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In
today’s oversaturated market, it is more critical than ever that your
home is in tip top condition and truly stands out from the crowd. Your
home needs to have that certain ‘wow factor’ that will make potential
buyers immediately fall in love. Purchasing a home is a very emotional
decision and the very first impression is often the most important one.
When preparing to put your home on the market you really need to prepare
yourself, as well as your home. The time during with you market your
home can be a very stressful one, particularly when you have decided to
go it on your own.
Preparing yourself:
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Get all your
required documents together (see “Documents to Gather” section of
the Bravo home seller guide) before you put your home on the market.
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Mentally resolve
that you are going to move on, and your home is no longer your
“home” once you put it on the market. It becomes a product, a
commodity, and you need to focus on what a potential buyer would
think.
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Be prepared for a
potentially long marketing process. Currently it takes an average of
6-8 months to sell a home, and the odds of your home selling in the
next 6 months are 1 in 5 at best, which underscores the need for
proper preparation, staging and pricing.
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When a buyer
expresses interest (directly or through an agent) you must be
responsive to the buyer’s needs. If the buyer wants to see your
house today at 5 PM then it better be ready, because if it’s not he
will look at any of the multitude of competing homes and ‘tomorrow’
may never come around. What if the buyer falls in love with one of
the other homes s/he is going to look at this afternoon? Rarely are
there second chances!
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Don’t take things
personally. Not every buyer will like your home. It’s not a
reflection upon you, so don’t take it personally.
Preparing your home:
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Get the home into
tip-top shape! Your home has to come across like a model home that
the buyer would want to live in!
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This means touching
up paint, or if needed, a fresh coat of paint (paint is the single
best investment in your home that will pay multiple dividends!).
When you do paint, stay with neutral colors.
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Clean up your
landscaping. Curb appeal is super important, as it forms the first
impression when a buyer walks up. There should be absolutely no
debris or stuff in the yard, the front door and entry area must be
clean (consider painting the front door) and the landscaping should
look attractive. Fresh mulch can make a world of difference, as can
some inexpensive plants and flowers.
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Clear out your
clutter and personal items. Personal items such as family photos,
trophy’s, etc are a major turn off. You don’t want the buyer to feel
like they are in a stranger’s home, you want them to take mental
possession. Excess furniture is also bad as it makes rooms feel
smaller. Less is better. Start packing. Since you do want to move
anyhow, you might as well start packing now. One of the best
solutions are PODS portable on demand storage units. The storage
firm will drop them off at your house, you put your stuff inside and
then they pick it up. Once you moved, they will bring the container
to your new home so you can unpack. If that is not an option then
turn your garage in the storage unit and put all excess furniture,
accessories, etc. into boxes in the garage.
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Stage your rooms.
Visit builder model homes to get an idea of how rooms should be
staged. For instance, if you have a formal dining room, put out a
place setting, etc.
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Keep rooms light
and bright. Remove heavy window curtains that make rooms look dark.
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Always have ALL
lights turned on when you have a showing scheduled.
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Keep the AC set to
a cool temperature of 76 to 78 degrees maximum. You want buyers to
feel refreshed as they enter your home.
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