How to Sell Your Home Fast

Based from experience, a "well polished" home sells faster and at a higher price!  If you want to sell your home at the least amount of time and highest possible price, always look at your house from the buyer's point of view. If you were in their shoes, would you buy your house?  

Buyers would always buy a well cared home, because they feel that the old owners have taken care of the house.  In getting your house ready for sale, National Association of Realtors say that you should consider the following:

- exterior and curb appeal

- how much should you spend  

- preparing the interior

Maximize Exterior and Curb Appeal

When putting your home up for sale, your first concern should be your "curb appeal".  Many buyers are doing an initial drive-bys before they schedule a showing. If the exterior doesn't attract them, it is unlikely that they will schedule a showing.  If the outside looks unattractive, they will not even consider seeing the inside of the house.

Make sure that the lawn and landscape are well kept. Depending on the weather, you can trim the bushes and plant some flowers.  Make sure that the front of your home has a "Welcome" feeling. Fresh paint on your house will be a great PLUS!

How Much You Should Spend

Spend as little money as possible! Buyers would love to have a brand new roof, but they will be unwilling to shed a few dollars to pay for it.  New paint is always a hit among buyers.  Just buy some paint and some tools and you can do the painting yourself. Ask your Realtor for advise on what improvements can be made to your house that would attract potential buyers.

Preparing the Interior

De-clutter your home by using storage solutions. De-cluttering will give the impression that your home is spacious. Remove any excess or very large furniture. You can use the services of self storage companies in storing your excess furniture.

Of all the rooms inside your house, you must pay special attention to the kitchen and bathrooms.  They should look as bright, clean and modern as possible. Also make sure that both rooms smell fresh. 

According to NAR, you can further impress your buyers by following these simple tips:

- Keep counter tops cleared

- Replace all burned out 

- Open all drapes and window blinds

- Take your pets to a neighbor

- No dirty dishes in the sink

- No laundry in the washer/dryer

- Clean or replace dirty or worn carpets

- Put on soft music

- Make sure that your fireplace is clean.

For a list of professionals that can help you sell your house quicker and at a higher price, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Home Staging Tips

As a seller, your ultimate goal is to sell your home quickly and for the highest possible price. Home staging is done to improve the home's appearance in the eyes of potential buyers with a special emphasis on presentation and appearance.  By using the home staging tips and advice offered below, you will have a much greater chance of selling your home quickly and for maximum price.

1. Check Curb Appeal. If a buyer is attracted to the exterior of your home, he/she will definitely think that the interior is worth checking out. But if a buyer won't even get out of his agent's car, you'll never get him/her inside. First impression happens only once so make sure that the exterior is attractive enough to convince the potential buyer to enter the house. Some of the things that you can do to achieve curb appeal are prune overgrown plants; mow your lawn; remove unnecessary clutter and paint faded window trim. You can also plant yellow flowers. Yellow evokes a buying emotion.  You can also paint your front door an attention grabbing color, like dark blue, red, or green. 

2. Rent a Storage Unit. It is always better to show a home with less furniture.  Lesser furniture will 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.

3. De-Personalize. Pack up those personal photographs and family heirlooms.  Buyers might get distracted when looking at your personal effects. They can't help but wonder what kind of people live in the house that they are viewing.  And this might affect their judgment in buying the house.

4. Remove Favorite Items. Pack the items that you will be taking with you such as built-in appliances or fixtures.  If the buyer can't have an item, she will covet it, and it could cost you your deal if you don’t include it in the sale. Put those items away and replace them if necessary.

5. Make Minor Repairs. Damaged items in the house will give an impression that the owner of the house don't take care its home and this might turn the buyer off.  Replace cracked floor or counter tiles, patch hole in walls, fix leaky faucets, fix door or drawer jams, replace burned-out light bulbs.

6. Decorate the Bedroom to appeal to both sexes.  When you are selling, the master bedroom should appeal to both sexes. You'll never know who will be viewing the house.  Get rid of features that seem too gender-specific.  Paint the walls a neutral color, and choose bedding that matches.  Then accessorize with items that complement the overall color scheme.

7. Install New Kitchen Appliances. Studies show that the new kitchen appliances bring in high returns from sellers. People spend a lot of time in their kitchens, so nicely staged kitchen will help them see themselves in the home.  If you can afford it, install new equipment to give an impression that the kitchen is newly renovated.   This will increase your home's value.

You will need every advantage you can get in order to sell your home as quickly as possible for the maximum sale price. You can seek advice from a Realtor who knows the requirements and the process of home staging.