We Humans are creatures of habit. As we live in a house for a while, we get used to seeing things and become accustomed to the way they are. We adapt to and accept things as normal which the objective eye might see as crowded, cluttered or perhaps might need repair.
As you gear up to sell your home, take the time to really assess what you are selling. Take a magnifying glass approach to everything that a buyer might see, and fix that loose door handle or tighten and oil a hinge that squeaks every darn time you open it!
Ask someone who is NOT living with you to go through your house with a clipboard and take notes of things that they see which need to be attended to.
Remember the task is to brutally honest and to “nit-pick” and point out things that need to be fixed, painted and/or repaired, because this is exactly what a potential buyer will do as they get down to a serious decision as to whether to buy your home or the one down the street which is going for about the same price but needs less repair.
Once you have finished this task list, then go through your house and remove the clutter. Begin your packing by putting precious collectibles, pictures and knickknacks in boxes which are stacked neatly in the garage or better yet, in a storage unit.
What you don’t want to do is to just move the clutter from one place in your home to another, even if it’s only the garage. Never forget that you are selling square footage alongwith that location, location, location!
So often, what will separate your home from the one down the street that’s for sale will be the seemingly small things such as the perception of space. And although you are generally NOT selling your furnishings, it is absolutely true that how you present and stage your home will likely prove to be a defining reason for the overriding impression that will motivate a buyer to choose the home that you are selling as their new dreamhome!
As you prepare to enter the market with a house for sale, keep in mind that typically you are dealing with your largest financial asset. Treat this asset as the one which is worthy of your investment of time, effort and a small budget to do the necessary repairs and a bit of home staging.
The best Real Estate Agent in the world can NOT overcome the impression that a worn and cluttered house will give, especially as we begin to see the market change to a more traditional seller’s equity market!
Call us today and see what happens when the word commitment meets high priority!