RLAH Real Estate - Washington, DC
Home in the Capital
Hey, Karen! I included this post in today’s Last Week’s Favorites. Please drop by and check it out, and have a great week!
Aug 31, 2013 11:49 PM
Hey, Karen! I included this post in today’s Last Week’s Favorites. Please drop by and check it out, and have a great week!
Great points...yes, with the pets, that one is the hardest by far, bc I understand they don't like to mess with a changing routine...stressful!
Good points. How come "pets" keep coming up, over and over? (Rhetorical question!)
Karen
These are such simple things to take care of yet so many sellers don't seem to realize how important they can be. Another one to add - open the curtains. This is essential to bring in natural light and particularly important if there is any sort of view. You might like living in the dark but the buyers coming to see your home will sure notice how dark it is.
Jeff
A barking dog at the door, no matter how friendly, can chase those buyers away. Thanks for these important reminders, Karen. I'm always using my garage side door to enter my own home, I never come in the front door, and sometimes flyers and leaves do pile up!
It's those simple things that seem obvious to me as a home stager, but as you said Karen, sellers are often blind to these issues in their own homes. Good tips for everyone who's selling, and they DO make a difference!
You're absolutely right about the front door. You have to look at awful month old newspapers, spider webs, leaves.
Like the previous comment said..it is the little things that can make a difference between a positive prospect experience and a "pass" on this one!
All I can say is "PUT THE DOGS IN A PEN OR TAKE THEM WITH YOU".
Loose dogs cause more problems than anything I can recall.
some plug in air fresheners are sometimes a good idea to install. makes sure all the windows have been washed on both sides too.
Karen, excellent reminder to sellers wanting to make a great first impression. These items will help buyers stay focused on the house and not get sidetracked by small missteps.
Karen, excellent points all sellers should keep in mind when selling. Pet can be a problem. Owners should take their pet with them when showings are scheduled.
Karen,
These are great tips. Removing cobwebs and replacing missing or inoperable lightbulbs also are common issues that need to be addressed!
Good Morning and this is a excellent report, good luck with your business, E
Sellers are not dumb, they just don't list, sell everyday and it is the agent, broker, REALTOR who navigates, suggests. But if they don't toe the line, never scold them. Chiding does not help. Education does.
And if a seller is not going to do all of the above, encourage him to price the home with all the negatives in mind.
All of the things you mentioned, and much more, are all things that I give to my seller as their showing instructions and checklist. All showings will follow those guidelines, even if I need to make time to go over there to remove the pet or turn on the lights. All the work that they do to prepare the house for listing, all the time that I spend on marketing and professional photos, first impressions are too important to shrug off. Thank you for sharing!
Light and bright is important! Nothing like walking into dark room or down a dim hallway. I thikn putting 75-100 watt lightbulbs helps too. Might irritate the sellers everyday but helps in the showing process and makes the rooms bright!
Great suggestions Karen. Ones that are often overlooked. I always tell my sellers that when they clean, it should be cleaning on steroids. Also, don't forget to clean lights that bugs get into and die. There's nothing worse than looking up at a beautiful light fixture, filled with dead bugs.
The cobwebs get me every time! I'm talller than most of my clients, and my hair is perfect for collecting all of them so that my clients don't have to. :)
Great list. The pet thing seems to be a huge issue here lately. Had one owner that always caged the dog and the dog was hugely friendly.
All these need to be done before every showing, the burnt out light bulbs are a big one for me.
All great suggestions! Thanks for this post! I'd love to show all my clients. :)
So true-cleaning, lighting and a fresh-smelling home all make a big difference.
Great points. So many times the light bulbs are ignored or you turn on the lights to see something spent the last moments of it's life in the light fixture. I also always look at the cold air return. Is is t clean? Is the filter clean? If it isn't that means the house really hasn't been cleaned even if it is now and how over taxed has the hvac unit been with clogged filters.
It's not a normal cleaning but a cleaning on steroids, when you're trying to sell - .
All very good advice. The first impression a buyer gets walking into a house is far too often the only impression they need.
The spider in the entry reminded me of a story showing a vacant home - during the winter in Utah so there was nearly 3 feet of snow in the driveway. I was at the house first so I went ahead and opened it. I only had to walk through the front door to be glad I was the first one through the door...There was a dead mouse laying on the steps. Of course I disposed of the mouse before my clients got there - but really it was just the first impression and the rest of the hosue lived up to it...
Karen, so easy, but so hard to see. What is that expression, can't see the forest because the trees are in the way. We get so comfortable living in our own spaces that we can't often see what is obvious to everyone else. Professional stagers can help people who need a little more than sweeping the cobwebs out of the corners and putting some live plants in the planters. Nice post.
All very true. Sellers need someone to point this out, as they have come accustomed to how their home looks and do not notice the 'little things'. Such as the cobweb on the dining room light fixture, the burnt out light bulb, the clutter on the counter, or slightly jammed drawer. I always tell my clients to take care of the little maintenance items. Little things tend to snowball into a much bigger problem for buyers as there seems to be one thing after another. If I was a buyers agent, that would be my feedback to the listing agent.
Hi Karen great list! It is often curb appeal and first impressions that make all the difference.
The cleaner the hose the easier to sell. Of course if people are living in the house the harder it is to keep it clean.
These are all great points. Replace burnt out bulbs is a no brainer, but does not get done.
Clean the toilets! and make sure there is toilet paper. Yes, you do not want your potential buyer to leave due to a "call of nature" and no TP. AND, please, no filth. I have had buyers just leave because of dirty bathrooms.
Sellers typically are great about listening to their home staging consultation, which covers all these things and much, much more!
Light bulbs...light bulbs....light bulbs!!! Sooooo many times have I seen some fan fixtures with one light bulb out. I carry a few generics in the car in case I'm showing one of MY properties.
Dear Karen,
Cleaning is such an inexpensive & effective thing to do. Pulling away the beds & cleaning the baseboards, all the shelves in the pantry & such really makes a difference. Definitely provide a lot of light & clean all surfaces that will be touched.
Clean and cleaner or hide and store most of your stuff from prospective buyers and real estate agents. I always tell my clients that to expect a higher price for their property requires an immaculate home. Additionally, if they are unwilling to get their home in immaculate condition, buyers will with big reductions in their offers. What reaction would you prefer to see from buyers because the choice is yours, isn't it, a reasonable offer or a ridiculous offer?
I especially like your light bulb tip. On my last listing I replaced many bulbs and upped their wattage one step to make everything look brighter.
Karen, these are all important points for sellers, especially managing their pets. Nothing like having the family dog humping your client's leg as you're trying to get your buyers excited about the property.