This is the time of year people get the itch to sell their home. Whether you have
been waiting for spring to come, or the beautiful sunny days have you thinking
about making a big move, here is some wise advise on what to focus on while
you are getting ready.
I have been selling real estate for 18 years and I have seen a lot of homes. Back
some years ago I remember having a home for sale that I felt was less than
desirable in so many ways. I vividly remember the smell of dog urine that
BURNED my nose and I definitely had to throw my shoes away after visiting it,
yet these wise words from a colleague still ring true, there’s a buyer for every
house.
Can you believe this home, which was full of chihuahuas, sold for OVER asking price and with in 1 week of hitting the market?? It smelled terrible, but they had a few things they had done right and it made the difference. Side note, they asked us to remove all the floors and replace them and treat the sub flooring to get the smell out, and we did it. I am guessing this was back in 2014 or so. So what was done right?
First thing I can say is that it was on a large lot and they had the most beautifully maintained yard with a horse stable. Everything outside was immaculate. The yard and all the “desirable” things about this home were maintained and cleaned. So if your yard has no appeal, start today to get it fixed up right! Great curb appeal takes years to develop, but there are always things you can improve right away. Having nice curb/yard appeal is top on the list of things to focus on.
Next thing they had done well was the inside was clean. It just smelled bad! Most people think clean is just straitening up and putting things away, but that’s not really cleaning. Buyers will over look clutter, even though I don’t recommend you leave your home cluttered. Mainly because it looks terrible in pictures, but they can not look past a gross and dirty home. To really clean a home, you need to go room from room and clean everything- baseboards, walls, door trim, windows
and window frames, hvac vents, under and behind all your furniture, switch
plates, cob webs and anything you see that looks greasy or grimy! Honestly, you
can watch a video on “how to” clean anything these days.
The last thing I can say they did well was keeping the home updated and in style.
The inside was very timely decorated. They had the most popular colors for their
decor and their things were not dated. This is a hard one because not everyone
cares about this personally, but if your furniture is old and dated, people naturally
feel like the home is old and dated. Lets be honest, most people have a hard
time envisioning something other than what is right in front of them. I don’t want
you to get rid of Grandmas favorite chair, I just want you to cover it with a blanket
that is trendy or put it in storage until you’ve sold you home! This is the hardest
part to get right, but if your home is clean and your yard is well manicured, you
should be able to minimize some of your home furnishings and boom, you have a
super desirable home for sale.
I know it is hard to make these decisions on what to do and what not to do to sell
your home, and lucky for you, there are about 3000 local realtors who would love
to give you a free consultation and some advice on what to do. Just promise me
one thing, take their advise!
