Getting Your Home Ready to Sell...
June 16th, 2009
One of the first questions I get after signing a listing agreement with a seller is, “What improvements can I make now to help sell my house faster?” Often the homeowner then rattles off a long list of expensive, time consuming and house altering projects that would be wonderful to do but would also prevent home showings for weeks as construction occurred. Except in that rare case where work is needed to make the house livable, I never encourage a seller to move forward with these types of projects when they first put their house on the market.
Believe it or not, it’s the most basic of actions that have the biggest impact on getting a home sold. My first and strongest recommendation with each new listing is to clean and declutter. These two simple things have the greatest impact on a home selling. A clean, fresh smelling house reduces worries about how well the home has been maintained over the years. Pet odors, mold in the tub and dust bunnies in the corner are some of the basics that must be taken care of if you want a buyer to pay attention to the house itself and worry less about your home maintenance habits.
Decluttering the home also is a simple yet effective way to help get your home sold. You want potential buyers to focus less on your decorating tastes and spend more time envisioning how they could place their furniture in each room. So clear the way for a buyer to see themselves living in your home by clearing off counters, clearing out excess and/or bulky furniture, cleaning out closets and any other eccentric decorating that doesn’t help show the home in a simple, neutral manner. Repainting walls to make sure they are warm, neutral colors is also a cheap way to make sure a buyer spends less time wondering why you chose bright orange to paint your living room and instead focus on the home itself.
As always, if you have any questions call me at 985-707-5035 or email me a pbennett@latterblum.com. If you’re moving anywhere in the country, I can get you there!
Posted by:
Patricia Bennett
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