When conversing with real estate
agents, you will often find that when they talk to you
about buying real estate, they will refer to your
purchase as a "home." Yet if you are selling property,
they will often refer to it as a "house." There is a
reason for this. Buying real estate is often an
emotional decision, but when selling real estate you
need to remove emotion from the equation.
You need to think of your house as a
marketable commodity. Property. Real estate. Your goal
is to get others to see it as their potential home, not
yours. If you do not consciously make this decision, you
can inadvertently create a situation where it takes
longer to sell your property.
The first step in getting your home
ready to sell is to "de-personalize" it.
De-personalize the House
The reason you want to
"de-personalize" your home is because you want buyers to
view it as their potential home. When a potential
homebuyer sees your family photos hanging on the wall,
it puts your own brand on the home and momentarily
shatters their illusions about owning the house.
Therefore, put away family photos, sports trophies,
collectible items, knick-knacks, and souvenirs. Put them
in a box. Rent a storage area for a few months and put
the box in the storage unit.
Do not just put the box in the attic,
basement, garage or a closet. Part of preparing a house
for sale is to remove "clutter," and that is the next
step in preparing your house for sale.
Removing Clutter, Though You May Not
Think of it as Clutter
This is the hardest thing for most
people to do because they are emotionally attached to
everything in the house. After years of living in the
same home, clutter collects in such a way that may not
be evident to the homeowner. However, it does affect the
way buyers see the home, even if you do not realize it.
Clutter collects on shelves, counter tops, drawers,
closets, garages, attics, and basements.
Take a step back and pretend you are
a buyer. Let a friend help point out areas of clutter,
as long as you can accept their views without getting
defensive. Let your agent help you, too.
Kitchen Clutter
The kitchen is a good place to start removing clutter,
because it is an easy place to start. First, get everything
off the counters. Everything. Even the toaster. Put the
toaster in a cabinet and take it out when you use it. Find a
place where you can store everything in cabinets and
drawers. Of course, you may notice that you do not have
cabinet space to put everything. Clean them out. The dishes,
pots and pans that rarely get used? Put them in a box and
put that box in storage, too.
You see, homebuyers will open all your cabinets and drawers,
especially in the kitchen. They want to be sure there is
enough room for their "stuff." If your kitchen cabinets,
pantries, and drawers look jammed full, it sends a negative
message to the buyer and does not promote an image of
plentiful storage space. The best way to do that is to have
as much "empty space" as possible.
For that reason, if you have a "junk drawer," get rid of the
junk. If you have a rarely used crock pot, put it in
storage. Do this with every cabinet and drawer. Create open
space.
If you have a large amount of foodstuffs crammed into the
shelves or pantry, begin using them – especially canned
goods. Canned goods are heavy and you don’t want to be
lugging them to a new house, anyway – or paying a mover to
do so. Let what you have on the shelves determine your menus
and use up as much as you can.
Beneath the sink is very critical, too. Make sure the area
beneath the sink is as empty as possible, removing all extra
cleaning supplies. You should scrub the area down as well,
and determine if there are any tell-tale signs of water
leaks that may cause a homebuyer to hesitate in buying your
home.
Closet Clutter
Closets are great for accumulating clutter, though you may
not think of it as clutter. We are talking about extra
clothes and shoes – things you rarely wear but cannot bear
to be without. Do without these items for a couple of months
by putting them in a box, because these items can make your
closets look "crammed full." Sometimes there are shoeboxes
full of "stuff" or other accumulated personal items, too.
Furniture Clutter
Many people have too much furniture in certain rooms – not
too much for your own personal living needs – but too much
to give the illusion of space that a homebuyer would like to
see. You may want to tour some builders’ models to see how
they place furniture in the model homes. Observe how they
place furniture in the models so you get some ideas on what
to remove and what to leave in your house.
Storage Area Clutter
Basements, garages, attics, and sheds accumulate not only
clutter, but junk. These areas should be as empty as
possible so that buyers can imagine what they would do with
the space. Remove anything that is not essential and take it
to the storage area.
Or have a garage sale.
Fixing Up Outside the House
Most real estate advice tells you to work on the outside of
the house first, but unless there is a major project
involved, we believe it is best to do it last. There are two
main reasons for this. First, the first steps in preparing
the interior of the house are easier. They also help develop
the proper mind set required for selling - beginning to
think of your "home" as a marketable commodity. Second, the
exterior is the most important. A homebuyer’s first
impression is based on his or her view of the house from the
real estate agent’s car.
So take a walk across the street and take a good look at
your house. Look at nearby houses, too, and see how yours
compares.
Landscaping
Is your landscaping at least average for the neighborhood?
If it is not, buy a few bushes and plant them. Do not put in
trees. Mature trees are expensive, and you will not get back
your investment. Also, immature trees do not really add much
to the appearance value of the home.
If you have an area for flowers, buy mature colorful flowers
and plant them. They add a splash of vibrancy and color,
creating a favorable first impression. Do not buy bulbs or
seeds and plant them. They will not mature fast enough to
create the desired effect and you certainly don’t want a
patch of brown earth for homebuyers to view.
Your lawn should be evenly cut, freshly edged, well watered,
and free of brown spots. If there are problems with your
lawn, you should probably take care of them before working
on the inside of your home. This is because certain areas
may need re-soding, and you want to give it a chance to grow
so that re-sod areas are not immediately apparent. Plus, you
might want to give fertilizer enough time to be effective.
Always rake up loose leaves and grass cuttings.
House Exterior
The big decision is whether to paint or not to paint. When
you look at your house from across the street, does it look
tired and faded? If so, a paint job may be in order. It is
often a very good investment and really spruces up the
appearance of a house, adding dollars to offers from
potential homebuyers.
When choosing a color, it should not be something garish and
unusual, but a color that fits well in your neighborhood. Of
course, the color also depends on the style of your house,
too. For some reason, different shades of yellow seem to
elicit the best response in homebuyers, whether it is in the
trim or the basic color of the house.
As for the roof, if you know your house has an old leaky
roof, replace it. If you do not replace a leaky roof, you
are going to have to disclose it and the buyer will want a
new roof, anyway. Otherwise, wait and see what the home
inspector says. Why spend money unnecessarily?
The Back Yard
The back yard should be tidy. If you have a pool or spa,
keep it freshly maintained and constantly cleaned. For those
that have dogs, be sure to constantly keep the area clear of
"debris." If you have swing sets or anything elaborate for
your kids, it probably makes more sense to remove them than
to leave them in place. They take up room, and you want your
back yard to appear as spacious as possible, especially in
newer homes where the yards are not as large.
The Front Door & Entryway
The front door should be especially sharp, since it is the
entryway into the house. Polish the door fixture so it
gleams. If the door needs refinishing or repainting, make
sure to get that done.
If you have a cute little plaque or shingle with your family
name on it, remove it. Even if it is just on the mailbox.
You can always put it up again once you move. Get a new
plush door mat, too. This is something else you can take
with you once you move.
Make sure the lock works easily and the key fits properly.
When a homebuyer comes to visit your home, the agent uses
the key from the lock box to unlock the door. If there is
trouble working the lock while everyone else stands around
twiddling their thumbs, this sends a negative first
impression to prospective homebuyers.
