10 home selling rules to follow

attack
Be ready. Be prepared.

Selling a home, like most things, is easiest with a bit of preparation. If you’re getting ready to sell your home, there are a number of things to think about. Here’s a list:

1. Pricing

Price accurately. Be aware of market conditions. Look at other homes for sale within a 500 metres. Look at other similar, recently sold (within the last three months) homes in the area.
 Get a presale home inspection or appraisal. Set an asking price that reflects an understanding of the current market.
 If you want to sell fast, aim to be 10% lower than similar homes in the same area. Buyers will take notice!
 Offer incentives.

2. Marketing

Market aggressively.
 Consult with experts.
 Communicate your home’s features. Take a lot of pictures.
 Do a video.
 Learn from other ads. Distribute flyers.
Post your ad to all free online sites.

3. Curb appeal

Make a good first impression. Aim to make your home stand out amongst the competition.
 Repaint or power-wash the exterior.
 Check the exterior of your home for signs of wear and damage and correct them. Some examples include peeling paint, foundation cracks or loose shingles.
 Repaint the front door. Make sure the doorbell works.
 Add decorative accents like a wreath.
 Place colorful potted plants at the entry.
 Plant flowers amongst the landscaping.
 Trim the bushes and add fresh mulch.
 Fertilize the lawn; make sure it’s manicured.
 Rake leaves.
 Shovel the driveway and walkways.
 Power-wash the driveway.
 Clean out the garage.
 Clean all the windows.

4. Staging the inside

De-clutter the living spaces.
 Hold a garage sale to get rid of things you don’t need.
 Move about half of your stuff into storage.
 Stage the interior with strategically chosen furniture.
 Remove all personal items (photos, diplomas, religious items).
 Clean off the fridge. Organize the closets; put as much away in storage as possible.
 Remove everything from the floors of closets.
 Hide away cords and wiring.
 Top the beds with fresh sheets.
 Put out fresh towels in the bathrooms.
 Scrub the walls and floors thoroughly.

5. Kitchens sell houses.

Replace any damaged or extremely outdated appliances with good, but inexpensive alternatives. If cabinets are outdated, consider updating, rather than replacing them: new knobs or doors can make a big difference.
 Update fixtures. Clear the countertops. Organize the cabinets and the pantry.
 Clean and wax the floors.
 Put away unused appliances.

6. The interior

Direct your lighting to highlight key areas.
 Add lights to all corners of major rooms.
 Replace light bulbs with higher wattage ones.
 Repaint walls with neutral colors.
 Fix anything that’s broken.
 Thoroughly clean or replace carpeting.
 Consider improvements or renovations carefully. Get rid of any unpleasant smells.

7. The backyard

Create a backyard oasis.
 Look for ways to play up your outdoor space.
 Plant a garden to spruce up the look of your verdant landscaping.
 Keep the pool immaculate and make it seem as low-maintenance as possible.
 Take care of any surrounding tiling, decking or landscaping around the pool.
 Adjust the chemical balance to make the water sparkling clear!
 Keep hoses neatly wrapped up and put away.

8. Be prepared

Know your numbers. What’s offer will you accept. What offer won’t you accept. What’s your bottom line? What conditions will you entertain?

9. Showings and viewings

Be available to show your home.
 Try to be accommodating of the buyer’s schedule.
 Only show your home when it’s in showing condition.
 Be prepared to “quick clean” when necessary.
 Ask buyers be prequalified. Keep pets out of sight if at all possible.

10. Open House

Hold open houses.
 Schedule the open house for a weekend afternoon when not a lot of community events are going on.
 Promote your open house everywhere you can.
 Make the most of other open houses in the area. Check local ads, and when an open house is scheduled nearby, put out a sign and draw those visitors to your home.
 Give buyers space when touring your home.
 Answer any questions.

11. Negotiation

Know how to negotiate.
 Be as neutral as possible. Consider all offers.
 Respond to concerns.
 Counteroffer.
 Make concessions. Arrive at a deal.

If you’re selling your home by yourself, the tips above should help get you through the process. If you’re getting the help of a Realtor, they should be doing many of these things for you and advising you about the ones that will put your home in the most saleable condition.

If you need any advice about selling your home, please call me for an “over-the-phone” consultation.

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6 Comments

  1. Gosh. These tips are truly useful. Some home sellers make a mistake of not minding the little things that need to be fixed saying those are little things that the buyer can afford. What they does not know is that it leaves a bad notion on the buyer that if these little things were unattended, what more for those unseen.

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