If you are one of the many sellers who took their house off the market this past winter with the intent to relist in the Spring, you are probably in the process of preparing to relist. Do you know what the problem was last winter so you can avoid repeating the same mistakes this spring?
Many sellers take their house off the market blaming the time of year, the economy, the Realtor...when the real problem is the condition of their house. Learn from your experience of last winter and, this time around make some changes in your approach to selling.
Sellers who change the season, get a new Realtor, and expect better results are going to be disappointed.
To quote Albert Einstein:
"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."
When you relist, think of your house as a product that you want to market to as many buyers as possible. Make the extra effort to guarantee that buyers will find your house appealing, inviting, and worth the price you are asking.
Only 10 percent of home buyers can visualize. Ninety percent of the people looking at your house can't imagine it any other way than how it is shown to them. If furniture placement is in question, they won't rearrange it in their mind. If they don't like the wall color or the outdated wallpaper, they won't imagine it repainted. Buyers today don't want to make improvements. They want "move-in" ready.
If you want different results this time around, you need a different approach. Increase the perceived value and set your house apart from the competition.
- Make condition and presentation your priority.
- When choosing a Realtor, look at the MLS photos of their current listings.
- Ask them to recommend a home stager and get professional advice on what improvements would be the most cost effective.
- Prepack as much as possible.
- Clean, paint and update.
- Organize closets, cabinets and drawers.
If you choose not to improve the condition, you will have no choice but to lower the price.
Now isn't that just insane!
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