The First Impression Can Make A Difference When Selling Your Home

Simple and to the point, thanks

Your right on with your comments, but how may homes do you see that no one has addressed these issues with the seller.

Thank you Sherry, There are many opportunties to make first impressions when selling a property. I agree with Tom, first is on the web. Next is curb appeal as you have covered so well.  Then every single room that a potential buyer walks through in the house is another opportunity to make a first impression.

It is difficult for many sellers and even friends or family of sellers to look at their property objectively and that's why it is best, Thank you Shawn! to hire a professional Home Stager. If your seller is a DIY, a simple and inexpensive consult can give the seller the guidance they need in preparing their house for the market.

Good post Sherry.  I often tell my seller clients to walk outside with me to stand at the curb and pretend they are a buyer looking at homes.  We address all of the things you mentioned.  I also tell them that the buyer is standing at the porch while we fiddle with the key, etc.  During those 10 seconds the buyer is viewing the entire area around the front door.  The buyer also looks up so make sure the porch ceiling is clean and painted, the light fixture needs to be clean and all bulbs burning.  The list is endless, but at least you've given some agents an idea of what to do with their clients!  Best of luck to you!

Great post!  From a lending stand point I can tell you I've had agents shake their heads on the buyers decision because the house looked better from the outside but the opinion of the agent was they could have gotten a better deal on the other house that wasn't as appealing from the curb.  The term used was "curb side appeal"

I was thinking along these lines yesterday on MLS tour - we saw two homes that were absolutely filthy.  I wondered what the agents were thinking - one was priced OK, but not great, the other way out of line - at least $50K too high. What is the point of showing your fellow agents places like these?

Sherry - you are so right. If the property fails the first impression, it's an uphill battle from there. This is one of the reasons that having a professional home stager come in is so crucial. At the very least, sellers should consider a consulation to get an idea of where they need to make improvements. I fhtey can't make the changes themselves, investing in hiring the stager will be well worth the cost - and the cost of staging is much less than a price reduction.

Thank you for writing a great and informative post. Excellent advice for all homeowners preparing to put their home on the market.

Very good post and very true.  Thanks for the information. First impressions are key.

Sherry: Great subject well thought out.

It's amazing we even need a post like this.....but we do! I have had buyers not get out of a car when they see the front of a home.

Great post!  Some agents are afraid to tell their sellers that they need to do things to make their homes more presentable.  I learned a long time ago that it does you and your client an injustice if you are not honest.

Aloha,

Karla Casey, Principal Broker
Casey & Associates
Hawaii

Sherry:  Great advice!  Carrie

Well stated! Absolutely great advice for all homeowners. 

Deb

One thing to add would be to ask neighbors to remove barriers - barking dogs at open houses, unkept yards, etc.  My philosophy is to not let a potential buyer say no in the car because they may never get into the house...............................chris

So true, Sherry! I often tell my sellers/agents that buyers stand on the porch or front steps while their agent is opening the lockbox to get the key, so you'd better give them something pretty to look at while they're waiting!

Although most agents may fail to make the connection, the most important aspect of negotiation on behalf of a seller is making sure that the home is presented in a manner that creates the highest perceived value. Without a doubt, the curb appeal of the home is the crucial first step in this effort. 

You summed up the steps involved in preparing the home to make an optimal impact when the prospective buyer arrives in an excellent manner.

I would suggest that there is one other essential element in creating a high perceived value. It is the listing presentation that may either attract agents and buyers to put a house on their tour list or not. This means giving attention to the quality of the pictures we post, the prose we use to describe the property, and the price we establish. 

We announce the value we are placing on a property when we set the asking price. We either undercut that value or enhance it by the way we use the mls platform as well as the way we prepare the property itself. 

If we do this well, our role as negotiators on behalf of our sellers will be off to a successful start. If we fail in these preparatory steps, we may make the task of negotiating a fair price for our sellers an impossible dream.

John Cleek, Ph.D. Author

Seven Steps to Home Ownership

http:www.home-buying-made-easy.com

You are so right on!  I tell this to people over and over again!  Thanks for saying it again as the competetion is tough out there, you need to differentiate yourself from another!  This is the way to do that!!!