It's time to get your home in "showing and selling" condition.
Most of us don't keep our homes in the condition it would
need to be in to sell. Over the years those boxes in the
corner of the garage just seem to multiply on their own.
Things have broken that we just never get around to fixing
and some things have just worn out. We just accept the fact
that they will always be this way. It is this frame of mind that
you have to break out of in order to get your house ready to
show. How your home looks will have an immense impact
on how quickly it sells and whether or not you get full
market value for it.
First impressions are very important and you only get to
make one. Your real estate agent, who is interacting in the
marketplace every day, can assist you in approaching your
home from the buyer's standpoint. What needs to be
changed to make a good first impression? This may mean
that all you do is prune the trees and shrubs. On the other
hand, it may mean that you completely repaint the house,
inside and out. Do a "curb to door" check. Give the potential
buyers a clear path to enter the home. The fewer obstacles
between the buyer and the true appeal of your home the
better. Keep in mind that over time we become accustomed
to our surroundings. What's normal for you may be
detrimental to the buyer.
Make your home look as spacious as possible. Organize
your closets and kitchen cabinets, and if you have things
stored in the attic or basement, make sure they are
presentable. If you are showing during the day, pull back
your curtains and drapes to show how bright and cheery
your home is. If you are showing at night, turn on all of the
lights to create a warm and welcoming environment for the
prospective buyers. A home that is marked with your
personality and style may be harder to sell. You might even
consider such things as removing obvious clues to your
political affiliation and tucking away any biased literature
that may be visible. This will reduce distractions and help
the buyers to visualize the home as their own.