A Home Owner's Guide To Selling
First Impressions Count
1. You never get a second chance to make a first impression, so a well maintained living room with clean curtains in your home will look inviting to prospects. Remove clutter so the room will look spacious and roomy. When prospects open the door, a clean and tidy house will make an impact. Invest some time to spruce up the living room, the bathroom and the kitchen.
Don’t leave your prospects in the dark
2. Burnt out bulbs leave prospects in the dark. Replace them immediately. Dripping water rattles the nerves and implies faulty plumbing. Fix it. Don’t let little problems detract from what’s right with your home.
A safety net for your home
3. Don’t let your house look likea booby trap where prospects have to negotiate their way from spilled food in the kitchen, to skateboards and overloaded extension cords in passageway. Make your residence safe for prospects and visitors.
A place for everything
4. Remember, potential buyers are looking for more than just comfortable living space. They are also looking for plenty of storage space. Keep your storeroom and closets tidy and free of clutter. Now may just be the best time to box up those unwanted clothes or donate them to charity.
A Liveable Living Room and Dining Room
5. Help prospects see beyond your home furnishings and imagine themselves living there. Make the living room seem useable. Since the dining room is not used often as the others, it can be spiced up to look like a mini showroom, with a little polish or dressing up of the dining table.
The heart of the home
6. Keep your kitchen immaculate. Keep the range clean. Wipe down the refrigerator. Wash and put away dishes. Baking a cake prior to showing would leave behind an inviting aroma.
Make your bathrooms shine, shine and shine
7. As crazy as it sounds, bathrooms sell homes, so let them shine. Check and repair any damaged or unsightly caulking around tubs, showers and sinks. For more allure, display your best towels, mats and shower curtains.
Create sweet dreams in the bedrooms
8. A dream house starts with a dream bedroom. Colourful bedding and fresh window treatments are a must. Layer beds with several toss pillows and a seasonal throw. Create a retreat atmosphere.
Peel back those blinds
9. Let the sun shine in. Pull open your curtains, drapes or blinds so prospect can see how bright and cheery your home is. The more light, the better the atmosphere.
Lighten up the night
10. The turning point could be turning on all your lights – both interior and exterior – when showing your home in the evening. Lighting adds colour and warmth and makes prospects feel welcome.
Turn down the volume
11. When it’s time to show your home, turn down or turn off the TV, to minimise distraction.
Be ever so humble
12. No matter how humble your abode, never apologise for its shortcomings. If a prospect volunteers a derogatory comment about your home’s appearance or condition, let your agent handle the situation.
Relax, but don’t distract
13. If you are at home during a showing, be friendly but don’t try to force conversation. Prospects want to view your home with a minimum amount of distractions.
Keep a low profile
14. No one knows your home as well as you do. But your sales agent knows buyers, what they need and what they want. Your agent will have an easier time articulating the virtues of your home if you stay in the background.
Defer to experience
15. When prospects want to talk price, terms or other real estate matters, let them speak to an expert – your carefully chosen real estate professional.