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Using a Strategy to Sell a Home

By
Real Estate Agent with Coco, Early & Associates

Using a Strategy To Sell A HomeDon't think for a minute that putting up a For Sale sign is going  to sell your home.  Selling your home takes planning and strategy.

Selling your home in the real estate market we are currently in is a bit easier than during the past couple of years.  Houses are going on the market and sellers are selling their homes quicker than they have in awhile.  The average "days on the market" during the past 9 months has varied from a third of the houses selling in zero to 90 days and another 12% staying on the market for as long as a year.  There are categories in between, but if selling your home in 90 days is appealing, then you want to put a strategy in place.

My three vital steps to prepare for selling your home are:

  1. Selling your home from the front yard;
  2. Selling your home by creating a blank canvas on the inside;
  3. Selling your home by appealing to all 5 senses: Sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste.

Selling your home from the curb

Stand on the curb and take an objective look at the outside of the house.  Is the lawn green? Does the fence need a fresh coat of paint? Is there color at the front door that would invite someone to come up the walkway? If you want to make selling your home easy, then preparing and taking these steps is critical. In the fall have the grass cut very short and then fertilize using a weed inhibitor so that the lawn comes in healthy and green in the spring. Plant fall mums to add color or plant fresh bulbs.  Mature landscaping that blossoms and adds color in the spring helps when selling your home within the next year. Make sure you prepare any fencing, decks or doors and then apply that fresh coat of paint.

Selling your home in the front entry

Consider selling your home as really just selling a house. You want to create a blank canvas for the new homeowner who walks in the front door. Stand in your front entry as if you are an outsider. Take all the family photos off the walls and remove all clutter. The pile of books and magazines you enjoy are better off packed in a box in the garage.  Better yet, drop them off at your local doctor's office or gym, they'll enjoy the donation. You can start your packing and organizing in the fall by removing all your nicknacks and either having a yard sale, or placing things in storage. Selling your home is so much easier when you have plans in place and action steps to take. Selling your home can be daunting! Take six or nine months to prepare for selling your home. Create a checklist so you can cross items off as you go, giving yourself a sense of accomplishment.

Selling your home with all five senses in mind

Selling your home and being sensitive to buyers coming in makes for an easier sale. Remember you are selling your home, not just a house. You have appealed to the sight and touch with the curb appeal and the de-cluttering. Now don't let the smell of wet dog or a cat litter box turn people away. Selling your home with the fresh aroma of baked apple pie when you know you have a showing, or fresh baked cookies for buyers to eat when they come in will create an emotional reminder of your home. I also suggest having light instrumental music playing in the background. Selling your home in 90 days or less is easier when these emotional triggers are in place to leave most buyers with a calm feeling and a positive memory of your home.

Two sides to selling your home

Selling your home is a financial transaction but it is also a very emotional one. Your home is where you have lived, cried and celebrated. When selling your home, you want to create a space for the new homeowner to feel those same things. You want them to walk in and feel like they could make it their home. Selling your home is therefore a very fine line to walk and most home sellers don't think of it this way. If you consider these aspects when you are selling your home, your home will stand out among the others.

Comments (54)

Bryan Robertson
Los Altos, CA

Very nicely written article!  I like that you're including "all five senses" which covers so much in so many situations.

Apr 15, 2013 10:22 AM
Anonymous
Linda Moore

Really enjoyed this. Great information that we can share with our sellers to let them know how

much is involved in selling their home. Anyone can list a home. This article helps me focus on each

of my listings that isn't moving quickly to see what I may have missed. Thanks for sharing.

Apr 15, 2013 10:39 AM
#36
Sharon Parisi
United Real Estate Dallas - Dallas, TX
Dallas Homes

Donna, this is a well written and valuable article for Sellers.  I look forward to reading more of your posts.

Apr 15, 2013 04:15 PM
Venancio Gonzalez
Windermere Kelso/Longview - Longview, WA
Longview WA Real Estate Broker - 360-751-4001

Donna - great advice for home sellers to consider. I really like the appealing to the 5 senses advice. 

Apr 15, 2013 04:32 PM
Kimo Jarrett
Cyber Properties - Huntington Beach, CA
Pro Lifestyle Solutions

Great stuff, however, being emotional shouldn't be a factor as a seller or a buyer. Focus on the goals and objectives and find a solution that is suitable, prudent and beneficial to both parties of the transaction. Close and go celebrate.

Apr 15, 2013 05:31 PM
Rose Mary Justice
Synergy Realty Pros - Dandridge, TN
Synergy Realty Pros

Very good information.  I like your approach.

Apr 15, 2013 09:35 PM
Lyn Sims
Schaumburg, IL
Real Estate Broker Retired

Great post & is actually a good summary showing sellers how you intend to do business & get their home sold. 

Apr 16, 2013 01:29 AM
David Evans
RE/MAX TOWN AND COUNTRY - Cumming, GA
HUD NLB Cumming GA

You can not take back or do over a first inpression. Sometimes we forget that price is NOT everything and that little things like this do matter much... ;) Great post

Apr 16, 2013 02:41 AM
Debra Hight
Coldwell Banker United, Realtors - Houston, TX
Debra Hight

Excellent points.  It's sad that odors and sounds can kill a sale, so people should be mindful of remediating them. I've tried to develop the habit of calling it a house when talking to sellers and a home when talking to buyers.

Apr 16, 2013 03:04 AM
Sheri Sperry - MCNE®
Coldwell Banker Realty - Sedona, AZ
(928) 274-7355 ~ YOUR Solutions REALTOR®

When I first started, I never would have listed the emotional side of the transaction as something that I would be a part of, or more importantly, I could have had an impact on.  

I have found that just about every transaction has been emotional for either the seller or the buyer or both. 

I have said this before, we have to be the calming force in the transaction, no matter how it goes. Our clients and customers are affected one way or another!

Apr 16, 2013 06:29 AM
John Savignano
RE/MAX Executive - Hopkinton, MA
Realtor - Hopkinton and Metrowest MA Real Estate

very good strategy Donna and well thought out. Thanks for sharing

John

Apr 16, 2013 07:45 AM
Mike&Marie Edwards
Estes Village properties & Plains Real Estate in Greely/Windsor - Fort Collins, CO
"We Bring You Home To Colorado"

Great points, having a plan alwats help!

Apr 16, 2013 10:28 AM
Karen Steed
Tallapoosa, Bremen, Waco, Buchanan, Temple, Carrollton - Tallapoosa, GA
Associate Broker Haralson Realty

Great reminders for the spring selling season.  A home is always nicer when the repairs are complete, and things look nice and clean.

Apr 16, 2013 10:31 AM
Jim Hale
ACTIONAGENTS.NET - Eugene, OR
Eugene Oregon's Best Home Search Website

I strongly disagree on the need for taking family pictures down - unless, of course, they clutter the wall or look a mess.

Apr 17, 2013 08:37 AM
Jim Hale
ACTIONAGENTS.NET - Eugene, OR
Eugene Oregon's Best Home Search Website

Removing them - then proceeding to paint - and putting up only carefully selected and well-placed items?

Now that is a different story.

Apr 17, 2013 08:38 AM
Robert L. Brown
www.mrbrownsellsgr.com - Grand Rapids, MI
Grand Rapids Real Estate Bellabay Realty, West Mic
Very good post. People DONT understand there is so much more to selling a property than just a sign.
Apr 18, 2013 03:03 AM
Michael Hinton
Miami, FL

This is a great summary and really well written! Your professionlism shines through!

Apr 18, 2013 11:14 PM
Brad Baylor
ERA Coup Agency - Milton, PA

Donna - This is the mistake that most FSBO's make.  They believe that putting a sign in the yard is going to sell their home, while the truth is, the only people that know it's for sale are the ones that drive by it every day, and then you have to hope that one of those people are house-hunting!

Apr 22, 2013 01:23 AM
Gene Riemenschneider
Home Point Real Estate - Brentwood, CA
Turning Houses into Homes

This is a really great post.  However, in this area they are even selling faster.  But the points you make are timeless, no matter how good or bad the market you want your home to stand out.

Apr 25, 2013 08:07 AM
Wayne B. Pruner
Oregon First - Tigard, OR
Tigard Oregon Homes for Sale, Realtor, GRI

This is good stuff. Never underestimate the power of good curb appeal.

May 24, 2013 01:04 AM