Tip Number #1 Disconnect Your Emotions
When speaking 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.
Tip Number #2 Make your home Anonymous
If there is a new home sales tract near your home, go visit. It doesn't matter what size the homes are. You will see wonderfully furnished homes that “anyone” could live in." They are anonymous. There may be a baseball glove in the boy's room, but no family photos on the walls. The rooms may have “personality" - but no person.
The reason you want to make your home "anonymous" 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 living in the house themselves.
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.
Tip Number#3 Removing 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. You want as much open clear space as possible, so every extra little thing needs to be cleared away. 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.
Tip Number#4 Accentuate the Most Important Room in the House
Whether it is your Kitchen, Family Room or Master Bedroom. Make sure this area is Clean and Crisp and it shows at it’s high potential. Rearranging your furniture to make your focal point a large bay window that let’s in a lot of sunlight or a nicely decorate fireplace. You also want to position your furniture in a way that makes the room look larger than it really is. This is very important. Buyers are more and likely moving because of space and they are paying special attention to those problems that they are having in their current homes to compare.
Tip Number# 5 The Exterior of the House
This is the 1st point of contact for most buyers. Begin with removing tree limbs and branches that are covering the beauty of the homes. Fertilize the yard to get your grass extra green and also planting some annual flowers won’t hurt. Pressure wash the exterior of the home, sidewalks and driveway and paint the trim to give the homes the feel and appearance of a newly built home. Curb Appeal is everything!