TOP TWELVE THINGS YOU SHOULD DO BEFORE YOU SELL YOUR HOME!!!

 

12. WASH YOUR WINDOWS! Inside and Out! Dirty windows restrict outside light from getting in – LIGHT SELLS HOME!! “SUNNY” SELLS HOMES! Dirty Windows give the illusion that the whole space is dirty!

 

11. REMOVE YOUR PERSONAL PHOTOS!! The prospective buyer needs to “see” themselves living in your space- not you living in it! Eighty percent of buyers have ZERO imagination! They have a very difficult time “seeing” the space as their own. So they “see” you in it!!! This step begins the process of them living in your space.

 

10. LIMIT ITEMS ON YOUR SURFACES!! Three items – for small surfaces (end tables, nightstands), Five items for large surfaces (coffee tables, book shelves). Clutter reduces the perception of Square Footage! Square Footage Sells!!! Prepare for your move and remove and pack away all non-essential items – for example, if you have three throw blankets in your den, keep one and box up the other two – and remove it from your premises. (Plus, the other two will make buyer’s think your home’s not well insulated.) Remove ALL magnets, To Do lists, schedules, from your refrigerator!

 

9. CLEAR EVERYTHING OFF YOUR COUNTERTOPS!! BIG KITCHENS SELL!!! Counter space gives the illusion of a BIG-Ger Kitchen!!! The ONLY thing to put on your counter top MIGHT be a current/pretty cookbook, AND #7 (see below)!!! Also, clean out your cupboards – and keep only essential items. Box everything away – and remove it from the premises.

 

8. BRING IN FRESH FLOWERS! Flowers cost $10/bundle – that is a small price to pay for 1% of your purchase price!!! Candles help too!! (Be sure not to leave candles lit too long. Make sure leaving Realtor has directions to blow out all candles.)

 

7. LIGHT IT UP!!! EVERY ROOM NEEDS AT LEAST 5 Light SOURCES!!! Add a Candle to a bathroom - if the bathroom is big enough add a countertop light. For bigger rooms (bigger than 15ftx12ft), add at least two light sources per 5ftx12ft. Dark means scary! Make sure your home is not “scary”!!

 

6. LIMIT THE FURNITURE AND FUNCTION!! Is it a bedroom or an office? Ask yourself, what was the room SUPPOSED to be used for when the home was originally built? (By the way, BEDROOMS SELL – pushing a three bedroom to a four bedroom home increases value for buyers in most markets. But, pushing bedrooms from six to seven bedrooms, might not add so much value.) *Ask your neighborhood realtor for your MLS’s exact requirements for bedrooms.

 

5. REMEMBER CURB APPEAL!!! If a buyer won’t even come in because of how the house looks on the outside, then they WILL NOT BUY IT – even if you completely remodeled the inside!!! Paint-where needed, weed and mulch the planting beds, trim overgrown bushes and trees to clear the path to the front door and windows, place fresh flowers near the front door (or if winter – add a small spruce near the front door with white lights on it), add a wreath to the front door, SWEEP THE FRONT WALK!!! If you live in a condo complex and the HOA won’t do the work, ask them if YOU can wash the entrance windows, vacuum the hallway, wash the walls??? Elbow grease goes a LONG WAY! If your home is architecturally “functionally obsolete” – think 80’s mansard roof- call an architect. It is factually proven that good architecture sells, bad architecture in-this-market can cause HUGE price discounts for sellers. Be prepared!

 

4. CLEAN IT UP!!! Scrub scrub scrub!!! SCRUB EVERY SURFACE!!! INSIDE AND OUT!!! Make the shower “sparkle”! Re-grout if necessary! Remove the extra bottles from the showers… WASH YOUR FLOORS!!! CLEAN AND DEODORIZE THE CARPETS!!!

 

3. BUY NEW TOWELS AND THROW RUGS!!! These are accessories that make your home sparkle. Coordinate the colors from room to room.

 

2. PRICE!!! BUYERS ARE NOT STUPID!!! If you really want to sell, you MUST price it where the value is. Only homes that WOW buyers get sold. The WOW factor is made up of – PRICE, condition, location, staging appeal. If your home is in a selection war with another home in the neighborhood, if your home is priced more aggressively, the condition is better, AND if your home is “staged” better – you WILL get the contract over the other home.

 

1. GET OUT!!! Buyers get nervous and lie when the sellers are in the house!!! And, sellers have a bad habit of sharing too much information. A buyer will use your information AGAINST YOU! Don’t stay, it’s that simple.

 

Call Joan 630-747-5250 if you need some help with this!

Buyers

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Sellers

The decision to sell a home is often dependent on many factors. Whatever your reasons are for selling, my proven effective marketing strategies will ensure that you get the highest possible price for your home. I guarantee to provide you with professional, ethical and confidential service and keep you fully informed every step of the way. Read more.