Sellers: Preparing your Home for Sale

Preparing Your Home for Sale

Preparing to sell your home can be stressful and time consuming. Knowing what kind of things to focus on can greatly reduce your stress and keep you focused on the projects you need to undertake in preparing your home for sale. Having a home that is clean and in good condition will typically sell for a higher price and more quickly than homes that are not well maintained.

The difference between a home in good condition and one that is not many times is as simple as a new paint job or replacing damaged fixtures throughout the home. Put yourself in the potential buyers’ shoes and take a good hard look at your home. What would you want to have fixed if you were to buy this house?

When preparing to sell your home don’t neglect the yard. Your yard is the first thing home buyers will see. Keep you lawn mowed and hedges trimmed. If it is spring time plant some flowers in the front to add some color. Pick up any clutter than is in your yard, front and back. I’ve seen homes where all is going well and I like what I am seeing until I get to the backyard and it looks like a junk yard. Typically, the seller of the home will clean it up but sometimes they don’t and the buyer is left with the mess. Plus upon seeing the mess the buyer may forget about the good things and remember your home by, “the one with all the crap in the yard.”

Consider painting your home, especially the inside. Newly painted walls add to the overall appearance of your home and may help it sell. Repair doors, windows, walls, and anything else that needs to repaired. If there are things that you can’t afford to repair at the time or if you are not interested in repairing it know that it will reflect in the price people are willing to pay for your home.

Inexpensive Tips to Sell Houses

In the past years, selling houses focus only on recreating the exterior so as to invite buyers. However, a shift has now occurred wherein the emphasis is given towards the inner appeal as well. After all, there is no point in selling (or buying) a beautiful house judging by the external offers it has if you are going to sacrifice the design of the interior.

Look at your own house with a critical eye, as if you are somebody looking at another person’s house. Don’t dismiss any flaws that you think are acceptable enough on your own perspectives. Think as if your prospect buyers are the worse critics you will have and your future dignity would lie on them. Strange isn’t it? But we tell you, this technique is effective enough to warrant easy market for you. This is because you have already limited the possibilities of rejection and scrutiny.

As you may have already noticed, there are various television programs that let people see what they can do in their own houses that could make them appealing for buyers. In most cases, the houses are reconstructed in inexpensive ways yet cause dramatic changes. Well, it would help if you’ll follow the suggestions such home improvement shows provide.

But you must always keep in mind that you have to maximize the effects of such changes through incurring lesser expenses. Thus, you must seek the best prospects that would bring out the best in your house while not taxing your wallet.

For one reason or another, the floor seems to matter much and buyers took notice on the type of flooring you have used in your house. Also, focus on the condition of your flooring. If this needs reconstruction then see to it that it is reconstructed in the least possible expenses you can have.

Don’t hasten the changes though. You will have to plan the design and the outcome of the changes in your flooring. Go for economical yet appealing floor tiles and other types of flooring. There are lots of options for you. In fact, there is almost an endless list of materials you can use to furnish your floor with. Among the most common are laminated tiles, ceramic tiles, cork tiles, wood and others. Of course, the type of material you will choose will be largely dependent on the entire setting of your interior.

Some houses seem to have its distinct odor that act as repellant against promising buyers. You may not know this but you must understand that any possible turn offs should be removed.

This is typically hard to judge. Since you have already lived in your house and has already become accustomed to its smell, it would be hard for you to detect any unwanted odor. In this case, you must ask the assistance of another person who hasn’t been in your house for long. Whatever his or her opinion is, you have to analyze and consider them in great detail.

Also, take a look on your walls. Maybe there are marks that should not be there. Or perhaps cracks are already appearing on some of its portions. Wall blemishes could affect both the price and the interest of the buyer of your house. Be sure that you have completely fixed your walls that expansion cracks and nail pops barely have their traces.

These are just some measures you could use to help get the higher prices for your houses while incurring minimum expenses on the repairs.

Sell Your Home At Top Dollar With An Inexpensive Face Lift

Have you ever why some homes sell faster than others? It could be the very same model in the same neighborhood, and one home moves quickly whereas some just remain on the market with disinterested buyers. Here are some tips to stage your home to not only sell it, but to get top dollar.

First, examine your home from the curbside as though you had never seen it before. It may be difficult to really put on your objective glasses, but if you can, you will be surprised of how accustomed we become to that broken gate, the damaged garage door, or the garden hose that isn?t rolled up. These may sound like minor issues, but to the home buyer, they?re touring your home with a magnifying glass and a white glove. Begin your evaluation by writing down everything you notice that could improve your property in the slightest way. Here are some inexpensive, easy tips to enhance your home and get top dollar!

Be sure to replace or trim trees and plants and try livening up your garden with some colorful, fragrant flowers near the entrance. In some cases, you can even use beautiful silk floral pieces in large pots as long as they look real!

Varnish or paint the entrance door with subtle colors such as black, burnt brown, gray, forest green, or white. If you?re home is older, replace the old door with a glass entrance door. If you have a screen door, consider purchasing one of the newer models and make sure the latch works for easy entry. First impressions and anticipation of walking into your ?dream house? begins here.

The first thing people notice is if the home is bright and cheery. The last thing homebuyers want to do is walk into a dark hole and depend on a realtor to turn on (and off) the lights and open (and close) all the blinds or shades. The cheery greeting your home gives to people will give them an immediate impression as to how they FEEL about your home. If you have pets, be sure to pack away all their toys and dog foot or kitty litters. Keep your home smelling fresh and clean that doesn’t repel the prospective homebuyer.
Flooring is one of the most important features homebuyers will judge. Clean the carpet and don?t request that buyers take off their shoes. Do everything in your power to welcome visitors and keep them there. Any excuse you give them NOT to view your home will lower your numbers. Remember the more people who view your home, the better chance you have in selling it.

Replace bathroom fixtures with the newer ones ?Hollywood lights are out. Make sure the bathtub is scrubbed clean as well as shower stalls. Buy a new shower curtain, if necessary and caulk around tiles in the shower and tub. Be aware that bright colors or children’s colors may be a turn-off to new buyers. Paint your walls with neutral colors such as beige or off white.

Take out the clutter, garbage, stinky shoes, and put your dirty clothes in the hamper. It’s very important to have those beds fixed in the morning too! Clean the sliding glass door to the patio as well as the patio furniture. Cut and trim the grass often for a fresh, clean smell.

People want to imagine their families living in their future home and you have the ability to set the stage. The home should be complete with bar stools at the breakfast nook, soft lighting, and nice furniture. Remember, the backyard has become an extension of the home. Show off your BBQ, patio furniture or children’s play area in a way that they feel their own family would enjoy.

If you have a pool, have the pool guy come over so your pool is sparkling clean. Buy some Tahiti candle torches for a tropical look. If you have a bar, place plastic glasses and trays as though you were ready to have a party. If you don?t have a covered patio, you may want to make a small investment by buying a canvas cabana that warms the heart and sets a romantic mood. Put some candles on your patio table and accentuate with lots of plants surrounding the patio.

Blinds, plantation shutters, and Roman shades are in. The least expensive, but most popular choice, is to replace your verticals or outdated mini-blinds with wooden blinds. They?re easy to install yourself and will make a big difference in the overall look of the home. You may find some very nice Roman shades that are reasonable and can be used in lieu of curtains as a trim. Curtain panels from the high ceilings will serve as a window treatment and add elegance or magnitude to your room also.

Make sure your kitchen and bathrooms are always clean and remember that homebuyers will look in your pantry and closets. You can always fake it by cleaning the sinks every morning before leaving for work and wiping down the mirrors if there are any noticeable spots. Never leave dirty dishes or pots and pans in the sink. Just hide them in the dishwasher.

Dare to be open enough to get opinions from your friends, neighbors, and realtor. Ask if they have any suggestions as to how to arrange your furniture and be willing to give it a try to see how it looks. Their perspective may make a big difference in your entire floor plan. People are looking for space so you want to do whatever it takes to make your home look open and spacious.

If you feel that your bottom line can handle more expensive upgrades to compete against other newer homes, you may want to replace old carpeting with 18″ tile and new carpeting in the bedrooms with a thick pad. I wouldn’t suggest changing your countertops to granite or changing the kitchen cabinets as that would be very expensive and may not be compensated unless you are doing a total renovation.

Selling a Home – The Preparation Stage

There are certain processes that are vital in any endeavor. And selling a house, being something that truly posses its own difficulties, also require some activities that would prepare it for the subsequent processes. Here are some of the initial stages that mark the preparation of your house for sale.

Getting started

You want your house to be impressive and friendly enough with future buyers? Then clear the clutter.
This might be among the most difficult thing you would do with your house. During your years of ownership, you might have attached emotions into your house that it would be hard to detach yourself from it. But this is more than that.

Years of emotional attachment could mean years of clutter collection. We collect all sorts of materials that could be difficult to separate ourselves from. This clutter would be evident on the top shelves, drawers, countertops, closets, attics, garages and basements.

Well, if you want to sell your house immediately, then you must let the buyer see more open spaces.
Look then at your house from an anonymous point of view. Try disconnecting your emotions for awhile and see it from another person’s eyes. If you can’t do this then find someone who will gladly do it for you.
You might not realize the extent of help this activity could bring but you would soon find that the precious materials in your eyes are not as much precious from the view of another.

This can’t be done unless you start thinking your house as a commodity. If you would have noticed, when you buy a house the real estate agents would refer to it as your “home” but if you are selling one, he would make it a point to call it as “property”. This helps the process of realization occur faster since words connote even the emotions that are embodied in each article.

Your realization must come from the point that it is no longer your home but theirs. By doing this, you will re-channel possibilities that could inadvertently make the selling a longer process.

Separate the person from the personality

When selling a house, be prepared to separate even the most valuable things from it. It would do you no good if you would leave picture frames with your own photos on it. Instead, leave anonymous items that would make the buyer feel that this is a potential home for him and not a trace of your own personality could be found.

If the buyer of your property sees anything that would remind him that this is not his home yet, such as a family picture hanging on the wall, you could shatter their hopes that this is the potential home for them. These would leave your marks in the house which in turn, could repel the prospect of recreating the personality of the home from their own point of view.

Remove all things that would remind the buyers of the memories of the previous owners. Put them all in storage somewhere apart from the attic, garage and basement.

The two suggestions we have given here are not only effective for making your house a bit friendlier for sale. This also eases the hard process of letting go of something you have owned yourself for long. Undeniably, this would take much effort on your side since it is not that easy to make you forget of something you have accustomed yourself to love.