Selling Considerations
Preparation
First impressions are extremely important when you're trying to sell your property. A first impression is exactly that… a one-time opportunity… there's no such thing as a second first impression.
You want a good impression to greet and persist with potential buyers, not just from the street, but also throughout your property. There are many quick, easy and inexpensive things you can do to assure that a buyer's perceived value will match or exceed actual market value, and/or support your asking price, resulting in a timely sale. Your EXIT Realtor® can provide you with guidance & recommendations for things you can easily do (usually at little or no cost) to greatly enhance the all-important “first impression”, overall appeal, and the ultimate salability of your home.
Disconnect Your Emotions
You'll often find that when Realtors® talk about “buying”, they'll refer to the purchase as a "home." Yet when selling, they'll refer to it as a "house." The reason is that buying real estate is often an emotional decision, whereas selling requires you to remove emotion from the equation. Think of your house as a marketable commodity. Property. Real estate. Your goal is to get others to see it as their potential home, not yours. Failing to recognize this distinction can create a situation where it takes longer to sell your property.
Make Your Home Anonymous
Consider a new subdivision with many new homes being offered by a volume builder. What you'll typically find are some tastefully furnished models that anyone could live in. They are “generic” or “anonymous”, with nothing that feels like “personal” items. There may be "personality", but no person.
You'll want to make your home "anonymous" so that buyers will feel that they've walked into their potential home, not visiting or intruding into someone else's personal space. Minimize your own expression of “self” by putting away family photos, sports trophies, collectible items, knick-knacks, souvenirs and the like, all of which can be distractions from what you want them to really see… the home itself. Don't just stash such items in a closet or storage space, because another important part of preparing a house for sale is to minimize "clutter”.
Dealing with Clutter
This issue can be difficult for sellers because of emotional attachment to virtually everything in the house. Years of living in the same home allows clutter to accumulate in ways not obvious or objectionable to sellers, but it can dramatically affect how buyers perceive the home.
Over time, clutter collects everywhere… in drawers, closets cabinets, garages, attics, basements, storage spaces, sheds & barns, porches, workshops, on shelves, counter tops, floors & walls, tabletops, window sills, stairways, to name just a few. It can consist of excess or tightly arranged furniture, accumulations of personal memorabilia, souvenirs, knick-knacks, or simply miscellaneous “stuff”.
To minimize any sense of confinement and promote a sense of openness & spaciousness, you'll want as much clear/open space as possible, which means eliminating many such items. Be objective, and let your EXIT Realtor® assist you in seeing and evaluating your home as buyers will. Here are some examples of areas where you should address the “clutter” issue:
Fine Tuning
There are many places on your property that may need a little extra attention and TLC in preparation for listing, showing and selling. Every situation is different, but keep in mind that sometimes the tiniest detail can “make or break” the likelihood of getting an offer. Consider objectively evaluating (and possibly correcting or improving) the condition, appearance, impact, functionality and appeal of the following:
Preparation
First impressions are extremely important when you're trying to sell your property. A first impression is exactly that… a one-time opportunity… there's no such thing as a second first impression.
You want a good impression to greet and persist with potential buyers, not just from the street, but also throughout your property. There are many quick, easy and inexpensive things you can do to assure that a buyer's perceived value will match or exceed actual market value, and/or support your asking price, resulting in a timely sale. Your EXIT Realtor® can provide you with guidance & recommendations for things you can easily do (usually at little or no cost) to greatly enhance the all-important “first impression”, overall appeal, and the ultimate salability of your home.
Have your lawn, foliage, plants and landscaping well-groomed, making the property appealing and inviting. Mowing, pruning, weeding, and trimming cost virtually nothing, but can contribute significantly to the overall impression that a well-maintained yard & landscape implies that the same is true for the house as well.
Eliminating/repairing peeling & chipped paint also contributes to good impressions. If your house was built before 1978, federal law requires that the seller complete a lead-based paint disclosure statement for the buyer. You may or may not know if such paint exists on your property, but you could choose to have an inspection done beforehand, and provide the results to the buyer, which would help to assure them that no such “surprises” await them. Such voluntary “up-front” disclosures can boost a buyer's trust in the seller and confidence level in the property's status/condition, further increasing the likelihood that an offer may result.
Making sure that your house is clean & tidy before showings can make all the difference in the world. Pay special attention to all windows (inside and out), and everything in the kitchen and all bathrooms, since these are areas where buyers tend to make significant value and acceptability judgments.
Establish an inviting and comfortable ambiance. Soothing, pleasant but light aromas can help make a house feel more like a home. The sense of smell can greatly influence a home's appeal, with stimuli such as cooking and baking, fresh, clean air, floral scents, mild incense, potpourri, and other subtle aromatic items. Avoid harsh chemical & medicinal smells, eliminate offensive odors (pets, tobacco, etc) and pay special attention to bathrooms. Also, soft background music can subliminally influence a buyer's “comfort” level, making it feel warm, cozy, secure and “homey”. These small touches can make a big difference!
Disconnect Your Emotions
You'll often find that when Realtors® talk about “buying”, they'll refer to the purchase as a "home." Yet when selling, they'll refer to it as a "house." The reason is that buying real estate is often an emotional decision, whereas selling requires you to remove emotion from the equation. Think of your house as a marketable commodity. Property. Real estate. Your goal is to get others to see it as their potential home, not yours. Failing to recognize this distinction can create a situation where it takes longer to sell your property.
Make Your Home Anonymous
Consider a new subdivision with many new homes being offered by a volume builder. What you'll typically find are some tastefully furnished models that anyone could live in. They are “generic” or “anonymous”, with nothing that feels like “personal” items. There may be "personality", but no person.
You'll want to make your home "anonymous" so that buyers will feel that they've walked into their potential home, not visiting or intruding into someone else's personal space. Minimize your own expression of “self” by putting away family photos, sports trophies, collectible items, knick-knacks, souvenirs and the like, all of which can be distractions from what you want them to really see… the home itself. Don't just stash such items in a closet or storage space, because another important part of preparing a house for sale is to minimize "clutter”.
Dealing with Clutter
This issue can be difficult for sellers because of emotional attachment to virtually everything in the house. Years of living in the same home allows clutter to accumulate in ways not obvious or objectionable to sellers, but it can dramatically affect how buyers perceive the home.
Over time, clutter collects everywhere… in drawers, closets cabinets, garages, attics, basements, storage spaces, sheds & barns, porches, workshops, on shelves, counter tops, floors & walls, tabletops, window sills, stairways, to name just a few. It can consist of excess or tightly arranged furniture, accumulations of personal memorabilia, souvenirs, knick-knacks, or simply miscellaneous “stuff”.
To minimize any sense of confinement and promote a sense of openness & spaciousness, you'll want as much clear/open space as possible, which means eliminating many such items. Be objective, and let your EXIT Realtor® assist you in seeing and evaluating your home as buyers will. Here are some examples of areas where you should address the “clutter” issue:
Kitchen:
Clear the counters. Everything… toasters, blenders, can openers, everything. Put all such items in cabinet & drawers and take them out only when needed. If you find that you don't have enough cabinet/drawer space to store everything, re-arrange or clear them out as needed. Dishes, pots, pans & utensils that are rarely used should be neatly relocated in a separate storage area.
Why all the fuss? Buyers will open your cabinets and drawers, especially in the kitchen. They'll want to see if there's enough room for their "stuff." If your cabinets, pantries & drawers seem jammed full, it creates a negative impression, diminishing any sense plentiful storage space. If you have a "junk drawer," eliminate the junk. Do this with every cabinet, drawer & kitchen space. Let buyers find an abundance of extra space for “their stuff”.
If you have large amounts of foodstuffs crammed into the shelves or pantry, begin using them – especially canned goods – they're heavy and you don't want to be lugging them to a new house anyway – or paying a mover to do so.
Under the sink is important too. Make sure this area is as empty (and clean) as possible. If there are any tell-tale signs of water leakage, take care if it now.
Why all the fuss? Buyers will open your cabinets and drawers, especially in the kitchen. They'll want to see if there's enough room for their "stuff." If your cabinets, pantries & drawers seem jammed full, it creates a negative impression, diminishing any sense plentiful storage space. If you have a "junk drawer," eliminate the junk. Do this with every cabinet, drawer & kitchen space. Let buyers find an abundance of extra space for “their stuff”.
If you have large amounts of foodstuffs crammed into the shelves or pantry, begin using them – especially canned goods – they're heavy and you don't want to be lugging them to a new house anyway – or paying a mover to do so.
Under the sink is important too. Make sure this area is as empty (and clean) as possible. If there are any tell-tale signs of water leakage, take care if it now.
Closets:
Closets are very efficient clutter gatherers – boxes full of “stuff”, rarely worn clothes & shoes, you name it. Do without these items while marketing/showing your property, as they can create the illusion that “the closets are too small”, or “there isn't enough closet space in this house”.
Furniture:
It's common to have too much furniture in certain rooms – perhaps not too much for your own lifestyle, but enough to diminish the illusion of space that buyers want to feel. Consider re-arranging or eliminating any pieces that you can live without, with the intent to create an impression for the buyer that “there's plenty of room for our stuff here”.
Storage Areas:
Closets, storage rooms, garages, attics, basements, cabinets, lockers and sheds accumulate not just clutter, but junk as well. Such areas should be as empty as possible, giving buyers the impression that there's more than enough extra storage space available for their needs. Is it time for a yard sale?
Fine Tuning
There are many places on your property that may need a little extra attention and TLC in preparation for listing, showing and selling. Every situation is different, but keep in mind that sometimes the tiniest detail can “make or break” the likelihood of getting an offer. Consider objectively evaluating (and possibly correcting or improving) the condition, appearance, impact, functionality and appeal of the following:
- Plumbing Fixtures – toilets, faucets, sinks, showers, tubs, sprinklers, etc.
- Electrical – fixtures, chandeliers, switches, outlets, bulbs, fans, etc.
- Environmental – heating, cooling, ventilation, air & water conditioning, etc.
- Appliances – Refrigerator, dishwasher, disposal, washer/dryer, compactor, microwave, range/oven, etc.
- Surfaces – ceilings, walls, art niches, steps/stairways, etc.
- Floors – carpets, tiles, wood, inlays, etc.
- Openings – windows, doors, skylights, etc.
- Interior – odors, confined/cluttered areas, dark areas, etc.
- Exterior – siding, roofing, landscaping, sheds, pets, foliage, trimming, etc.
- Street – curb appeal, front door/entry, driveways, sidewalks, etc.
- Don't leave anything to chance… if it's something you would notice when looking for your new home, now is the time to acknowledge and deal with it…