Prepare Your Home for Resale
Filed under Home Tips on Nov 08,2012 | Tagged in: montgomery county real estate, real estate advice, selling a home, staging
In this competitive market it is imperative that you get your home in the best possible condition. We have assembled 10 suggestions of buyers turnoffs that sellers should avoid at all cost.
DIRT – Hands down, nothing turns off a buyer quicker than a dirty house. If the carpets are old and smelly go the extra mile, from steam-cleaning tile and grout to replacing carpets. The home should be neat and clean and free of all debris.
ODOR – Buyers, it is said, buy with their noses. Make sure your home smells fresh and inviting. Odors are a big one, especially Kitchen odors. You should not cook fried food, fish, or greasy food while the house is on the market. If you have pets it is important that you get rid of pet paraphernalia and have a “Pet Plan” to make sure the animals are not around when the house is shown. The same rules hold true for smokers: Remove all ashtrays, clean all curtains and upholstery, and consider smoking out doors while your home is on the market.
OLD FIXTURES – You need to change out old fixtures in your home. New cabinet hardware and doorknobs will probably cost all of $400 -$500, but it makes a huge difference. The same hold true for dated ceiling fans, light fixtures, and kitchen appliances. Seller who say, “Oh, the buyer can take care of that. Well, yes they can, but it’s going to impede you from getting the highest price possible for you home.”
WALLPAPER – Remove Wallpaper. Wallpaper is extremely personalized and is a pain to remove and simply adds another chore to the buyer’s to-do-list.
POPCORN ACOUSTIC CEILING – Times change, and with them home décor styles. Acoustic popcorn ceilings, once the must-have for fashionable homes in the ’60s and ‘70s now badly date your space. If you can’t stomach the cost or the mess to remove the overhead popcorn, be prepared to credit a buyer in certain markets in order to close a sale.
TOO MANY PERSONAL ITEMS – Psychologically, when buyers tour a home, they’re trying it on to see how it fits, just as they would a skirt or a pair of pants. If your house is cluttered with too many personal items, it’s like the buyer is trying on those clothes with you still in them. A fit is unlikely. Sellers should try to eliminate personal items, including family photos, personal effects, and even unique colors. Buyers get very distracted with family photos. Oh, did I go to school with them? What do their children look like? Suddenly, you are selling your family, and you’re not selling the home.
SNOOPY SELLERS – Realtor and Buyers alike generally bristle when the seller greets them at the door for a showing. They want to walk around with the potential buyer and put in their two cents’ worth. Normally, there are one out of the 10 sellers where it’s OK to have them there, and that’s because they know what is up with the property and how everything works.
MISREPRESENTING YOUR HOME – Misrepresenting your house online in the multiple listing services is a sure way to really upset buyers and their Realtors.
POOR CURB APPEAL – Much is made of curb appeal, and for good reason: It’s your home’s handshake, the critical first impression that lasts with most buyers. Every little detail counts. You have to trim and edge your yard to get it into the most immaculate condition you can. It’s a big mistake to not freshly mulch the beds and trim the trees.
CLUTTER – Whether inside or out, less is better.
Closets should be half-full with nothing on the floor. Most people looking for a house have outgrown their previous house. Showing them that you’ve still got room to grow gives them a reason to buy.
Kitchens and Built-in Bookshelves should showcase spaciousness by following rule of three. For kitchens, there should be no more than three countertop appliances. Meanwhile, bookshelves should be dived into thirds: one-third books, one-third vases and pictures, and one-third empty. Home offices should be very generic so any type of professional can imagine living there. Tip for toddler parents is to pack away extraneous “kiddie liter” and keep a laundry basket handy. When you get that phone call one hour before a showing, toss everything in that basket and take it to the car with you and your kids, and you’re all set.
Thanks to bankrate.com for this informative article.
