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Fix These 5 Things Before Listing Your House

By
Real Estate Agent with KW Elite

In this market, buyers have plenty of inventory to choose from. Don’t scare them away from your home by not fixing these things before you list. Your goal is to make showings a pleasant experience and your home feel inviting.


Selling your home1. Make A Great First Impression - A new coat of paint on the front door and no squeaky hinges. Weed flower beds and plant some brightly colored flowers in the flowerbeds. Mow the yard weekly.

2. Check Up On The Roof - make sure there are no missing or mossy shingles, this signals neglect to potential buyers.

3. Clear The Clutter - The buyers need to see your countertops, not your bills, dirty dishes, or souvenirs. Remove your oodles of family pictures and go for the less is more look. Ask your Realtor if they think staging is needed.

4. Patch Nail Holes And Paint - Don’t just paint that spot, paint the whole wall, a fresh coat of paint can revitalize your rooms, go with neutral colors.

5. No Smoking And No Cats - Nothing scares potential buyers away faster than a foul smelling home. Clean the litterbox daily or have your cat stay elsewhere. No more smoking inside of the house. Scented candles won’t fix these smells! You may need to use a Kilz stain blocker to paint the walls if they are stained.



Posted by

 

Michael J. Perry

KELLER WILLIAMS Elite

www.lancaster4sale.com  

 

1280 Plaza Blvd. , Lancaster, PA 17601

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Longtime West Lampeter resident and Lancaster County Realtor!

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Comments (24)

Anonymous
Linda Shepherd

I couldn't agree more! These things will help you sell so much faster, and they don't cost much, either!

 

May 21, 2012 03:21 AM
#5
Anonymous
Liz miller

Great tips, I also tell my sellers to buy a fresh new doormat and new and up to date bedding and pillows, every little punch of coror helps.

May 21, 2012 03:36 AM
#6
Tammie White, Broker
Franklin Homes Realty LLC - Franklin, TN
Franklin TN Homes for Sale

Michael, I had a client declutter, paint and stage. We got so many showings and the home is now under contract.

May 21, 2012 04:05 AM
Anonymous
Sandra Scott

Great list.  I keep trying to educate my sellers, but it's like pulling teeth.  If they could only walk in my showes for a week while I show property they would "Get It".  So we all just keep trying, don't we?

May 21, 2012 04:40 AM
#8
Evelyn Kennedy
Alain Pinel Realtors - Alameda, CA
Alameda, Real Estate, Alameda, CA

Michael:

This is the minimum a seller should do to prepare their home for sale.  Paint is so easy and make such a difference in the appearance of a home.

May 21, 2012 06:05 AM
Kimo Jarrett
Cyber Properties - Huntington Beach, CA
Pro Lifestyle Solutions

Great tips yet many RE agents are passive when it comes to insisting that their seller take action. 

May 21, 2012 06:15 AM
Joy Carter & Jeff Booker Brother and Sister Team
Keller Williams Parkland/Coral Springs Realty-GreatFloridaHomes Team - Coral Springs, FL
Trust Your Family's Move To Our Expertise!

Good Points and worthy of a re-blog.  One thing we have noticed with Buyers for homes - If it takes $100 for you to fix something, the Buyers deduct $1,000 off of their offer price.

It is prudent to get a home ready for sale, so they can get the maximum dollar.  Joy

May 21, 2012 06:30 AM
Nick Vandekar, 610-203-4543
Realty ONE Group Advocates 484-237-2055 - Downingtown, PA
Selling the Main Line & Chester County

All good points Michael and the added suggestions as well.

May 21, 2012 07:17 AM
Peter Michelbach
International, IT
i Sell Real Estate

Michael, well said - the 1st impressions make or break a deal, and in addition tell the prospective buyer something about our selves, the agency - our personal and professional image. Greaat points, thank you.

May 21, 2012 08:55 AM
Carla Muss-Jacobs, RETIRED
RETIRED / State License is Inactive - Portland, OR

There are so many things the sellers can do that won't cost much or anything at all.  Clean the rain gutterss (here it's a big deal), cut back trees and shrubs 6" away from the house, swipe the patio, etc. etc.  A weekend worth of elbow grease can go a long way with first impressions. 

May 21, 2012 11:50 AM
Marshall Brown
Mid America Inspection Services, LLC - Fargo, ND
BSEE, CHI

The two least expensive things to use in your home for sale, soap and paint! They also have the highest ROI.

May 21, 2012 12:24 PM
Marshall Brown
Mid America Inspection Services, LLC - Fargo, ND
BSEE, CHI

The two least expensive things to use in your home for sale, soap and paint! They also have the highest ROI.

May 21, 2012 12:25 PM
Gene Riemenschneider
Home Point Real Estate - Brentwood, CA
Turning Houses into Homes

Great list.  I find a power wash of the front and then painting the trim often leaves the entire housing looking like it has a fresh coat of paint.

May 21, 2012 02:20 PM
Bob Miller
Keller Williams Cornerstone Realty - Ocala, FL
The Ocala Dream Team

Hi Michael, great list.  It is amazing how those 5 simple thngs matter.

May 21, 2012 07:52 PM
Ty Carey
Our Father's Houses Realty - Easley, SC

Great list! It's super important to get the house sold in a timely manner. Great post.

May 22, 2012 05:18 AM
John McCormack, CRS
Albuquerque Homes Realty - Albuquerque, NM
Honesty, Integrity, Results, Experienced. HIRE Me!

Excellent!  The last two are extremely important! Found you via Gene's re-post and glad I did.

May 22, 2012 08:11 AM
Liane Thomas, Top Listing Agent
Professional Realty Services® - Corona, CA
Bringing you Home!

Nice list! I walked into a house yesterday....smelled like cats, bad. Buyers didn't even go in, said they didn't  need to see it after all. It went into the "no" pile. 

May 26, 2012 02:13 AM
Debra Gould
Staging Diva / Six Elements Inc. - Toronto, ON
The Staging Diva

I would add, make the beds and clean the dirty dishes out of the sink. With your 5, that makes a very basic list of 7 things that should be thought of as the equivalent of brushing your hair for a first date.

In other words, these are the most basic and don't even get a home seller to the level of truly standing out from all the competition that's on the market in their neighborhood and price range.

Michael, I'm glad you included "Ask your Realtor if they think staging is needed. "

 

May 26, 2012 02:09 PM
Wayne B. Pruner
Oregon First - Tigard, OR
Tigard Oregon Homes for Sale, Realtor, GRI

This is a good list. I would add clean, clean, clean.

Nov 01, 2012 02:17 PM
Matt Robinson
Professional Investors Guild - Pensacola, FL
www.professionalinvestorsguild.com

Michael, great advice.  Those are definitely the most critical things to do to make sure a home is show ready, yet it's amazing how few sellers are willing to do the simplest things to get a home sold.

Apr 23, 2013 01:59 AM