STEP 2: Re-evaluate the presentation of your home“‹.
Unless your home has been recently remodeled or is fairly new, you must consider that selling will cost you money to have your home properly prepared. For example, it costs a lot of money to put in new appliances, but you can transform an entire house simply with paint. You can also rearrange your furniture and de-clutter the rooms, so the house has an open, fresh, new, and welcoming feel.
Do yourself a big favor and walk into a new home in your area. Most new homes are staged – if the sellers are smart. You will quickly understand what de-cluttering looks like. Notice the coffee table, for example – there is probably just a plant and maybe one or two design books on it. Look at the kitchen – there is likely almost nothing on the counters.
Decluttering is, of course, an inconvenience, but if you want to sell your home for top dollar, it’s well worth it.
Painting a home’s entire exterior is expensive – why not just paint the trim? If you have any trim or anything decorative around the windows, giving that a fresh coat of paint will make the whole house look like it’s freshly painted.
Another tip: if your front door is looking tired, you might want to think of replacing it or at least repainting it. Buyers get their first impression of your home at curbside, and spend the time in the house trying to justify their first impression. You want it to be a good one.
I have about 50 more tips on preparing a home. Not every one of them will apply to every situation, but you can contact me if you’re curious.
“‹Click below to continue.
STEPS 3 & 4: Marketing: Less is more, and, Your Home’s Story
These posts are part of my “If your home ends up sitting on the market…” series:
