Don't Leave Your Money On The Table:

If you have made the choice to sell, then here is what you need to know.  Taking these steps prior to putting your house on the market will maximize your return on your home investment. While the market has changed from what it was a few years ago, where selling a house could take months, there are some things that have not changed. These 6 tips will make your home selling experience more enjoyable and return you more money in the sale of your home.

Make sure your home is ready for the market.  Today, your home has to be spotlessly clean.  That means everything from the top of the refrigerator to the bottom of the bathroom cabinets.  Remember, you want it to smell just as fresh as it is clean.    

1. Check your paint. Fresh paint can make a home feel new again. Paint should not show signs of wear and tear, and be fairly modern and neutral in color.  (Sorry, the time has come to cover up your wild fun colors), accent colors change and can make a home feel dated.

2. Get rid of the clutter. It is important for potential buyers to see themselves living in your home, and clutter is a deterrent for someone wanting to move in.  A potential buyer will think that if there is not enough storage for you, than there isn’t enough storage for them.  What it boils down to is that clutter makes your home feel smaller and unlivable.

3.  Stage the living areas. This doesn’t always mean you have to run out and hire a stager to come in and redecorate, but it might mean that you need to move a few things around or maybe take a few pieces of furniture out.  If your furniture is not properly placed in a room, it can make the space feel smaller or closed in to a prospective buyer.  Keep large pieces of furnishings away from entrances to a room and accentuate the floor space while providing comfortable living areas. I hear sellers say to me all the time, “Oh, Buyers can see through that” rather than preparing before listing.  The reality is that they can’t.  Brokers have spend countless hours in their careers showing property and have found that most people lack the imagination required to “see through” the clutter.  Buyers have a hard time even being able to verbalize what it is that they are looking for to their Broker-they just know it when they see it.  Do yourself a favor and take the time to paint the picture for them.

4. Make your home easy to show.  The harder your home is to show, the more likely it will not be shown at all.  Remember that the more restraints you put on showing times, the harder it is to arrange a showing time that will work with the Buyer’s schedule.  Public open houses are a great way to get potential Buyers to come through your home.  They offer a Buyer the opportunity to view your home without having to make any arrangements with their Broker. If you work from home and allow showings during the day, take a walk while the agent is showing your home.  You want that Buyer to take the time to get comfortable in your space and they cannot do that when you are there looking over their shoulder.  They need to feel relaxed before they can picture themselves living in your home.

5. Choose the right price.  Pricing has to be perfect or you will never get a potential Buyer through the door.  If you can’t get them in, you can’t get an offer.  Getting a prospective buyer to come through the door is half the battle.  If your home is priced over market value, a Buyer will not take the time to view the property.  Today’s Buyer wants to feel like they are getting something of value.  If you don’t price your home properly and provide them the sense of value, you won’t ever get the chance to negotiate with them.

6. Take your Sellers hat off, and put yourself in the shoes of a Buyer.  Remember that not all Buyers think like you. What you might think makes your home unique or better than another property may not be as meaningful or significant use to a perspective buyer.