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Tips for Selling Your Home
First impressions count – and nothing makes a stronger first
impression than a spotless home in mint condition. If the first
impression is outstanding, potential buyers will assume that every
part of the house has been equally well taken care for – something
which serious buyers will pay a premium for.
Start from the outside. Take a look at your house, as a stranger
would see it. Do the windows need painting? Are the eaves troughs
overflowing with leaves? Is the grass cut and edged? Should the
hedge be trimmed? Is there a clear, unbroken path to the front
door? These are all simple methods to entice the potential buyer to
walk through your front door.
Inside, a little time and effort are probably all that’s needed to
give your home the feel of move-in condition.
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Remove clutter from all rooms
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Ensure rooms are neat, tidy, dusted, and
vacuumed
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Spend extra time cleaning the kitchen and
bathrooms
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Wipe down the cupboards and door frames
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Make sure all windows and mirrors sparkle
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Tidy the closets (yes, potential buyers will
look inside)
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Remove excess furniture that crowd a room
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Store children’s games and toys
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Keep the rooms smelling fresh, especially if
you have pets
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Remove fragile items and valuables for
safety reasons
Most
buyers have certain requirements in mind when they shop for a house,
whether it’s location, the number of bedrooms, the size of the yard,
etc. Once you’ve met those basic requirements, the trick is to
appeal to their senses to make your house feel like it could be
their home.
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Set out fresh flowers
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Entice visitors with the aroma of fresh
baked bread or cookies
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Have soft music playing in the background
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Display colour photos of outdoor views
during different seasons
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Make refreshments available – iced tea in
the summer or hot apple cider in the winter
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Light a fire if possible
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Turn on lamps
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Get out of the house during showings and
open houses – if that’s not possible, keep a low profile
Make
your home priced to sell. If you’re serious about selling, don’t
price yourself out of the market. Overpricing is the most common
error sellers make. Too high a price could turn away potential
buyers before they even see your home. You’re better to stay firm
with a lower price and negotiate by creating value in other areas,
such as including window coverings, major appliances, or gardening
tools. If your existing mortgage rate is lower than current market
rates and your mortgage is assumable, you could offer it to your
buyers for savings they can count on after closing.
Selling your
home will take some work. Make a plan and work through the
process. It won’t be long before you see the SOLD sign and you can
move on. |
