Selling Tips Tips for showing your house

A few points of advice:

A Good First Impression Can Help Sell Your Home
When you are showing your home to prospective buyers, first impressions are the most lasting and the most important.

Clean everything

Cleanliness signals to a buyer that the home has been well cared for and is most likely in good order. A messy or dirty home will cause prospective buyers to notice every flaw.

Start from the exterior:

• Make sure the lawn, garden, trees and bushes look trimmed and neat.
• There are no cracks in the walks and driveway.
• All debris is disposed and lawn equipment is neatly stored.
• Fences and gates are repaired and repainted, if necessary.
• The roof gutters and downspouts are in good working order.
• Cracked windows and torn screens are replaced. Screens, windows and window sills are washed. ( No window screens are better than broken ones).
• Doorknobs are polished.
• Doorbell and front lights are in good working order.

A Spotless Interior Will Reinforce Your Home's Good First Impression:

• Unclutter your home . Have a garage sale. Empty closets. Donate things that you don’t need. Throw away what you can’t sell. The less “stuff” in and around a home, the roomier it will seem.
• Let the light in . Raise the shades. Open the blinds. Pull back the curtains. Put brighter bulbs in all the lamps (but not bright enough to cause a glare). Bright, open rooms feel larger and more inviting. Dark rooms feel small and gloomy.
• Let fresh air in . Get rid of odors that may be unfamiliar or unpleasant. People are most often offended by odors from tobacco, pets, cooking and musty or sour laundry. Fresh flowers and potpourri can be used to your advantage. Other smells that attract positive attention include fresh baked bread and cinnamon. But be careful if you use scented candles or air fresheners. Not everybody like the same scents.
• Fix anything that is broken . This includes plumbing, electrical systems/switches, windows, TV antennas, screens, doors and fences. If it can’t be fixed, replace it or get rid of it. (Fix squeaky floorboards. A buyer will make a much lower offer if your house is in disrepair and will probably still insist that everything be fixed before taking occupancy. You’re better off if you leave potential buyers no reason to offer less than you are asking.

Paint

There’s nothing that improves the value of a home for a lower cost than a fresh coat of paint. And it’s often easier to paint a room than it is to scrub it. Stick with neutral colors—off-white is safest. Be sure to avoid odd colors. Call me to see your house before you will spend money on paint and replacing carpet, so I can help you to decide if it will bring you more money at sale.

It will be a good idea to get termite inspection done prior to painting. (Call me for a reference to a reputable termite company and painters).

Remove personal items

Pictures of your family, some personal attributes of your life. You want house to be looking as neutral as possible. And you want buyers to concentrate on the house features, not on your personal stuff. For security reason place all valuable things in to safe deposit or secured location. Secure all expensive little things and prescription drugs.

Do the test

Once you done with repairs and cleaning do the test: get separated from yourself, go outside and try to enter your house wearing “critical glasses” and walk your house looking at it with the eyes of your buyer. Go back and tack care of the things you didn’t like.

Over-improving doesn't pay

Don't plan major improvements on your home. Most home-buyers want to make their own changes. You are usually wiser to sell them the potential at a price they can afford.

Tips for showing your house Selling Tips

Tips for showing your house to the buyers:

Showing your home the right way is important to its sale, and there are many ways you can help me to do my job successfully.

There are some details that will maximize your home's selling potential:

• Give buyers privacy in your home. Be courteous, but don't force conversation with the potential buyers. The best thing is to leave the house before the buyers will arrive, let buyer’s agent do the tour and emphasize the features of your home. It will give buyers some private time in your house. Let them “try it on”. You don’t want the buyer to think that they kicked you out and to be in a hurry to let you go back to your normal life. Never apologize for the appearance of your home.
• Price . Let Julia discuss price, terms, possession and other factors with the potential buyers. Refer any prospect that calls or comes by to Julia for pre-screening and pre-qualification as well as for your own safety.
• Pets . Send pets away or secure them away from the house when prospective buyers are coming. You never know if people will be annoyed or intimidated by your pets or even allergic to them. And you never want a prospective buyer to have to avoid animal droppings.
• Kids . Arrange for the kids to be out of the house or take them on a walk around the block. Children can be noisy and distracting to someone interested in looking at a home. Even if they like kids, you want them concentrate on your house, not chatting with your kids. It is better for you’re your kids to; they can be upset about strangers coming to see their home.
• Keep noise down . Silence is a restful sound that offends no one. Turn off the TV and radio. Soft, instrumental music is fine, but avoid vocals. If necessary, close the windows to eliminate any street noise. Try to avoid showing while gardeners or cleaning service is working on the house.
• Temperature. Make sure the temperature in your home is comfortable —keep it cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. If it’s cold outside, and you have a fireplace, a nice fire will make your home seem cozy and inviting.

Remember, Julia has the experience and training necessary to bring negotiations to a successful conclusion. And, if you've followed the guidelines provided, you'll know you've already done your part in helping your home sell by making sure it creates a good first impression.