Seller Checklist
You decided to list your home for sale. You don’t want to just show your home to potential buyers; you want to SELL your home. There are several things you can do to sell your home fast!
Model Perfect
Look at any magazine ad or television commercial, what is one thing they all have in common? They hired a model to demonstrate their product. They didn’t just film the first person they saw using their product or wearing their clothes. Instead, they hired a nearly perfect person to model their product. Your home needs to be in “model” condition.
- Wash all windows and clean all mirrors.
- Touch-up paint and patch any holes in the walls.
- Fix broken items.
- Thoroughly clean your home, remove any cobwebs, wash the baseboards, and scrub the toilets. This may be your old home; but it will soon be someone else’s new one. Think mother-in-law clean.
Stage Left and Stage Right
Once you make your home model perfect, it is important to stage your home. If you have a three-bedroom home, be sure the buyer can see three bedrooms. If you are using the third bedroom as a closet or junk room, repurpose it back to a bedroom. Even if you don’t cook, buyers expect a kitchen to look like a kitchen. Remember to show off other assets like large windows and fireplaces. Don’t forget the yard; after all it is “real estate” too. There are many simple ways to stage your home including:
- Bake some fresh cookies; the smell of cookies makes everyone feel at home.
- De-clutter and remove personal items; it is hard to imagine yourself in a home with other people’s pictures.
- Remove unnecessary furniture; when you are selling, less is more.
- Freshen up the landscape with blooming plants.
The Price is Right
In real estate the old adage was location, location, location. Unfortunately, the mantra in today’s economy has changed to price, price, price. It is imperative to price your home right. There is more competition. If you overprice your home, the buyer will never see it. Most homes are listed in the MLS (Multiple List Service.) Since there is a plethora of homes available, buyer’s agents limit their search by price. It is important to be competitive!
Follow these tips and you should be seeing a new addition to your yard soon: a sold sign. So, just do it!
