1.
Curb appeal sells: Do some landscaping. Plant some flowers. Remember
that the front door greets buyers. Make sure it looks new.
2.
Decorate For A Quick Sale: Faded walls and worn woodwork reduce
appeal. Invest in a few cans of paint. Brighten up the interior.
3.
Let The Sun Shine In: Open draperies and curtains and let the prospect
see how cheerful your home can be. Dark rooms do not appeal. One trick which always
seems to work is to replace 60-watt bulbs with 100-watt bulbs, and have your Realtor®
turn them all on, even for a daytime showing (and off after the showing).
4. Fix That Faucet!
Dripping water suggests faulty plumbing, one of the greatest fears that savvy
buyers have.
5.
Repairs Can Make A Big Difference: Loose knobs, sticking and squeaking
doors and windows, warped cabinet drawers, and other minor flaws detract from
home value. Fix them. Most buyers assume there will be ten hidden problems for
every one they see.
6.
Clutter clogs sales: Display the full value of your space by removing
all unnecessary articles. Consider storing things you don't need all the time.
7.Safety First:
Keep halls and stairways clear. Avoid cluttered appearances and possible injuries.
8. Clean Your Closets:
Neat, well ordered closets look bigger, suggesting that storage space is ample.
One of any home's biggest deal-killers remains: "Not enough closet space."
9. Bathrooms Sell
Homes: Check and repair caulking in bathtubs and showers. Make
the room sparkle!
10.
Arrange Bedrooms Neatly: Remove excess furniture. Use attractive
bedspreads and window treatments, with freshly laundered curtains if you use them.
11. Harmonize The
Elements: FM radio or stereo on softly, TV off. All lights on,
day or night. Drapes open in the daytime, closed at night. If it's hot, cool it!
12. You Can Sell Pride
Of Ownership. Cleanliness counts. Potpourrie works. So does a nice-smelling
stew simmering on the stove. Happy buyers often tell us: "I liked the smell
of the home." And you'd be surprised how many people walked away from a "perfect"
home because "the owners were smokers."
13.
Three's A Crowd: Avoid having too many people present during a
showing. Potential buyers need to feel at home, not like intruders being hurried
through the house.
14.
Noise does not sell well. Let the Realtor® and buyer talk,
free of disturbances. Background "soft playing" music is okay, but the
wrong sounds will turn buyers off. Noisy children and animals are roadblocks to
a contract
and traffic, trains, and planes must be dealt with honestly,
if they are part of the deal.
15.
Pets Underfoot? Keep them out of the way ... preferably out of
the house. Many people are acutely uncomfortable around animals. Nothing can stop
a sale faster than man's best friend, wagging its friendly tail at a prospect
with an allergy.
16.
Silence Is Golden: Be courteous but don't force conversation with
a potential buyer. He wants to inspect your house, not pay a social visit.
17. Be It Ever So
Humble: Never apologize for the appearance of your home. After
all, it has been lived in. Let the trained agent answer any objections. That's
the job of your Realtor®.
18.
Never Stay In Your House With House Hunters: Let the agent handle
it, and remove yourself if possible. Remember that the Realtor® has worked
many hours with these people, and knows what they're looking for, and how to work
with them. Let the Realtor® do the job without interference.You may feel that
an agent isn't showing the important features of your home to the prospect, but
the agent knows people aren't sold by details until they've become emotionally
involved with the "big picture" of your home. The presence of any member
of the seller's family can't help. It always unnerves possible buyers. It often
prevents a sale.
19.
Don't Put The Cart Before The Horse? Trying to dispose of furniture
and furnishing to a potential buyer before he has purchased the house often loses
a sale.
20.
Let your Realtor® discuss price, terms, possession, and other factors with
the prospect. They are qualified to bring negotiations to a favorable
conclusion. A smart Realtor® knows, in certain rare cases, when to tell a
buyer and seller to sit down and negotiate the final price on their own. And if
you don't think you have a smart Realtor®
well, you know where to find
them if you are reading this page.