Though any agent can plant a "For Sale Sign" in your yard, it takes a seasoned knowledgeable agent to design and manage the marketing of you property. Effective marketing will help ensure that your property receives the maximum exposure to attract good potential buyers.
I have over 22 years of real estate experience in addition to many more years in sales and management that included the necessity for negotiating skills that included negotiating union contracts.
If you are planning to sell your home in the near future click here.
As a home owner, you can play an important part in the timely sale of your property. Here are some ideas and steps to help sell you home:
1- Make the Most of that First Impression
Never underestimate the importance of outward appearances – especially where your home is concerned. Potential buyers begin their decision-making process early, with their first glance at your property. A well manicured lawn, neatly trimmed shrubs and a clutter-free porch welcome prospects. Wash down driveways and sidewalks, your front door gives a vital first impression while the prospect and Realtor wait for the door to open. Be sure it is clean and painted if necessary. If it’s autumn, rake the leaves. If it’s winter, shovel the walkways. The fewer obstacles between prospects and the true appeal of your home, the better.
2- Invest a Few Hours for Future Dividends
Here’s your chance to clean up in real estate. Clean up in the living room, the bathroom, wash the windows, organize the kitchen……If your woodwork is scuffed or the paint is fading, perhaps you might want to consider some minor redecoration. Fresh wallpaper in the kitchen or bath can add charm and value to your property. Prospects would rather see how great your home really looks than hear you tell how great it could look.
3- Check Faucets and Bulbs
Dripping water rattles the nerves, discolors sinks and suggests faulty or worn-out plumbing. Burned out bulbs leave prospects in the dark. Don’t let little problems detract from what’s right with your home.
4- Think Safety
Homeowners learn to live with all kinds of self-set booby traps: rollerskates on the stairs, festooned extension cords, slippery throw rugs and low-hanging overhead lights. Make your residence as non-perilous as possible for uninitiated visitors.
5- Make Room for Space
Remember, potential buyers are looking for more than just comfortable living space. They’re looking for storage space, too. Make sure your attic and basement are organized and clean and free of unnecessary items. Be sure the kitchen sinks are free of dishes and the counter tops should be clean and free of clutter.
6- Consider Your Closets
The better organized a closet, the larger it appears. Now’s the time to box up those unwanted clothes and donate them to charity.
7- Make Your Bathrooms Sparkle
Bathrooms sell homes, so let them shine. Get rid of stains in toilet bowls including basement bathrooms that are seldomly used. Check and repair damaged and unsightly caulking in the tubs and showers. For added allure, display your best towels, mats and shower curtains.
8- Create Dream Bedrooms
Wake up prospects to the cozy comforts of your bedrooms. For a spacious look, get rid of excess furniture. Colorful bedspreads and fresh curtains are a must.
9- Open Up in the Daytime
Let the sun in! Pull back your curtains and drapes so prospects can see how bright and cheery your home is.
10- Lighten Up at Night
Turn on the excitement by turning on all your lights – both inside and out – when showing your home in the evening. Get all bugs and flies out of all light fixtures, clean fixtures and bulbs. Light add color and warmth, and make prospects feel welcome.
11- Avoid Crowd Scenes
Potential buyers often feel like intruders when they enter a home filled with people. Rather than giving your house the attention it deserves, they’re likely to hurry through. Keep the company present to a very minimum.
12-Watch Your Pets
Dogs and cats are great companions, but not when you’re showing your home. Pets have a talent for getting underfoot. So do everybody a favor: Keep Kitty and Spot outside, or at least out of the way. Get rid of the odors that are left behind.
13- Think Volume
Rock-and-Roll will never die. But it might kill a real estate transaction when it’s time to show your home, it’s time to turn off the TV and turn on classical/soft music
14- Take Care of Obvious Repairs
Repair/Replace - closet doors off their tracks, loose door knobs, screen doors that don’t close, dripping faucets, cracked floor/ceiling moldings. If cabinets or closet doors stick in your home, you can be sure they will also stick in a prospect’s mind. Don’t try to explain away sticky situations when you can easily plane them away. A little effort on your part can smooth the way toward a closing. Be sure to clean the exterior of the water heaters, furnace and other appliances that will be seen by a prospective buyer. Minor flaws in your home suggest neglect to the prospects. Have them fixed so we can get top dollar for your property.
15- Don’t Apologize
No matter how humble your abode, never apologize for its shortcomings. If a prospect volunteers a derogatory comment about your home’s appearance, let your experienced agent handle the situation.
16- Keep a Low Profile
Nobody knows your home as well as you do. But the sales associate knows buyers – what they need and what they want. The sales associate will have an easier time articulating the virtues of your home if you stay in the background. Be courteous but don’t force conversation with the potential buyer. They want to inspect your home not pay a social call.
17- Don’t Turn Your Home into a Second-Hand Store
When prospects come to view your home, don’t distract them with offers to sell those furnishings you no longer need. You may lose the biggest sale of all.
18- Defer to Experience
When prospects want to talk price, terms, or other real estate matters, let them speak to an expert – the sales associate. Be friendly, but don’t try to force conversation. Prospects want to view your home with a minimum of distraction.