Selling Your Home? Think Like a Buyer

The Best Inside Tip on How to Sell Your Home

 

I am frequently asked questions about the best ways to sell a home. The discussion ranges from marketing styles, to staging and even down to the color of the front door, or perhaps what flowers to plant in the spring. Details are important when it comes to home sales and it becomes a VERY personal transaction. Buyers want to move in to a home with as little to do as possible on move in day.

The concept of getting a home ready for sale is something that many people ignore until the day they want to list the home. Sellers that begin early and plan well are much less stressed. The best and most comprehensive answer I give is that a seller should be in a proper state of mind when it is time to sell their home. How is that accomplished?  Relax, it is not that difficult.

Stop being a seller and think like a buyer! 

Take a moment to reflect on why you chose your home and then turn the tables. Pretend you are that VERY discriminating buyer. What steps would you be taking as an informed consumer to buy a home today and how would you now look at this house. What would it take to make you fall in love again? When you take the time to isolate yourself from the personal aspect of owning your home, it is much easier to see how buyers will think and how they could feel about moving in.

Do you remember that day you first set foot in your current home? Do you remember what you were thinking? Maybe it was love at first sight, maybe not, but it was a process. Did you pull into the driveway and know that you “were home”? Maybe it was the moment you opened the front door, walked out into the gardens, or when you saw fireplace glowing on a cold wintry day. Most people remember the feelings that began that day. Everything that happens when selecting a home matters and the stories remain with them for years to come.

It is important to make your first impressions count. The day your home goes on the market it has to meet the expectations of a very critical audience. You are dealing with a very choosy audience and you want to make the best introduction possible. Buyers want to know all about the details of a house and how your home could work for them. Looking at your home from a buyers perspective an owner might have a very different point of view.

So what are buyers looking at? Everything!

Take the time to walk through your own home and make a list of what needs fixing, painting. Go through each room and get started. Small things add up and when you are negotiating a deal the fewer imperfections seen the less power they have to negotiate. A higher price is always paid for a well cared for home with no major repairs needed on move in day.

Buyers touring your home with the guidance of their agent will compare many things before making an offer to purchase. You were a fussy buyer once too. If something wasn’t right, it could be reflected in a lower offer or worse, a buyer could move on to another home. Keep that thought in mind, make sure to take the time to get your home ready for sale. Work together with your agent to price it right and spend some effort to make a great introduction to the real estate market. The best impression is a clean, well cared for home.

Consider the following when getting your home ready to go on the market.

• Safety – Anything that is a hazards when touring or a danger after move in day matter
  • Winter Tips for showings
• Curb Appeal – Driving up to a potential new home should say WELCOME!
  • Landscaping
  • Seal the drive
  • Power wash or paint exterior
• Proper maintenance –
  • Service heating and cooling systems
  • keep appliances working well and looking clean
  • flooring – clean and tidy
• Staging – consider hiring a stager to view the home and help with the process
• Painting – interior paint colors should be neutral
• Declutter – A CLEAN home sells faster – ALWAYS!
•  Love – Note the things that you love about the home and be sure to highlight those features

Selling Your Home? Think Like a Buyer!

These are just a few of the things to consider to get your home ready. While you don’t need to repair and replace everything in a home, buyers will be looking for a home that is move in ready. If you are relocating to another home, you too will be a fussy buyer. As a seller keep that thought in mind.

For more information on selling your home be sure to contact me. I’m here to help. I’ll be happy to answer your questions on how the process works. As your local real estate agent my job is to guide you from start to finish with the sale of your home.