Preparing Your Home For Showings
Once you’ve decided to sell, it is then time to enhance the relative attractiveness of your home so that prospective buyers will be willing to pay you top dollar, or as close to market value as possible. In a seller’s market (few listings with many buyers) the seller can usually get away with not fixing some of the problems on his/her property because buyers do not have many properties to choose from. However, in a buyer’s market (lots of listings with few buyers) sellers need to differentiate their home from their competition to get top price and sell in a relatively short time period. It is in this type of market that seller’s should critically analyze their home and make any necessary improvements.
Below is a list of things seller’s can do to help improve the overall “saleability” of their home.
Stay away from major renovations: Talk with your real estate representative on what areas of your home need work and what improvements will appeal most to buyers. During the selling period, there is no need to launch a major remodelling project. Remember that you will most likely be unable to recover the money invested into these projects. Further, by adding the cost of the remodel into your asking price, you will likely price your home out of your local market.
Detach your emotions. Remember, you are about to sell this house and the goal is to create a space in which as many people as possible will be able to envision as their potential home. To properly prepare your home for sale you will have to pack away many of your personal items, including photos, souvenirs and other mementos. You want buyers to envision themselves in your house not focus on the current family.
You don’t get a second chance to make a good first impression. The outside of your home is the first thing buyers see and is the most important factor in shaping the rest of the showing. Therefore, the exterior appearance of your home is vital to having a good showing. Most buyers have only a limited time to search for a home and need to make quick decisions to get on with the process. A buyer will normally make a decision about your home before they even get to the front door. You should take a good objective look at your home, and the adjacent homes, from the street. This is where buyers will be when they first look at your home and the neighbourhood. You should attempt to make your home as attractive and inviting to potential buyers as possible. Click here to request a checklist of minor improvements you can do to help you gain top dollar for your property.
Remax has recently launched a website which contains comprehensive information on what homeowners should do to prepare their home for sale! Click here to go to the “Fit to Sell” website.
