|
Disconnect Your Emotions
Buying real
estate is often an emotional decision, but when selling real estate
you need to remove emotion from the equation.
You need to
think of your house as a marketable commodity. Property. Real
estate. Your goal is to get others to see it as their
potential home, not yours. If you do not consciously
make this decision, you can inadvertently create a situation where
it takes longer to sell your property.
The first step
in getting your home ready to sell is to "de-personalize" it.
Make Your Home "Anonymous"
If there is a
new home sales tract near your home, go visit. It doesn't matter
what size the homes are. What you will find are some wonderfully
(but sparsely) furnished homes that anyone could live in -- with the
emphasis on "anyone." They are anonymous. There may be a baseball
glove in the boy's room, but no family photos on the walls.
There may be
"personality" - but no person.
The reason you
want to make your home "anonymous" is because you want buyers to
view it as their potential home. When a potential
homebuyer sees your family photos hanging on the wall, it puts your
own brand on the home and momentarily shatters their illusions about
living in the house themselves.
Put away family
photos, sports trophies, collectible items, knick-knacks, and
souvenirs. Put them in a box. Rent a storage area for a few months
and put the box in the storage unit.
Do not just put
the box in the attic, basement, garage or a closet. Part of
preparing a house for sale is to remove "clutter," and that is the
next step in preparing your house for sale.
Uncluttering the House
This is the
hardest thing for most people to do because they are emotionally
attached to everything in the house. After years of living in the
same home, clutter collects in such a way that may not be evident to
the homeowner. However, it does affect the way buyers see the home,
even if you do not realize it.
Clutter collects
on shelves, counter tops, drawers, closets, garages and attics. You
want as much open clear space as possible, so every extra little
thing needs to be cleared away.
Take a step back
and pretend you are a buyer. Let a friend help point out areas of
clutter, as long as you can accept their views without getting
defensive. I can help you also.
Kitchen Clutter
The kitchen is a
good place to start removing clutter, because it is an easy place to
start.
First, get
everything off the counters. Everything. Even the toaster. Put the
toaster in a cabinet and take it out when you use it. Find a place
where you can store everything in cabinets and drawers. Of course,
you may notice that you do not have cabinet space to put everything.
Clean them out. The dishes, pots and pans that rarely get used? Put
them in a box and put that box in storage.
Homebuyers will
open all your cabinets and drawers, especially in the kitchen. They
want to be sure there is enough room for their "stuff." If your
kitchen cabinets, pantries, and drawers look jammed full, it sends a
negative message to the buyer and does not promote an image of
plentiful storage space. The best way to do that is to have as much
"empty space" as possible.
For that reason,
if you have a "junk drawer," get rid of the junk. If you have a
rarely used crock pot, put it in storage. Do this with every cabinet
and drawer. Create open space.
If you have a
large amount of foodstuffs crammed into the shelves or pantry, begin
using them – especially canned goods. Canned goods are heavy and you
don’t want to be lugging them to a new house, anyway – or paying a
mover to do so. Let what you have on the shelves determine your
menus and use up as much as you can.
Beneath the sink
is very critical, too. Make sure the area beneath the sink is as
empty as possible, removing all extra cleaning supplies. You should
scrub the area down as well, and determine if there are any
tell-tale signs of water leaks that may cause a homebuyer to
hesitate in buying your home.
Closet Clutter
Closets are
great for accumulating clutter, though you may not think of it as
clutter. We are talking about extra clothes and shoes – things you
rarely wear but cannot bear to be without. Do without these items
for a couple of months by putting them in a box, because these items
can make your closets look "crammed full." Sometimes there are
shoeboxes full of "stuff" or other accumulated personal items, too.
Furniture Clutter
Many people have
too much furniture in certain rooms – not too much for your own
personal living needs – but too much to give the illusion of space
that a homebuyer would like to see. You may want to tour some
builders’ models to see how they place furniture in the model homes.
Observe how they place furniture in the models so you get some ideas
on what to remove and what to leave in your house.
Storage Area Clutter
Basements,
garages, attics, and sheds accumulate not only clutter, but junk.
These areas should be as empty as possible so that buyers can
imagine what they would do with the space. Remove anything that is
not essential and take it to the storage area.
Or have a garage
sale.
Costs of Repairs
Do not do
anything expensive, such as remodeling. If possible, use savings to
pay for any repairs and improvements – do not go charging up credit
cards or obtaining new loans. Remember that part of selling a house
is also preparing to buy your next home. You do not want to do
anything that will affect your credit scores or hurt your ability to
qualify for your next mortgage.
Plumbing and Fixtures
When looking at
a house, prospective home buyers often do not really know what to
do. So they play with things. They flick light switches. They
open everything with a handle. They turn on all the faucets and
flush all the toilets. Having nice shiny fixtures makes an
impression.
All your sink
fixtures should look shiny and new. If this cannot be accomplished
by cleaning, buy new ones. If you don’t buy something fancy, this
can be accomplished inexpensively. Make sure all the hot and cold
water knobs are easy to turn and that the faucets do not leak. If
they do, replace the washers.
It sounds like
hard work, but it's pretty easy -- even for the inexperienced.
Check to make
sure you have good water pressure and that there are no stains on
any of the porcelain. If you have a difficult stain to remove, one
trick is to hire a cleaning crew to go through and clean your home
on a one-time basis. They seem to be wonderful at making stains go
away.
Ceilings, Walls and Painting
Check all the
ceilings for water stains. Find the leak and repair it. Make sure
a proper job is done. Nothing irritates a buyer more than finding
out, after the fact, about plumbing or roofing leaks. They will be
talking about calling a lawyer faster than your car engine starts
when you turn the ignition key.
If a water stain
is left after something you have already repaired, do the cosmetic
work necessary to improve the desirability of your home. That means
painting.
You may have to
paint anyway, especially if dirt has accumulated in spots or you
have an outdated color scheme. Painting makes a home look fresh and
new on the inside and never fails to impress.
Painting can
be your best investment when selling your home. It is not a very expensive operation and often you can do it
yourself. Do not choose colors based on your own preferences, but
based on what would appeal to the widest possible number of buyers.
You should almost always choose an off-white color because white
helps your rooms appear bright and spacious.
Carpet and Flooring
Unless your
carpet appears old and worn, or it is definitely an outdated style
or color, you probably should do nothing more than hire a good
carpet cleaner. If you do choose to replace it, do so with something
inexpensive in a fairly neutral color.
Repair or
replace broken floor tiles, but do not spend a lot of money on
anything. Remember, you are not fixing up the place for yourself.
You want to move. Your goal is to eliminate anything that could make
a negative impression upon those who may want to purchase your
property.
Windows and Doors
Check all of
your windows to make sure they open and close easily. If not, a
spray of WD40 often helps. Make sure there are no cracked or broken
windowpanes. If there are, replace them before you begin showing
your home.
Do the same
things with the doors – make sure they open and close properly,
without creaking. If they do, a shot of WD40 on the hinges usually
makes the creak go away. Be sure the doorknobs turn easily, and that
they are cleaned and polished to look sharp. As buyers go from room
to room, someone opens each door and you want to do everything
necessary to create a positive impression.
Odor Control
For those who
smoke, you might want to minimize smoking indoors while trying to
sell your home. Actually, it is best to move smoking outside. You
could also purchase an ozone spray that helps to remove odors
without creating a masking odor.
Apologies to pet
owners, but pets come with odors. You may have become used to them,
but they are immediately noticeable to those with more finely tuned
olfactory senses.
For those with
cats, be sure to empty kitty litter boxes daily and use plenty of
baking soda. For dog owners, keep the dog outdoors as much as
possible, even those adorable lovable little dogs. You might also
try sprinkling carpet freshener on the carpet on a periodic basis.
The Exterior of the House
Most real estate
advice tells you to work on the outside of the house first, but
unless there is a major project involved, it is probably best to
save it for last. There are two main reasons for this. First, the
first steps in preparing the interior of the house are easier. They
also help develop the proper mindset required for selling -
beginning to think of your "home" as a marketable commodity. Second,
the exterior is the most important.
A homebuyer’s
first impression is based on his or her view of the house from the
real estate agent’s car. They call that first impression "curb
appeal."
So take a walk
across the street and take a good look at your house. Look at nearby
houses, too, and see how yours compares. Then it may be time to go
to work.
Landscaping
Is your
landscaping at least average for the neighborhood? If it is not, buy
a few bushes and plant them. Do not put in trees. Mature trees are
expensive, and you will not get back your investment. Also, immature
trees do not really add much to the appearance value of the home.
If you have an
area for flowers, buy mature colorful flowers and plant them. They
add a splash of vibrancy and color, creating a favorable first
impression. Do not buy bulbs or seeds and plant them. They will not
mature fast enough to create the desired effect and you certainly
don’t want a patch of brown earth for homebuyers to view.
Your lawn should
be evenly cut, freshly edged, well watered, and free of brown spots.
If there are problems with your lawn, you should probably take care
of them before working on the inside of your home. If you need to
re-sod, you want to give it a chance to grow so that those areas are
not immediately apparent. Plus, you might want to give the
fertilizer enough time to be effective. Always rake up loose leaves
and grass cuttings.
House Exterior
To paint or not
to paint, that is the big question. When you look at your house
from across the street, does it look tired and faded? If so, a paint
job may be in order. It is often a very good investment and really
spruces up the appearance of a house, adding dollars to offers from
potential homebuyers.
When choosing a
color, it should not be something garish and unusual, but a color
that fits well in your neighborhood. Of course, the color also
depends on the style of your house, too. For some reason, different
shades of yellow seem to elicit the best response in homebuyers,
whether it is in the trim or the basic color of the house.
As for the roof,
if you know your roof leaks, repair it. If you do not repair a
leaky roof, you are going to have to disclose it and the buyer will
want an entire new roof. If you know your roof leaks and you don't
repair it and don't disclose it, look forward to hearing from
lawyers at some point in the future.
Otherwise, wait
and see what the home inspector says. Why spend money unnecessarily?
The Back Yard
The back yard
should be tidy. If you have a pool or spa, keep it freshly
maintained and constantly cleaned. For those that have dogs, be sure
to constantly keep the area clear of "debris." If you have swing
sets or anything elaborate for your kids, it probably makes more
sense to remove them than to leave them in place. They take up room,
and you want your back yard to appear as spacious as possible,
especially in newer homes where the yards are not as large.
Front Door & Entryway
The front door
should be especially sharp, since it is the entryway into the house.
Polish the door fixture so it gleams. If the door needs refinishing
or repainting, make sure to get that done.
If you have a
cute little plaque or shingle with your family name on it, remove
it. Even if it is just on the mailbox, remove it. You can always put
it up again once you move. Get a new plush doormat, too. This is
something else you can take with you once you move.
Make sure the
lock works easily and the key fits properly. When a homebuyer comes
to visit your home, the agent uses the key from the lock box to
unlock the door. Trouble working the lock while everyone else stands
around twiddling their thumbs sends a negative first impression to
prospective homebuyers. |
