Questions Every Seller Asks
You're sitting on the fence, should you sell, is the time right, do I need to, what needs to be done to the house, what should I sell it for? These are all great questions to ask yourself before meeting with an agent, and questions to ASK your agent. A professional REALTOR® will be honest with you about the current market, what is happening in your neighborhood, and what you can do to get the most bang for your buck on improvement projects.
Prepare Your House for Sale
Preparing your home for sale and maintaining it while it’s on the market is hard work. No doubt about it–it’s way more fun to look at houses you hope to purchase than it is to keep your home looking like a magazine 24/7.
Some clients of mine came up with the phrase, “My Big Fake Life,” while their home was for sale. They created spaces within their home that helped potential buyers see possibilities, even though the homeowners themselves never used the spaces that way while they lived there.
Two of the biggest, yet most economical updates for your home when preparing it for sale are lighting and paint. Most of us have light fixtures in our homes that we’ve always intended to replace, but after awhile, you just stopped noticing them. Get rid of the 1980’s brass and glass and move toward the updated fixtures you see in magazines. You don’t have to get the super-expensive versions – but get something that gives good light and creates atmosphere. If you still have fluorescent lighting in your kitchen, see about replacing it with a halogen mini-track light unit. It gives better ambient lighting and is a terrific, affordable update. Paint is cheap. Again, it’s hard work, but it’s a great way to freshen up your home and give buyers the “move-in ready” feeling. I am happy to consult with you on paint colors that make a space pop.
Here are other important details that you need to consider as you prep your home for sale (from About.com). Remember, home selling is all about psychology! The way you sell your house is very different than how you live in your home.
1. Disassociate Yourself With Your Home.
- Say to yourself, "This is not my home; it is a house -- a product to be sold much like a box of cereal on the grocery store shelf.
- Make the mental decision to "let go" of your emotions and focus on the fact that soon this house will no longer be yours.
- Picture yourself handing over the keys and envelopes containing appliance warranties to the new owners!
- Say goodbye to every room.
- Don't look backwards -- look toward the future.
- Pack up those personal photographs and family heirlooms. Buyers can't see past personal artifacts, and you don't want them to be distracted. You want buyers to imagine their own photos on the walls, and they can't do that if yours are there! You don't want to make any buyer ask, "I wonder what kind of people live in this home?" You want buyers to say, "I can see myself living here."
- if you haven't used it in over a year, you probably don't need it.
- If you don't need it, why not donate it or throw it away?
- Remove all books from bookcases.
- Pack up those knickknacks.
- Clean off everything on kitchen counters.
- Put essential items used daily in a small box that can be stored in a closet when not in use.
- Think of this process as a head-start on the packing you will eventually need to do anyway.
- Alphabetize spice jars.
- Neatly stack dishes.
- Turn coffee cup handles facing the same way.
- Hang shirts together, buttoned and facing the same direction.
- Line up shoes.
- Almost every home shows better with less furniture. Remove pieces of furniture that block or hamper paths and walkways and put them in storage. Since your bookcases are now empty, store them. Remove extra leaves from your dining room table to make the room appear larger. Leave just enough furniture in each room to showcase the room's purpose and plenty of room to move around. You don't want buyers scratching their heads and saying, "What is this room used for?"
- If you want to take window coverings, built-in appliances or fixtures with you, remove them now. If the chandelier in the dining room once belonged to your great grandmother, take it down. If a buyer never sees it, she won't want it. Once you tell a buyer she can't have an item, she will covet it, and it could blow your deal. Pack those items and replace them, if necessary.
- Replace cracked floor or counter tiles.
- Patch holes in walls.
- Fix leaky faucets.
- Fix doors that don't close properly and kitchen drawers that jam.
- Consider painting your walls neutral colors, especially if you have grown accustomed to purple or pink walls. (Don't give buyers any reason to remember your home as "the house with the orange bathroom.")
- Replace burned-out light bulbs.
- If you've considered replacing a worn bedspread, do so now!
- Wash windows inside and out.
- Rent a pressure washer and spray down sidewalks and exterior.
- Clean out cobwebs.
- Re-caulk tubs, showers and sinks.
- Polish chrome faucets and mirrors.
- Clean out the refrigerator.
- Vacuum daily.
- Wax floors.
- Dust furniture, ceiling fan blades and light fixtures.
- Bleach dingy grout.
- Replace worn rugs.
- Hang up fresh towels.
- Bathroom towels look great fastened with ribbon and bows.
- Clean and air out any musty smelling areas. Odors are a no-no.
- Go outside and open your front door. Stand there. Do you want to go inside? Does the house welcome you?
- Linger in the doorway of every single room and imagine how your house will look to a buyer.
- Examine carefully how furniture is arranged and move pieces around until it makes sense.
- Make sure window coverings hang level.
- Tune in to the room's statement and its emotional pull. Does it have impact and pizzazz?
- Does it look like nobody lives in this house? You're almost finished.
- Keep the sidewalks cleared.
- Mow the lawn.
- Paint faded window trim.
- Plant yellow flowers or group flower pots together. Yellow evokes a buying emotion. Marigolds are inexpensive.
- Trim your bushes.
- Make sure visitors can clearly read your house number.