The Price is Right
Pricing a home is an art, not a science. In fact, homes have a price range, not an actual price. The price you list your home for is merely a function of how you want to market the home based on the value range it falls in. Price it high to “test the market” rarely works. Use comparable sales data and make adjustments for time of year, condition and updates. Keep a close eye on your competition to make your home price stand out based on the features and benefits it offers potential buyers.
No Photos, Please
Everyone loves to have photos of “little Timmy”, “Uncle Ned” and other loved ones on table tops and walls throughout the house, but your family profile may not fit the profile of your buyer. Keep it impersonal by removing all family photos and items that only have meaning to you. In the end, you are selling a house, not your stuff.
Fido, Let’s Go For a Walk
Many families have pets who are near and dear to their hearts. But keeping them out of the home selling scene as much as possible will give you a much better outcome. Many buyers have pet allergies, do not like pets, or find pets distracting while they are previewing your home. Take Fido for a walk or leave him with a neighbor during open houses and showings.
Make Room
The less furniture and clutter, the better. Homes can easily appear larger and more open when furniture items are strategically placed throughout. Also, stage rooms based on their intended purpose. For example, if you have a 3 bedroom home and one of the bedrooms is being used as a craft room, convert it to a bedroom for showings.
Certify Your Home
Like most homeowners, you probably think your home has been well-kept and there are no known issues. Inspectors are paid to find things you didn’t know about, and generally will. While it is not advisable for sellers to go out and get a bunch of inspections, most sellers should get a Pest Inspection prior to listing their home on the market, and consider remedying urgent items of concern which are revealed. This can help to certify your home’s condition and leave less guess work to the buyers.
Be a Show Off
Sometimes last minute showing requests are hard to accommodate. But making your home available to preview as much as possible will open up your buyer pool. Many buyers have limited availability to see homes based on their schedule and sometimes are in town for a short period of time. The more access you can allow for showings, the better results you will get.
Let There Be Light!
Dark homes don’t show well, and many times during the day the amount of sunlight coming in to the home can fluctuate. Make use of floor lamps, table lamps and light colored décor in each room to brighten up the buyer’s experience. Your son or daughter may love the dark color in their room, but stats show that neutral sells, so brighten up those walls with a fresh paint job prior to listing your home on the market.
Lights! Camera! Action!
Photos tell the story of your home. And vibrant, professional qualify, 1080P resolution photos tell an even better story. Many buyers are coming from out-of-area to view your home. Does your online digital marketing make them want to make the drive to your home? Consider using video, virtual tours and other high tech digital marketing to enhance the buyer’s experience even more.
Story Telling Time
People love to hear stories, not drab content when it comes to your home description. Telling the story of your home including highlighting the features and benefits of the home, location, etc will hit the emotional button of the buyer. Paint a picture of how their life will be enhanced/improved when they choose to buy your home.
