With local real estate market conditions right for buying and selling homes, many people are exploring the possibility of buying a new home, or moving up to a more expensive home. Of course, they hope to sell their present home first.
If you’re trying to sell your home, maximize the first impression so that prospective purchasers think it’s wonderful. Play up the positive points. When there’s a positive first impression, people are more willing to overlook some of the things that aren’t perfect.
The three top factors in selling a home are location, condition, and price. The last two factors are something the seller can do something about.
Most Realtors will provide some counseling on how to prepare your home for sale, but different price ranges need to be addressed in different ways. The way we live in and the way we market a home are usually not the same. A seller needs to pretend he or she is a prospective purchaser in their own home and picture what the buyer sees. Unfortunately, this can be a difficult task without professional assistance.
A good place to start preparing your home for sale, in addition to a thorough cleaning, is to neutralize the home’s interior paint colors and carpeting.
Several other way of maximizing your home’s first impression:
- Put out fresh flowers and set the table.
- If anything is broken, fix it. A cracked window pane, for example suggests to a potential purchaser that the home hasn’t been cared for properly.
- Consider how the house smells. Use potpourri or a scent ring, or for those who have time, bake bread, cookies or fruit pies.
- If you have a deck or patio, set out patio furniture to enhance it.
- Make sure every light socket in and around the house has a good bulb of adequate wattage.
- Move the cat’s litter box out of the house, and be sure to clean up after the dog before any showings. Take them out of the house and off the property during showings.
- Avoid clutter. It is also difficult for the prospective buyer to imagine their own possessions in a clutter filled room. Openness, it is believed, stimulates positive feeling in buyers.
Once your home has sold and you’re looking for a home to purchase, you need to place a lot of emphasis on location. Is the property in an attractive neighborhood that shows care and attention to the property? Is it convenient to stores and schools? Do you want to be in town or out of town? Does the home fit in well with the neighborhood?
Once you’ve established a good location to suit your needs, consider what care and attention the home has received over the years. Your broker might encourage you to have the home inspected. This protects both the buyer and the seller.
And of course, you must consider the price. If you need a mortgage, it’s a good idea to get pre-approved with a local lender to determine what price range at which you should be looking. Once you know your price range, consider if the asking price is reasonable with your income and in accordance with the current value of similar houses. Your local Realtor can help you out with both purchasing a home and making your home one of the first to sell!
Since I will be moving out of state, I’m thinking of selling my old apartment. Thanks for your tip to maximize the first impression when trying to sell a home. In this way, potential buyers will be more willing to overlook some things that aren’t perfect. Such informative post!
I’m glad you mentioned how you should take the time to declutter your home when planning on selling it. It is important to remember that doing this can make a good impression on the potential buyers. As I see it, taking the time to do some research and consult with a professional can help you find the best agent that can help you sell your house for the best price.
Earlier, I was wondering if I would need a Realtor to help me with my home’s selling and it seems like it. You mentioning that Realtors can help in some counseling in how to better prepare our home for sale is something I could really use a help in. As of the moment, we have no idea on how we’ll price and prepare the home for selling aside from having it cleaned. That is why I’ll be sure to get a reliable real estate agent to help us out. Thanks!
My wife and I are wanting to buy a new home this year, so thanks for the helpful tips. I like that you suggest making the house smell good for showings by using scent rings or cooking beforehand. We’ll be sure to do this when we have people over so they find the house more attractive.
My wife and I are getting ready to buy a new home soon, so thanks for the tips on selling your current one. I like that you suggest considering how the house smells. I bet the smell of freshly baked cookies or bread like you said would make a great first impression for potential buyers.
I really appreciate the tip to set out patio furniture to maximize the appearance of your home when trying to sell it. My wife and I want to sell our home so that we can move across the country to someplace that would be closer to family. We have a decent patio, so we will be sure to pull out some furniture for it and work with an agent to sell our home.
I am so thankful for what you have shared about selling and buying a house. I like how you mentioned that once our home has been sold and we’re looking for a new home to purchase, we need to place a lot of emphasis on location. Yes, that is correct because my brother is looking for a place near his new work.
Hi Cathie, I appreciate you helping me learn more that when selling a home, impression really matters! My brother should read this article since he’s selling his house to buy a new one. He’s promoted and will be assigned to the nearby state. Thanks!