our job as real estate professionals (that are listing agents) is to work diligently to ensure sellers understand in today's maket it is all about their position in the market...and the condition of the home. I bookmarked this to share with some of our agents.

Oct 01, 2011 07:05 AM

Michelle Gibson

Hansen Real Estate Group Inc. - Wellington, FL

REALTOR

Barbara - Buyers do notice EVERYTHING!!! Some sellers think getting their home on the market asap is best, but it's ulimately costing them if they're not ready.

Oct 01, 2011 07:05 AM

Joan Cox

House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO

Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Barbara, you are such a great agent, and KNOW that a home should be in showing condition the MOMENT it is put on the market. Your best offers will be the FIRST offers. Why blow it! SUGGESTED

Oct 01, 2011 01:01 PM

George Souto

George Souto NMLS #65149 FHA, CHFA, VA Mortgages - Middletown, CT

Your Connecticut Mortgage Expert

Barbara, that is excellent advice and a great list to go with the advice.

Oct 01, 2011 01:11 PM

Jamie Dumaine-Russell

RE/MAX Alliance - Branford, CT

Barbara - If these sellers would only put themselves in the shoes of a potential buyer it might give them a whole different perspective on getting their home ready for the market. A lot of the items in your list are not difficult to remedy and are the first things that buyers notice when going through a home. Great post and suggested!

Oct 01, 2011 01:58 PM

Barbara Altieri

Better Homes and Gardens RE Shore and Country Properties - Shelton, CT

REALTOR-Fairfield County CT Homes/Condos For Sale

Ken -- Yes, and it is our job to help them make their house stand out in the TOP position.

Michelle -- Exactly. The buyers I was with picked up on the bathtub grout immediately. Then they went to the other baths and checked even more diligently to see if they were in need of repair as well.

Joan -- I will not even list the home unless it is prepared to sell. The seller's position is weakened when the buyer's are pointing out issues that are very easily corrected. When the house is listed, it MUST be ready to show!

Oct 01, 2011 03:04 PM

Barbara Altieri

Better Homes and Gardens RE Shore and Country Properties - Shelton, CT

REALTOR-Fairfield County CT Homes/Condos For Sale

George -- There are a lot more things to add to a seller preparation list. These are just things that came up looking at those three houses. I could not even believe how those houses were presented.

Donna - All of these things are pretty simple to remedy and go a long way in making a good first impression. There may not be a second chance to do so.

Oct 01, 2011 03:07 PM

Janet Jones

Just Your Style Interiors, LLC - Kihei, HI

Home Staging, Interior Redesign Kihei, Maui, Hawaii

Hi Barbara--great post. If you notice these things why can the sellers or the seller's agent. I ask this question continuously because I can't believe the condition of many properties as they come on the market. For most people this is the biggest financial investment of their lives and they treat it with relative indifference.

Oct 01, 2011 06:23 PM

Lawrence "Larry" & Sheila Agranoff. Cell: 631-805-4400

The Top Team @ Charles Rutenberg Realty 255 Executive Dr, Plainview NY 11803 - Plainview, NY

Long Island Condo and Home Specialists

Barbara, When we showed buyers this week a home that had dishes filled to the rim in the sink, plus a leaky faucet, bathrooms with mold and carpets that were stained, they immediately checked this house off their list as they thought...What else aren't they maintaining in this house? Buyers DO take notice of everything!

Oct 02, 2011 01:44 AM

Barbara Altieri

Better Homes and Gardens RE Shore and Country Properties - Shelton, CT

REALTOR-Fairfield County CT Homes/Condos For Sale

Janet -- I totally agree.

Layy & Sheila -- Exactly. If this is what they SEE, what is going on that they are not seeing or can't see?

Oct 02, 2011 10:49 AM

Jennifer Fivelsdal

JFIVE Home Realty LLC | 845-758-6842|162 Deer Run Rd Red Hook NY 12571 - Rhinebeck, NY

Mid Hudson Valley real estate connection

Barbara some sellers just don't get it. If your home is not prepared fore prime time it probably will not sell in this market, but if it does sell, it will sell for far less.

Oct 03, 2011 09:31 AM

Barbara Altieri

Better Homes and Gardens RE Shore and Country Properties - Shelton, CT

REALTOR-Fairfield County CT Homes/Condos For Sale

Jennifer -- Yes, it will sell for less, The investment in preparation WILL bring back more $$$ to the seller and less buyer scrutiny.

Oct 03, 2011 09:43 AM

Mary Douglas

United Country Ponderosa Realty, Red Feather Lakes, Colorado - Red Feather Lakes, CO

REALTOR, Red Feather Lakes, Colorado

Hi Barbara, you are right on the money with this one. Great post and a good way to make a list of the things you noticed. First impressions are so important and a lot of buyers I've met aren't interested in doing a lot of work either, they just want to move in.

Oct 03, 2011 11:45 AM

Barbara Altieri

Better Homes and Gardens RE Shore and Country Properties - Shelton, CT

REALTOR-Fairfield County CT Homes/Condos For Sale

Mary -- I just could not believe what I saw. They were all issues that were so easily corrected and would have made a BIG difference with the buyers. Some people just don't get it.... or they just are not properly advised.

Oct 03, 2011 01:31 PM

David Popoff

DMK Real Estate - Darien, CT

Realtor®,SRS, Green ~ Fairfield County, Ct

Barbara, funny that you mentioned this, I just came back from brokers open house and had the same experience.

Oct 04, 2011 10:11 AM

Lynn911.com ~ Dallas Real Estate Agent Top Team

Dallas Houses for Rent Dallas Apartment Rentals Lynn911.com - Dallas, TX

Barbara MOST DON'T GET IT - buyers want to see a nicely staged home than a total mess !