The decision to sell your house is not an easy one to make. You may be leaving a place that has a lot of meaning to you. Or you could be faced with difficult economic decisions regarding your housing needs. Although many real estate transactions can be difficult, the selling process can be made less wearisome if you start the process out on the right foot.
The single most important factor to consider when selling a home is price. You need to be clear on how much your house is worth. You don't want to overprice the house because you will lose the freshness of the home's appeal after the first two to three weeks of showings. Demand and interest can wane quickly and you want to capture as much interest as possible when your house first hits the market. Homes priced below market value often will receive multiple offers, which will then drive up the price to market. On the other hand, overpriced homes can languish on the market. Further, the home can take on a negative perception as buyers wonder what is wrong with the house, or why no one has made any offers. In the end, pricing is about supply and demand. Review the recent sales activity in your neighborhood and most importantly, set the price appropriately in order to attract buyers at the beginning of the process.
Remove the Clutter
Un-cluttering the house is also important; this is the hardest thing for most people to do because they are emotionally attached to everything in the house. After years of living in the same home, clutter collects in such a way that may not be evident to the homeowner. However, it does affect the way buyers see the home, even if you do not realize it. Clutter collects on shelves, counter tops, drawers, closets, garages, attics, and basements. You want as much open clear space as possible, so every extra item needs to be cleared away.
The kitchen is a good place to start removing clutter, because it usually where most families begin to pile up stuff and one of the key rooms in the house for most buyers. First, get everything off the counters. Find a place where you can store everything in cabinets and drawers. You may notice that you do not have cabinet space to put everything; clean them out. The dishes, pots and pans that rarely get used? Put them in a box and put that box in storage.
Buyers will open all your cabinets and drawers, especially in the kitchen. If your kitchen cabinets, pantries, and drawers look jammed full, it sends a negative message to the buyer and does not promote an image of plentiful storage space. The best way to do that is to have as much "empty space" as possible.
For that reason, if you have a "junk drawer," get rid of the junk. If you have a rarely used crock pot, put it in storage. Do this with every cabinet and drawer. Create open space.
Rent a Storage Unit
Almost every home shows better with less furniture. Remove pieces of furniture that block or hamper paths and walkways and put them in storage. Remove extra leaves from your dining room table to make the room appear larger. Leave just enough furniture in each room to showcase the room's purpose and plenty of room to move around. You don't want buyers scratching their heads and saying, "What is this room used for?"
De-Personalize
Pack up personal photographs and family heirlooms. Buyers can't see past personal artifacts, and you don't want them to be distracted. You want buyers to imagine their own photos on the walls, and they can't do that if yours are there! You don't want to make any buyer ask, "I wonder what kind of people live in this home?" You want buyers to say, "I can see myself living here."
Rearrange
Buyers will look everywhere and open closet and cabinet doors. Think of the message it sends if items fall out! Now imagine what a buyer believes about you if she sees everything organized. It says you probably take good care of the rest of the house as well.
Make Minor Repairs
We stress making minor repairs, not major (unless you have too)
Replace cracked floor or counter tiles.
- Patch holes in walls.
- Fix leaky faucets.
- Fix doors that don't close properly and kitchen drawers that jam.
- Replace burned-out light bulbs.
Clean
Wash windows inside and out.
- Rent a pressure washer and spray down sidewalks and exterior.
- Clean out cobwebs.
- Re-caulk tubs, showers and sinks.
- Polish chrome faucets and mirrors.
- Clean out the refrigerator.
- Vacuum daily.
- Wax floors.
- Dust furniture, ceiling fan blades and light fixtures.
- Bleach dingy grout.
- Replace worn rugs.
Every seller wants their home to sell fast and bring top dollar. Careful planning and knowing how to spruce up your home can help make this happen. Follow some of the guidelines above and you will have a great start to a successful sale.
For more information about this article or if you have general questions, contact the author Mathew Roth at mroth@p-properties.com