Flashback three years ago.... if you had a home to sell that was clean and in good condition, you could pretty much bank on it selling pretty quickly. As a matter of fact, in many neighborhoods, buyers had to have the speed of light on their side to get an offer placed in time before that average home was snatched up right before their eyes. Buyers were overlooking the little things that they otherwise might be focusing on in a home and going with the idea that they can make those little fixer-upper changes on their own.
Flashforward (is that a real word--I dunno; not sure on that one!) to 2008... your home must not only be clean and in good condition--it really must be virtually flawless and presented impeccably.
Having an agent that has an excellent staging team on board is extremely helpful in getting homes sold in a challenging market. Some sellers have difficulty getting past the idea that "It's only paint-the new owners will probably want to paint it their colors anyway". This is probably one of the biggest mistakes you can make as a seller. Buyers, as I have mentioned in past blogs, make their decision as to whether they like a house or they don't within a few seconds of entering the front door. It is the initial reaction to what they see AND FEEL. If your living room is painted in bright yellow and they hate yellow--your house already has a huge strike against it. Couldn't they just re-paint? Well, of course they could and it's not even an expensive investment on their part. But, it has created in their mind the feeling that maybe this house isn't right "from the start" and they begin to look at and focus on the negatives instead of the positives in the property. This also holds true with clutter and overcrowded rooms. Sellers have the mind-set, "Well, they're not buying my stuff, they're buying the house". Again, some years ago, the buyers would gladly overlook your "stuff" because they didn't want to take the chance of losing the house of their dreams. Today, the buyer has the ability to be more choosy and a clutter free home just presents that warm and fuzzy feeling that they are looking for...not to mention gives your home a more spacious feeling!
So, if you'd like to sell your house as quickly as possible in this market; your best bet is to take the time to make sure your home "Puts it's Best Foot Forward" so to speak. Here's another favorite saying:
You Only Get One Chance to Make a Great First Impression!
Faith LaRosse
Coldwell Banker Diamond Realtors
350 W. Main Street, Collegeville, PA 19426
cell: 610 996-3195
office: 610 489-7700 ext: 3607
www.FaithLaRosse.com SoldbyFaith@aol.com
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