When It’s Time To Sell, Don’t Take It Personally

Selling a home can be a stressful process. There is a lot to get in order and there are a lot of details to consider.

You have the basics behind you. The house and lot are spotless and de-cluttered. Now it is time to enhance the home's features so that you can grab those potential buyers.

Your First Home Selling Step: separate yourself from the personal feelings you have about the house--it is not your home now, it is a commodity you intend to market.

Trust Your Instincts. Try to evaluate the house as if you are seeing it for the first time. If you were a home buyer, what would you think about the house? What changes would make immediate improvements? What are the house's best features and how can you show them off?

Pack It Up
Pack away most of your family photos. Buyers should be allowed to imagine their possessions in the home. Pack up your personal collections, too, so that buyers don't get so interested in looking at them that they forget to look at the house. When home buyers start deciding how their furniture will fit into your rooms, you're on your way to a contract.

Make It More Spacious
Remove excess furniture to make rooms more spacious. Clean and organize the closets. Store boxes in an out of the way location or rent a temporary storage unit so you can de-clutter every part of the house.

Expose Desirable Features
Remove rugs if they expose nice hardwood floors. Remove heavy drapes that keep out natural light, especially if there's a great view out the windows.

Add Some Life
Plants go hand-in-hand with nearly any decor--living plants, not artificial versions.

Freshen Up
How about fresh paint? Are walls in the house dingy? Are the colors dated? Should you clean curtains or other window coverings?

Essential Curb Appeal
Keep the lawn nicely trimmed, and try adding other garden elements to grab a buyer's attention before they walk in the door. Outdoor lighting does wonders in the evenings--when many home buyers do drive-bys of properties. Buy a good-looking doorknob set. Sweep the driveway; pressure wash the house or sidewalks if necessary.

Your goal is to make home buyers fall in love with the house as soon as they see it from the street. And that comes with a bonus—a great overall impression is often enough to make a buyer more lenient about minor repair issues.

Every house is different, and no one expects you to be a professional home stager--but taking the time to prepare the house to the best of your abilities may put extra dollars in your pocket, and in less than average time.

Have any questions? You can contact me at lcartolano@apr.com or at 510.213.1139