10 Valuable Home Seller Tips

1. Curb Appeal Before a buyer enters your home, they first have to get from the curb to the door. Raking up the leaves, sweeping the pathway, rolling up the water hose, pulling the weeds, cutting the grass and trimming the bushes are just a few things to address. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve pulled up to a home with clients in my vehicle and they quickly asked me to drive off to the next home because the apperance from outside was enough for them to make a decision. Don’t let this happen to you.
2. Break Out The Broom & Mop Unless Mr. Clean and the Scrubby Bubble guys live at your home, you shouldn’t list your property in the same condition you live in it everyday. Focus on the details, especially in the kitchen and bathrooms. Clean the interior and exterior of the windows that may not have been cleaned since you bought the place. Also, don’t stuff the closests. Aim for that “model home” appearance. Let buyers remember your place as the “very clean house.”
3. Lighten Up The Place When you’re away or know that someone is about to view your home, brighten up the place. Open the blinds and turn on all the lights. Dark and gloomy rooms can have a negative effect.
4. Get Rid of Those Odors You may not be aware of it, but your home may have an odor that you’re used to, but others aren’t. Whether it’s an odor from a pet or from a pair of work boots, a subtle air freshener is a plus.
5. A Picture Says a Thousand Words Since 84% of buyers are using the Internet to search for properties, you can avoid being eliminated from a buyer’s favorite list merely by your photos. When it comes time to snap those glamour shots, there are a few things you should consider:
- Eliminate clutter - Clean the dishes - No dirty pots and pans on the stove - Add light to dark and gloomy rooms - Put down the toilet seats - Fix the beds - Don’t forget to pickup the front and backyard - Make sure the photos are taken with a wide angle lense - The MLS allows for 15 photos, so take advantage of all the spaces
6. Make Your Home Easy To Show This one is one of my personal pet peeves. In my experience, 9 times out of 10 when I have to jump through hoops to show a seller’s home, my buyer simply says, skip it. In a buyer’s market, bend over backwards if you get a call that someone wants to view your home. That one showing, could be the buyer.
7. Don’t Bump Up The Recommended List Price When you have a well analyzed property valuation done on your home, don’t tack on an extra $10,000 to cover that credit card debt or home theater center you’re planning on buying. Upping the price above the recommended amount to compensate for any reason is a disservice to yourself.
8. Get Out of The House This is a big one. While you may be tempted to guide buyers and their agent through your home, you may not notice from the frozen grins on their faces, but they are wanting to exit as quickly as possible. In my experience, buyers view a home longer when the seller is not present, compared to when the seller sticks around. They feel uncomfortable and rush through the home. Go for a walk or take a drive around the block.
9. Patience is a Virtue In a buyer’s market, there is more supply than demand. If upon the day your home is listed and through the next few weeks, if your phone isn’t ringing off the hook with requests to view your home, don’t get nervous. If you’re not getting any visitors, you may need to find out where you presently stand among the competition.
10. Maintain The First 9 Tips After a couple months of being on the market, you may begin to slack on the above tips. Continue to maintain the home everyday like you did on day one. You never know when an unexpected showing may be requested.
Bonnie Kelly
www.BonnieKelly.com
505-350-8672