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Why does one house sell within days and another languish on the market for months?
In today's real estate market, far too many sellers watch prospective buyers troop through their homes without making an offer. To avoid this kind of frustration, you must learn the secrets of making your house more saleable.
More important, the longer a house is on the market; the less likely the seller is to receive a high offer. It’s human nature to suspect the quality of merchandise that has been "on the shelf" for a long time. A slow-selling house makes prospective buyers nervous.
Selling your home can be a painless and profitable experience if you follow the guidelines offered on the following pages.
The Basics
Put yourself in the buyer's shoes! Remember that they arrive at your front door waiting to fall in love with your home. If you've done your homework and set the stage, every room in your home will greet the customer with a pleasant surprise.
What makes your home special?
First, settle down in your favorite easy chair, close your eyes, and try to remember your feeling the very first time YOU walked into your home. Now, start listing your home's most positive features. Remember, the more personal, the better.
Ask your spouse and your children to add their own special positive reactions. Your teenage daughter may remember how she fell in love with your home years ago because of a swing that hung from the old oak tree in the backyard. Don't make the mistake of ignoring children's special impressions.
Tour every room, basement, the garage, and yard. Note at least one positive feature in each. Include the items that attracted you and those desirable features you have added.
Accentuate the Positive
A real estate agent will bring prospective buyers to your door, but don't rely on him or her to do the whole job of selling your home. A saleable home has each room sending out a unique message to the customer. It is more effective to have the buyer's "discover" your home's special features themselves (than to have the owner or agent point them out like a tour guide.) Draw attention to your home's best asset by a little creativity; a cheerful glow of logs in the fireplace a spotlight beaming down, or a pot of red geraniums stimulates the buyer's imagination by setting the scene! |
