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Sellers Tools & Tips
Preparing your house for the market
- Say your goodbyes – letting the house go emotionally is the first phase in selling your house. You must remember sentimental value does not change the price!
- Tone down the color – Bold colors makes it harder for potential buyers to visualize themselves living in the house. Choose neutral colors and paint.
- De-clutter! – Too many details hide the big picture from the potential buyers. They will focus of your artifacts instead of focusing on your house.
- First impression – the front of your house and the entry are the best place to make a good first impression.
- Clean the front door, re-paint it if necessary.
- Buy a new doormat.
- Mailbox rusty? Replace or re-paint it.
- Make sure the entry is well lighted.
- Cleaning the outside of your house is as important as the inside. Wash your house exterior, any DYI store has the right tools for it.
- Mow your lawn and water it regularly. This will improve the house’s curb appeal.
- Small fixes big price – fixing all those small things before the buyers see them will save you a lot of money during the negotiations.
- Invest in good bedding covers – select a neutral colored sheets and pillows and make the bed before the buyers arrive.
- Clean and organize – go through the entire house
- Clean the gutters.
- Clean the chimney.
- Re-arrange furniture in a manner that will make the rooms look bigger.
- Organize you closet – buyers always want to see the closets and their sizes. Unorganized closet looks much smaller then it really is.
- Organize the pantry and kitchen cabinets.
- Consider having the house inspected. This way you can inform the buyers about the house’s condition in advance and come to the negotiations table more prepared.
- Repair and replace loose or damaged roof shingles.
- Consider planting some flowers in front of the house and near the entrance.
Preparing your house for a showing
- Don’t be at home! Your presence at the house during the showing can make the buyers feel intrusive.
- Turn all the lights on. Even if it’s noon time, lights on brighten up the house.
- Let them Smell the dream – baking cookies or a cake fills the house with a good sent. Baking sent is known to apply a more relaxing and motivating environment. If baking is not an option use an automatic air freshener that sprays every few minutes.
- Fruit bowl goes a long way – simple bowl of fruit on the dining table or on the kitchen counter looks good and bring some “livelihood” to a room.
- Set the table for dinner – setting the dining room table will allow the potential buyers to visualize sitting down for dinner in the room. Select some nice, neutrally colored, plates and napkins and set the table.
- Shiny is attractive – shine every surface you can, furniture, kitchen counter, mirrors etc.
- Show what’s worth showing – if the view from the windows is nice, open the window covering so the buyer can enjoy the view and light.
- Make the bed with a good fresh set of neutrally colored pillows and sheets.
- Pets, not everybody likes them.
- if you have a pet, make sure your agent leaves a note with the showing service so the buyers agent be aware of it. Finding an arrangement for the pets to be away from the house while showing would be best.
- Cleanup the pet’s area. strong pets odors and pets food spilled on the floor are a big turn off for some buyers.
- Keep the house tidy – clean the floors, empty the trash, do the laundry and wash the dishes.
- Clean the bathrooms!
- Leave no personal items on the vanities; hide the toothbrushes, perfumes and any other personal items that lay on your counters.
- Put fresh clean towels on the hangers.
- Adjust the thermostat so the house will be in a comfortable temperature when the buyers arrive.
- If you have a fact sheet (done by you or your agent) have them available and visible for the buyers. The kitchen counter would be a good place.
- Open a cookbook with a colorful recipe on the kitchen counter.
- Keep your old cars and old RV parking away from the house.
- Close the garage door.
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