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Over the years one of the most important
issues that I have seen continually overlooked, and one of the most
frustrating points for Realtors, is trying to sell a home that has
not been properly prepared by the owner and staged correctly. Unfortunately,
this one mistake can cost homeowners thousands of dollars, and add
several months, or in some cases, even years to the selling of their
home.
There is no doubt that an improperly
prepared and staged house will be your most costly mistake if
not taken seriously. If you were going to sell your car quickly,
and you needed to get the most money out of it as possible, wouldn't
you take your to the car wash and clean it before showing it to
a prospective buyer? If you said No, then you might as well stop
reading and take your loss. However, if you are like most people
and said Yes, then lets look at how we can apply the same principle
to preparing, staging and selling your home faster, while making
the most money possible.
The Curb Appeal Factor
When preparing your home for sale, start by driving around the
block and approaching your house just like a prospective buyer
would be when driving up to your home. Does your house have curb
appeal, or does it make you want to keep on driving? So the first
issue to address is, how does your home look from the street.
Does the yard need to be cleaned and maintained? Does the house
need some paint? Is there anything that needs to be fixed? Does
the driveway need to have oil stains removed? Is there street
clutter, such as to many parked cars in the driveway? The same
applies to the backyard and the back of the house.
Keep in mind that we are trying to make the prospective new home
owners feel at home. They need to be able to visualize themselves
in your home. If they can't, they simply will not buy it. Remember,
this is business, you are selling a home and you want to b able
to make the most money you can, as fast as you can. If you are
using a Realtor, this will help them sell your home faster too.
This may also be the time for that long overdue garage sale. If
you don't need it and you know that you're not going to ever use
it again, then sell it, give it away, or throw it out.
The Walk Through Factor
Now we must address the issue of the buyer's first steps into
your house. What is the first impression they will get? Will it
be a clean and uncluttered environment with a fresh scented breeze,
or will it be dirty and cluttered with a fowl pet yearn odor?
Get the picture? Clean it, box it up, move it out, do what you
have to do the make your home inviting, fresh, clean, bright and
airy. Bring as much natural light in to the room/house as possible.
Once when I was selling one of my homes,
about 30 minutes before the prospective buyers would show up,
I would not only air out the house, but I would also boil a bunch
of cinnamon in some water to create a nice cinnamon baking scent
throughout the house. The Realtor would always tell me how the
prospective buyers would comment on how nice the house smelled?
And of course, this would always help the prospective buyers wife
visualize herself in the kitchen cooking as she always wanted,
but never had the time to do.
The following are some quick tips…
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During the day,
open all draperies, shades, and blinds. Bring in as much natural
light as possible.
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At night turn on
all the lights, including the outside and front door lights.
Dark homes are not very inviting. Make sure your house number
can also be read at night too.
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Create a "Home
Feature Sheet" that can be given to them to help point
out the homes benefits such as air-conditioning, oversized garage,
nearby parks, schools, nearest hospital, automatic sprinklers,
new paint, etc.
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Clean the sinks
and bathrooms before each showing.
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Vacuum rugs and
carpets before each showing. If they are stained you will need
to have them professionally cleaned.
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Wash the dirty
dishes and them put away.
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Empty the wastebaskets
and trash.
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Put away all clothes
and personal items.
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Organize your mail,
magazines, and newspapers.
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Fold any towels
and make the beds.
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Eliminate offensive
odors from pets or cooking. No smoking in the house when your
have it on the market.
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Keep the landscaping
neatly mowed and cleaned up. Sweep the driveways and sidewalks,
or shovel the snow if needed.
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Pick up all trash
on the property and any in eyes sight around your property.
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Clean out the litter
boxes, pet food and water bowls.
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Pick up all animal
droppings in the yard. (This is a major turn off to buyers.)
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Put any sexually
explicit or offensive materials away.
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Create a spacious
feeling in each room. Pack it away and move it to offsite storage,
or sell it.
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Make the most of
any nice views that you might have both inside and outside of
the house. De-emphasize the unsightly ones.
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Create as much
counter space as possible, especially in the kitchen and bathrooms.
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Avoid eccentric
decor. Depersonalize your rooms, especially your teenager's
rooms. Remove posters and make it as neutral as possible. We
want them to be able to visualize what they would want the room
to look like instead.
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Make sure each
light fixture has working light bulbs and that they are cleaned.
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Consider putting
a fresh coat of paint on front your door.
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Clean all your
windows until they're sparkling.
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Place a seasonal
wreath or arrangement on your door.
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Repair any loose
shingles - the last thing a potential buyer wants to worry about
is the roof.
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Paint and repair
your gutters as needed.
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Hang fresh clean
towels in the bathrooms and use air fresheners.
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Touch up your paint
if your walls have any rough spots. You probably already have
the extra paint sitting in your garage.
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Make sure all your
faucets are not dripping.
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Clean out your
fireplace and stage it for a new fire.
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If you have too
much furniture, place some of it in storage offsite.
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Taking everything
off the refrigerator and clean all appliances.
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Clear high-traffic
areas of excess furnishings to maximize the feeling of space
and comfort.
Basically, just use common sense. Remember
that everyone has his or her own style. You're simply trying to
present a clean, simple and attractive home that shows it's potential
for the next homeowner. However, if you are selling a vacant house,
you may need to switch gears and add furniture so there can be
some basic visualization tools.
Apply online today with
local lenders at www.HomeLoansOnline.TV
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2007 - HomeLoansOnline.TV
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