Tips to help Sell Your House Faster
By josephine on Nov. 11, 2008.
Tips to help Sell Your House Faster
The first and most important part once you have made the decision to sell your house is to get emotionally detached from it and start viewing your house as a marketable commodity. This is not an easy task; a home holds wonderful memories that will stay with you possibly for the rest of your life. But at times of selling, homeowners must put aside all those special moments and memories and make the transition from home to house. Without eliminating the house’s personality it must become anonymous to allow prospective buyers to imagine themselves in the house. Removing all memorabilia, decorative items, personal souvenirs from past trips around the world, and your children’s wonderful artwork may just do the trick.
Key Element: At all times we must be aware that part of selling a house is being able to buy another one, and even though some expenses may be required to get your house in the best shape possible to sell, such expenses must be maintained at a minimum. Some investments may not be recuperated at the time of sale, so be aware of overspending in unnecessary repairs and upgrades.
Where to begin?
Phase 1-Start Outside
First impressions are extraordinarily important. As owners, we must ask ourselves; does my house have “Curb Appeal”? The answer to this question is easy to get to, but there are a few steps to follow. Begin standing in front of your house and comparing the landscaping and general appearance of the outside of your house to the rest of the houses on your street. When it comes to landscaping, make sure grass is cut and looking healthy. In the event grass is looking unhealthy, a trip to the nearest Home Depot or nursery may help. Identify the house in your neighborhood that you consider has the most appealing landscaping and try for yours to resemble it without making unnecessary expenses.
Suggestion: Ad bushes and plants which are easy to move and maintain. Another option is to get bright colored flowers. The bright and fresh feeling that a simple but well manicured landscape project has great results on buyers.
If a paint job is required, don’t hesitate in painting the exterior of the house. It is always a great investment.
Suggestion: when selecting a color, choose from within a neutral color pallet. Don’t forget to look at houses on the street as well and their wall colors. It is essential for your house to fit well with the neighborhood.
If you are aware of the fact that the roof has leaks or the existence of some other structural problem, hire an inspector and make any necessary repairs after you have received the inspector’s report. As a seller you are not obligated to take care of all problems, but if they do exist they must be disclosed to buyers and you may need to be willing to negotiate the sale price as a form of compensation.
Phase 2-Inside Work
Once you have taken care of the outside of your house and phase 1 has been completed, focus on the inside of the house. Keep in mind that “curb appeal” will attract possible buyers, but once they cross the front door, we go back to step one and we must cause a great impression.
Sometimes clutter becomes part of the decoration of a house and grows to be invisible to the eyes of its owner. If we were to see clutter in someone else’s house, it would bother us and certainly give us a bad impression, but by walking into one’s own cluttered rooms for days, weeks, months and even years our eyes get so used to the fact that it is there, that our brain begins to ignore the mess.
Suggestion No.1: Ask your realtor for assistance and ask him/her to pretend they are buyers as they walk around the house pointing out all details that he/she do or don’t like. Be ready to accept their opinion. Ask others to do the same exercise.
Suggestion No 2: Take pictures of the inside of your house. Looking at spaces that you are so familiar with from the perspective of a picture has a totally different effect.
Start with the most important rooms in the house: Kitchen and Bathrooms; try for them to look impeccable. These rooms may be the deal maker or breaker, so make sure prospective buyers have a chance to imagine themselves with their own personal things in them. Begin by removing everything from the counters: appliances, decorative items, and dishware. Same with the bathroom counters/shelves: perfumes, personal products, or any other items that you do not use on a daily basis.
Suggestion: Removing clutter and putting everything away in closets is usually the quickest and easiest solution, but open, comfortable closet space is another issue that comes up frequently among buyers. Prospective buyers will look inside your closets, so try not to put everything you have removed from the kitchen and bathrooms in it. Organized and uncluttered closets are also very important.
Do not remove everything from the house, some furniture and a few small decorative items help buyers imagine themselves living there. Some people have the ability to see great potential in a house even if it is totally empty, but most don’t, so help buyers a little bit with their imagination.
Cleanliness
With so many options available to buyers in today’s market, sellers must make an effort for their houses to stand out of the crowd. A simple and costless way to help sell your house is to have it thoroughly cleaned. You may hire a cleaning crew to do this once and just maintain it afterwards. The incredibly positive impact that a clean house has on a prospective buyer is immense.
Suggestion: light scented candles or have an air freshener ready prior to buyers coming to see the house. Avoid strong scents, stay with fresh and light ones. Some aromas may transport people back to wonderful past memories and ultimately result in a much more enjoyable showing experience.
If you have carpets and they are in good condition, you may just need to give them a good cleaning, but if they are stained, worn out or too outdated you may want to consider replacing them.
Suggestion: In the event of replacing your carpet, select neutral colors.
Repairs and upgrades
Most buyers like to test light switches, water pressure, and kitchen and bathroom fixtures. Be prepared for this and test that all light switches and bulbs are working properly. Do the same with faucets and water knobs.
Suggestion No1: If some switches are stained or cracked, replace them. This is an inexpensive upgrade worth spending on. Do the same for water faucets and make sure that hot and cold knobs are placed in the correct position.
Suggestion No2: In the event of lack of water pressure, try cleaning shower heads and water faucets with chemical products specific for such purpose. Please read instructions carefully, some chemicals may be strong and harmful for your health if proper method of employment is not used. A good cleaning may just do the trick!
Avoid expensive upgrades and unnecessary repairs, unless there is a material problem that requires immediate attention. Although some cosmetic work may be required, be careful not to over improve your property.
Good Luck!!!
Category: Seller's Tip
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