To accomplish this you must present your offering in the best possible light. The seller must convince the buyer that they are buying something worth a higher perceived value than the actual price they paid. But first, the job of the seller is to build this higher perceived value into their home. The following tips or suggestions should help in building the value needed to get the highest return on their investment.
1. Change your mindset; depersonalize your "home" into your "house". You must view your home as strictly an asset for sale.
2. View your house through the eyes of a buyer. Lets start at the exterior, commonly referred to as the "curb appeal". Curb appeal is exactly that, how much appeal does the house possess and exude from the street. We are going to look at four areas that are key to curb appeal.
a. Cleanliness; does your house "look" clean. Would a fresh coat of paint bring back the "zing" that makes your house stand out from the rest. The lawn should be cut and trimmed neatly around the house and trees, etc.
b. Orderly; is your yard full of "junk". Bicycles, lawnmowers, yard tools, full garbage bags, piles of brick, rock or lumber from your last project. These are all things that need to be stored out of sight or gone.
c. Immediate repair; your house and any out buildings should not look like they are in need of immediate repair. All missing shingles, broken or bent gutters, broken windows, dead light bulbs, broken or heaving sidewalks, steps, and damaged fences need to be repaired or replaced to give the illusion that the house has been well maintained. An obviously well maintained house will not be scrutinized nearly as close as one that has obviously been neglected!
d. Inviting; does your house look inviting and charming. Walkways and porches should be well lit and uncluttered; no one wants to navigate a maze to get to the door. The addition of seasonal color in the form of flowers or shrubbery can add the finishing touch to your masterpiece.
Now that you have enticed the prospective buyer to the front door, lets look at what you need to do to close the deal inside. The same basic guidelines that we used for the exterior apply to the interior.
a. Cleanliness; nothing will put off a perspective buyer faster than a dirty house! Floors should be vacuumed, mopped and carpet cleaned. Walls should be clean and free from obvious marks and scrapes. If your walls look like they haven't been painted in years, paint them. Cobwebs are a huge no no, spiders are NOT very inviting and are a real indicator that the home is not well kept. Windows and sills should be clean, baseboards dusted; anything that can be seen must be clean!
b. Orderly; de-clutter EVERYTHING, especially those "gathering" places; counter tops, desks, overflowing magazine racks, cupboards, nick knack shelves, dressers, kids rooms etc.
c. Immediate repair; anything in need of obvious repair should be fixed, cracked or chipped tile, broken doors, light fixtures, wall and ceiling cracks and holes. Perspective buyers should not feel that the house is in need of immediate repair to make it livable.
d. Inviting; this is a big one! Research has shown that our sense of smell is the strongest of our five senses and is remembered the longest. Your house should not smell like a greasy spoon cafe, a gym locker room or an animal boarding house. If it smells get rid of it! Clean cat litter boxes, pet sleeping and feeding areas and do not have pets under foot when showing your house.
Scents from a burning candle or potpourri are great for adding an ambience to your house. Be certain that the scent is fresh and clean and not used to mask an offensive odor. If you do, often the combination can be worse than the odor you are trying to cover. Sink drains and sink food disposals can be an overlooked source of a rotting food smell. Run your food disposal to dislodge any food in the unit and thoroughly flush the drains with clean water. A small amount of lemon juice or bleach will add a nice clean smell to your sinks.
You only have one chance to make a good first impression, be prepared! Always try to view your house through the eyes of the buyer. Have a friend or neighbor do a walk through of your house; as though they are a potential buyer, and give you their first impressions. The tips that I have given you need not cost you a fortune; a little elbow grease goes a long way. Pay attention to detail, a small investment of a few hundred can return THOUSANDS on your investment.
______________________________________________________
Dennis Dalton is a business owner and consultant Click Here!
