Top 5 Things You Can Do to Sell Your House
In Real Estate it does not matter what happened six months ago or even three months ago. Real Estate is constantly changing and shifting and regardless of the market, good or bad, there are five things you can do to sell your home. The key in any Real Estate market is to make it look desirable in any market by working hard and making it stand out among the competition. Here are the top five things you need to do if you want to sell your home as soon as possible, even on a market that is on the down shift today.
Add Curb Appeal
The first opinion that potential buyers have of your home is the one they get from driving up with their Realtor. Like the old clich states, you only have one chance to make a first impression. That first impression is adding curb appeal to your property. Curb appeal includes a fresh coat of paint, completing trim, ensuring the lawn is perfectly manicured, adding or manicuring shrubs, removing garbage, paining your front door, pressure washing your driveway and giving potential buyers a great first impression. I have driven up to what is a great buy in today’s market with potential clients who actually asked me not to stop because the front lawn was full of weeds, paint was chipping on the gutters and windows were filthy. Creating great curb appeal does not have to cost you a lot of money and can be done on a nominal budget.
Remove Clutter
One of the most embarrassing things for a Realtor is showing a property that has a lot of clutter. Removing clutter is the first basic step of “staging” your home for sale and one of the most inexpensive things you can do to get your home sold in today’s Real Estate market. Even the best property with the most impressive upgrades, in the best neighborhood that is perfect will not sell if it is full of clutter. By removing all the clutter form a house it will make the home feel a little bigger and well taken care of. Picking up toys, making the bed, removing obstructions and cleaning off counters are a great start. Making sure that any potential buyers feel at home is really the goal with removing clutter.
De-Personalize Your Home
When you remove personal items makes your home “neutral” and allows potential buyers to imagine how their personal effects will look in the home. Removing family pictures, collections, your kid’s report cards on the refrigerator, and even some decorations is where you need to start. Bold decorations and pictures that are neutral should be removed as well. As an example, my mother’s kitchen is done in Roosters which is her personal choice, but if she were to put the home up for sale it would have to all come down to make the kitchen neutral.
Clean Everything
Cleaning your home very good is very important if you wan to be able to sell your home in a “buyers” market. It is important that your home is spotless. There is nothing more unappealing to potential home buyers than toothpaste in the sinks, dirty shower doors or floors that need to be vacuumed. A clean home is not only an expectation of potential buyers but it also makes your home smell clean, which is one of our acute scenes that we link the way we feel to. I remember showing a home to a couple who referred to one of the homes as the “fresh smelling” home and they did make an offer on it.
Rearrange the Furniture
Most home owners arrange their furniture is based on how they use it. When trying to sell a house the furniture should be arranged in a way to make the house seem larger. You should try to leave as much open space as possible. This may be done by pushing the television further into the corner or moving a couch against a wall. This is easier said than done when you live in the home, but it can help.
Making your home stand out from the rest is important when selling and it can be very simple and inexpensive. Potential buyers need to make a connection with your home from the time they pull in front of it until they make a decision. A lasting positive impression is made when a potential buyer can connect psychologically and emotionally with your home.
Jason M. Jakus is a licensed realtor for Leisure American Realty, a full service Real Estate and Property Management company serving the beaches and surrounding areas of Lee County. Their office is located at 2450 Estero Blvd., Fort Myers Beach FL 33931. For more information on this or any other real estate or property management subject contact Jason at 239.463.3178 or email RealtyInfo@LeisureAmerican.com.”