Preparing Your House to Sell
http://www.realestatebuz.com/articles/6468/1/Preparing-Your-House-to-Sell/Page1.html
Art Gib
Art Gib writes for Barron Realty (http://www.baronrealty.com) an online realtor specializing in Clayton, Missouri apartments, homes, and other real estate in the St. Louis area. By Art Gib
Published on 06/23/2009
When selling a home, one of the most important steps is to stage the home. This means removing all personal items and clutter, fixing small repairs, and making the potential buyer feel like the home is someplace they could live, not constantly reminding them that you live there.
When selling your home there are a few factors that potential buyers look for. A few of these include obvious things like price, location, and size. But a few of these factors might be things even the potential buyer doesn't know they're looking for. When preparing to sell, the difference between getting top dollar and settling for less might be doing what is called "staging" your home.
Staging a home requires that a homeowner first disassociate themselves from their home. This means that you must sever emotional attachments that are keeping you from making beneficial changes. When preparing to sell, your must think of your home as a product to sell. This will help you see how you can dress up the house to be its most marketable. Once you've done that, it will be easier to remove things that personalize your house, like photos, family heirlooms, and personal items. The buyer wants to imagine the home as theirs, not constantly be reminded that it is yours.
Another important step is to remove clutter. It's the easiest thing in the world to remove clutter but so many homeowners damage their chances of getting top dollar by leaving their belongings about. Remove knickknacks, remove books from bookcases, and clean off the kitchen counters. Store daily use items out of sight. This will make your house look cleaner and brighter. Remove excess furniture like the bookcases you've emptied. If you have too much stuff, consider renting a storage space. The cost will be worth it. While you're de-cluttering, organize. Potential buyers will look in closets and drawers. Don't think that because your clutter is jammed into a closet, no one will see it. Buyers want to see every aspect of the house, including storage spaces.
The next step is repair work. If you have any holes in the wall, patch them. Repaint walls to have neutral colors, especially if any of your walls have extra bright colors. Just because you love it doesn't mean the buyer will. If you have cracked floor or counter tiles, replace them. Make sure doors and drawers shut properly without squeaking.
Once the interior is in good shape and you're ready to show the home, one subtle helpful detail is a good smell. Consider lighting a scented candle. Some sellers even bake bread or cookies an hour or so before they show the home so that the house will smell like fresh baked goods. Following these simples staging steps, can make a huge difference and determine whether or not you get top dollar for your home.
Staging a home requires that a homeowner first disassociate themselves from their home. This means that you must sever emotional attachments that are keeping you from making beneficial changes. When preparing to sell, your must think of your home as a product to sell. This will help you see how you can dress up the house to be its most marketable. Once you've done that, it will be easier to remove things that personalize your house, like photos, family heirlooms, and personal items. The buyer wants to imagine the home as theirs, not constantly be reminded that it is yours.
Another important step is to remove clutter. It's the easiest thing in the world to remove clutter but so many homeowners damage their chances of getting top dollar by leaving their belongings about. Remove knickknacks, remove books from bookcases, and clean off the kitchen counters. Store daily use items out of sight. This will make your house look cleaner and brighter. Remove excess furniture like the bookcases you've emptied. If you have too much stuff, consider renting a storage space. The cost will be worth it. While you're de-cluttering, organize. Potential buyers will look in closets and drawers. Don't think that because your clutter is jammed into a closet, no one will see it. Buyers want to see every aspect of the house, including storage spaces.
The next step is repair work. If you have any holes in the wall, patch them. Repaint walls to have neutral colors, especially if any of your walls have extra bright colors. Just because you love it doesn't mean the buyer will. If you have cracked floor or counter tiles, replace them. Make sure doors and drawers shut properly without squeaking.
Once the interior is in good shape and you're ready to show the home, one subtle helpful detail is a good smell. Consider lighting a scented candle. Some sellers even bake bread or cookies an hour or so before they show the home so that the house will smell like fresh baked goods. Following these simples staging steps, can make a huge difference and determine whether or not you get top dollar for your home.