20 TIPS TO HELP SELL YOUR HOME:

1. Make the most of that first impression! Curb appeal is important; it could result in a showing for you. Make sure the lawn is manicured, shrubs are trimmed, and any peeling outside paint is taken care of. If it’s autumn, rake the leaves, if it’s winter, shovel the walkways and driveways. A freshly painted front door and a colorful pot of flowers on the porch, welcomes your prospects. An inch or two of mulch around your shrubs and trees will compliment your landscaping.

2. Invest a few hours for future dividends. Every area of your home should sparkle and shine! Clean the windows, light fixtures, clean and polish floors, remove clutter from the refrigerator, countertops, and in the bathrooms. Staging your home is important, remember the less clutter, the larger the room will appear, and the cleaner it will look. Make it a habit to remove all clutter, pick up clothing, shoes, and personal possessions each day for possible showings.

3. Make room for space. Remember that buyers are looking for more than just comfortable living space. They’re looking for storage space, too. The better organized a closet, the larger it appears. Now’s the time to box up unwanted clothes and donate them to charity. Empty closets of off-season clothing and pack for the move. Leave as few items on the floor or shelves as possible.

4. Clean out the garage and basement, organize them to make them appear larger and to avoid any obstacles for the prospective buyer.

5. Check faucets and bulbs. Dripping water rattles the nerves, discolors sinks, and suggests worn-out plumbing. Burned out bulbs leave the prospects in the dark. Don’t let little problems detract from what’s right with your home.

6. Don’t shut out a sale. If cabinets or doors stick in your home, you can be sure they will stick in a prospects mind. Don’t try to explain away sticky situations when you can easily plane them away. A little effort on your part can smooth the way toward a closing.

7. Check the mechanicals in your home—does the furnace or air-conditioner need service, or a new filter? If you have a water softener, make sure it is full of salt and operating correctly.

8. Make your bathrooms sparkle. Bathrooms sell homes, so let them shine. Check and repair damaged or unsightly caulking in the tubs and showers. For added allure, display your best towels, mats and shower curtains.

9. Let the sun shine in! During the day, open your drapes and blinds so prospects can see how bright and cheery your home is. When showing your home in the evening, turn on all your lights—both inside and outside. Lights add color and warmth, and make prospects feel welcome.

10. Watch your pets. Dogs and cats are great companions, but not when you’re showing your home. Pets have a talent for getting underfoot. So do everybody a favor. Keep Kitty or Spot outside, or at least out of the way.

11. Neutralizing. Be cautious when painting or replacing carpeting or floor coverings. Forget your personal taste, the market is always demand driven! Off-white walls and neutral beige tones in carpeting allow buyers to mentally picture the home as their own. The average buyer will have a hard time looking beyond blue carpeting and bold wallpaper tones. Position your home to be as livable to as many people as possible.

12. A clean smelling home creates a positive image in the buyer’s mind. Be aware of any odors from cooking, smoking, pets, etc., that may have adverse effects on potential buyers. Remember that some people are much more sensitive to odors than others. Smokers rarely notice the odor of tobacco that fills their homes, and pet owners may be oblivious to objectionable doggy odor or cat litter box odors. You can use carpet deodorizers, or air fresheners, but the best strategy is to remove the source of the smell rather than cover it up. Consider having the carpets and furniture cleaned, and air out or dry-clean your window treatments.

13. Avoid crowd scenes. Potential buyers often feel like intruders when they enter a home filled with people. Rather than giving your house the attention it deserves, they’re likely to hurry through. Keep the company present to a minimum. Be friendly, but don’t try to force conversation. Prospects want to view your home with a minimum of distraction.

14. Don’t turn your home into a second-hand store. When prospects come to view your home, please don’t distract them with offers to sell those furnishings you no longer need. You may lose the biggest sale of all.

15. A dark, damp-smelling basement will have trouble selling. Clean up any mildew stains, throw out musty items, and increase the wattage of your existing light bulbs. Many basements are a turnoff simply because they are too dark or smell musty. So light up the basement, and be sure to run a dehumidifier. Knocking down any cobwebs will be appreciated by the buyer.

16. Think volume. Rock-and-roll will never die. But it might kill a real estate transaction. When it’s time to show your home, it’s time to turn down the stereo or TV.

17. Think safety. Homeowners learn to live with all kinds of self-set booby traps; roller-skates on the stairs, festooned extension cords, slippery throw rugs and low hanging overhead lights. Make your residence as non-perilous as possible for uninitiated visitors.

18 You know this home better than anyone else. Think back to when you first walked in this house. What attracted you to this property? These features should be among the first that you enhance.

19. Go through your photo albums and select pictures of your house and yard during the four seasons. Leave these pictures out on a table for the buyers to view.

20. Defer to experience. When prospects want to talk price, terms, or other real estate matters, let them speak with an expert—your “Best Realty” Sales Associate.

We hope this information helps you, and please feel free to call a “Best Realty” Associate if you have any questions.

Thank you.