What Can You Do To Get Your Home Sold ?

IF YOU ARE THINKING OF SELLING YOUR HOME .... Chances are you are experiencing a mass of emotions. You are probably looking forward to moving up, downsizing or facing the many unknowns of relocating to a new town or city. You may feet anxiety about leaving your memories behind or starting a new and exciting life somewhere new. Peter understands all this and will be there to assist you every step of the way for any of your needs.

Getting Your House Ready to Sell (Emotion vs. Reason): You will often find that when you talk to Realtors about buying real estate, they will refer to your purchase as a home. Yet if you are selling a property, they will often refer to it as a house. The reason for this is buying real estate if often an emotional decision, but when setting real estate you need to remove emotion from the equation. Think of your house as a marketable commodity, property, real estate. Your goal is to get others to see it as their potential home, not yours. The first step in getting your home ready to sell is to de-personalize it.

De-Personalize the House: The reason you should de-personalize your home is because you want buyers to view it as their personal 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 owning the house. Therefore, 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. Don't just put the box in the attic, basement, garage or closet. Part of preparing your home for sale is to remove clutter, and that is the next step in preparing your house for sate. You are going to have to move away so why not start packing now?

Showing the House to Potential Home Buyers: Your house should always be available for show, even though it may occasionally be inconvenient for you. Let your listing agent put a lock box in a convenient place, to make it easy for other agents to show your home to homebuyers. Otherwise, agents wilt have to schedule appointments, which is an inconvenience. Most will just skip your home to show the house of someone else who is more cooperative. Most agents will call and give you at least a couple of hours notice before showing your property. If you refuse to let them show it at that time, they wilt just skip your house. Even if they come back another time, it will probably be with different buyers and you may have just lost a chance to sell your home.

Why You Should Not Be Home: Homebuyers will feel like intruders and will tend to hurry through the house if you are home when they visit, and they might not be as receptive toward viewing your home. Visit the local coffee house, yogurt shop, or take the kids to the local park. If you absolutely cannot leave, try to remain in an out of they way area of the house and do not move from room to room. Do not volunteer any information, but answer any questions the agent may ask.

Lighting, Fragrances, Pet Control and More:

Lighting: When you know someone is coming by to tour your home, turn on all the indoor and outdoor lights - even during the day. At night, a lit house gives a "homey" impression when viewed from the street. During the daytime, turning on the lights prevents harsh shadows from sunlight and it brightens up any dim areas. Your house looks more homey and cheerful with the lights on. Make your home as tight, airy and spacious as possible. Draw back drapes and turn on a few extra tights when showing your home, even if it's daytime. A Well Lit Home Can Make All The Difference!

Fragrances: Do not use scented sprays to prepare for visitors. It is too obvious and many people find the smelts of those sprays offensive, not to mention that some may be allergic. If you want to have a pleasant aroma in your house, have a potpourri pot or something natural. Or turn on a stove burner for a moment and put a drop of vanilla extract on it. Fresh bread or cookies baking in the oven help create a "homey" atmosphere, and also creates a "comfort zone".

Pet Control: If you have pets, make sure your listing agent puts a notice with your listing in the multiple listing service. The last thing you want is to have your pet running out the front door and getting lost. Keep pets out of the way. If ,~ you know someone is coming, it would be best to try to take the pets with your white the homebuyers tour your home. If you cannot do that, It is best to keep dogs in a penned area in the back yard. Try to keep indoor cats in a specific room when you expect visitors, and put a sign on the door. Most of the time, an indoor cat will hide when buyers come to view your property, but they may panic and try to escape.

The Kitchen Trash: If your kitchen trash can does not have a lid, make sure you empty it every time someone comes to took at your home - even if your trash can is kept under the kitchen sink. Remember that you want to send a positive image about every aspect of your home. Kitchen trash does not send a positive message. You may go through more plastic bags than usual, but it wilt be worth it.

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