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Essential Tips Every Seller Must Know On Showcasing Your Home For A Successful Sale
Friday, February 3rd, 2012Most prospective buyers make their decisions based on the emotional reactions they form upon first seeing your home. In fact, seasoned real estate professionals will tell you that even the smallest detail can be an important deciding factor, especially in a competitive market. The key to getting a buyer interested in your home — and getting them to place an offer that reflects its top value — is helping that prospective buyer feel comfortable while viewing your property. You want them to establish a connection from the moment they drive up to your home. And once they've viewed the inside, you want them to see themselves living comfortably in it.
Too many home sellers underestimate the power of this emotional response. As a result, they see competing homes down the street get the "Just-Sold" signs, while their own real estate investment languishes on the market, not getting offers worthy of its value. How can you avoid having this happen to you? Read on.
RESEARCH & STRATEGIZE
Knowing exactly what you have to work with will go a long way toward helping you form a strategy to achieve your real estate goals. First, you need to educate yourself on everything that can affect the sale of your home and which elements you can actually control. Obviously, it's impossible to control everything, but there are some changes you can initiate, and these may make all the difference. To help you gain a realistic perspective, here are a few factors to consider when reviewing your property:
- Property location
- The prevailing market conditions
- Whether you've hired a professional real estate agent to help you
- The number of desirable features within your home and how well they are displayed
- The overall condition of your home
While some of these things cannot be controlled by the home seller—such as location and market conditions—other factors can. It is important to remember that even the most subtle of differences can play an important role in properly showcasing your home so that it inspires buyers to place an offer on it.
WHAT IS SHOWCASING?
When you open your doors to prospective buyers, whether at an open house or a private showing, you are showcasing your home. Your home, like it or not, is in the spotlight. This is where you want it to shine. Ideally, your home should stand out in the minds of prospective buyers. You want it to be a star. If there are five homes for sale in your immediate area, you want yours to leave the best impression.
HERE ARE 7 SIMPLE STRATEGIES AND SECRETS DESIGNED TO GIVE YOUR HOME THE EDGE IT NEEDS IN A COMPETITIVE MARKET.
1. Curb Appeal
While you can't change your location, you can change how your home shines in that location. The more you make your home shine, the less location will play a role in the buyer's decision to place an offer for it. Why not make your front yard look like one of the best on the block? It isn't as costly as you might think, and it is extremely important that your home stand out. Your front yard will be the first thing prospective buyers see when they drive up, and it will help form the first impressions they have about your property. This sets the tone for their entire visit, so make it a good one.
HERE ARE SOME TIPS ON HOW TO MAXIMIZE YOUR HOME'S APPEAL:
- Clear the yard of any debris. Selectively prune overgrown trees and bushes. While you might not have the money to cut down a large number of trees, you can clear out as much of the debris as possible. Cleaning this out will give the yard a larger look and will keep the buyer from feeling like the area is chaotic and in need of a lot of work.
- Plant colorful flowers along the walkway or up close to your front door. Replacing your dead plant life with a few blooms will go a long way toward setting up a pleasant first impression. It doesn't need to be extensive—in fact, it is better that it not be—just add enough to give the impression of a healthy landscape with a few dashes of cheerful color.
- Touch up the paint around your door frame and windowsills. Cracked or flaking paint gives the impression that the house is old and in disrepair. The buyer then thinks there will be other things wrong with the property. Bigger things. Scarier things. Don't let their minds wander down that path. A buyer's perception of your home is important. Take the time to do the little aesthetic touch-ups that will make all the difference in what you get for an asking price.
- Present an over-all neat appearance. Sweep the walkway, remove cobwebs, clean the windows and screens, and put away all the kids' toys. First impressions count, and you want your home to have the look of a clean, welcome place to live. Take the time to walk through your front yard and look at it with a fresh pair of eyes. Pay attention to all the little details you might not notice from day to day and address anything that may look like it could trouble a buyer.
- Ask your real estate professional for their honest opinion: Does your house stack up against the other properties in the neighborhood? Your agent can offer you the best of both worlds when it comes to an unbiased opinion. Not only do they have that valuable third-party perspective you need, but they also have insider information on what is really important to most buyers. A professional will know what makes buyers gravitate toward a property and will share ideas of how to showcase your home's appeal.
INSIDER SECRET:
Add color to your walk way with a few blooming flowers to promote a fresh, cheerful feel in the yard.
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