Tip #1: Clean up oil spills
First impressions are always critical, and your driveway is one of the first things a buyer will see. Here’s a quick tip that may be the solution for your cement driveway: Try Drano or any high- powered liquid drain cleaner and sweep those oil stains away! Please use caution and read all manufacturers’ warnings before you begin this task.
Tip #2: Paint walls a neutral color
If your home is decorated in dark or unusual colors, you’re going to scare off a lot of potential buyers. It will be worth your while to paint your walls a neutral color, such as off-white. If you’re not up to painting your entire house, at least paint the areas that make the biggest impression, such as the entry/foyer, living room, dining room, kitchen, and master bedroom.
Tip #3: Make a checklist
Make a checklist to review any time a Realtor is bringing someone in to look at your home. Nothing fancy, just something to remind you to do all the little preparatory tricks we’ve listed.
Tip #4: Polish fixtures
Polish all fixtures, brass, chrome, glass, etc. with a high polish. This will add a sparkle to your home!
Tip #5: Clean or paint appliances
Appliances should be clean at all times. If your kitchen appliances have broken knobs, replace them. If your stove is green, your dishwasher is gold, and the trash compactor is black, have a professional come in and paint them one matching neutral color. This is much less expensive than buying all new appliances, and it will add dramatically to the “salability” of your kitchen!
Tip #6: Get out of the house
Always leave your house for a few minutes while the Realtor is showing it. Remember, buying a house is an emotional experience. The buyer will tend to feel awkward inspecting the house while you are there.
Tip #7: Bake cookies
Keep a package of ready-made cookie dough on hand. Pop a few cookies in the oven just when a hot prospect is expected to arrive to view the home. The smell of freshly baked cookies will conjure up a lot of great memories! Try to trigger emotions that will work toward the sale of your house.
Tip #8: Clean the carpets
When you are ready to list your home, it’s always a good idea to have the carpets cleaned. A clean home will always sell faster, and you should accentuate the fact that you take care of your home. Leave a few pairs of shoes just inside the front door to imply that you are meticulous about the appearance of your house!
Tip #9: Organize the garage
Do you ever find that you’re having trouble pulling your car into the garage because you have so much stored in there? Clean it up by storing everything you can at a helpful relative’s home or a rented storage unit. This way, your garage area will appear larger, and when it comes time for you to move, you will be more organized.
Tip #10: Offer to make payments
Offer to make the buyer’s first 3 mortgage payments. This looks very attractive in your advertising. Many people like the idea of having a little grace period after moving into a new home, but usually when it gets down to negotiating, a lower price seems to prevail. Be sure you (or the buyer) are using an experienced lender, since seller concessions seem to confuse many less experienced lenders.
Tip #11: Paint front door and entry way
A fresh coat of paint will always help sell the house faster, but if you can’t afford it, try this instead: paint the front door and, if needed, the entry area around the front door. If you don’t have any matching paint around to use, see if there is a plate fixture or some other item you can remove. Take it to the paint store to obtain a paint color that matches.
Tip #12: Clean the pool
If you have a pool, it should look like you’re just ready to throw a pool party, even if it’s the dead of winter. You want to be sure to remind the buyer of how much fun a pool really is! This means a clean, uncovered pool with all of the furniture out and looking its best!
Tip #13: Carry back a second trust deed
Carrying back a second trust deed on your house can help a lot of people qualify who may not have been able to otherwise. (If you need all of the proceeds from the sale of your house, this method may not work for you.) You carry back a note for, let’s say $40,000, but you offer the note to the buyer for only $35,000 providing the note will be paid off within the first month of ownership. The buyer will now need to get approval for an equity line or second trust deed, which can close in as little as 4 days after the buyer takes possession of the home. Have a talented lender assist with this type of a deal, but realize that even though the buyer agrees verbally to this agreement, they aren’t obligated to retire your note any sooner than the note itself states. The motivation to retire your note quickly has to come from the discount incentive. Sounds tricky, but it works.
Tip #14: Park down the street
Extra parking outside your house will give your property a spacious appearance. Park cars down the street so the Realtor has the most convenient parking. Also, be sure to unnecessary items from your front yard. All the buyer should see is a well groomed property!
Tip #15: Let there be light
Most people keep curtains, blinds and drapes closed for privacy, but when your house is for sale, be sure to open them all! Your house will look larger and brighter. Make sure that your windows are crystal clear. If your screens are worn out and full of holes, replace them. If you can’t replace tattered screens, take them out entirely to give that clean appearance. Don’t forget to wipe down dusty windowsills. Now if you have a window that faces an eyesore, you won’t want to keep the drapes or blinds open. In that case, you would keep them closed, but still maintain a neat appearance.
Tip #16: Have a garage sale
Have that garage sale you’ve been meaning to have, but never got around to. This is one of the quickest, easiest, and most cost-effective ways to clear out those items that make your living space look cluttered. Check with your local newspaper to see if they offer a “Garage Sale Kit” including signs if you place a classified ad in this category.
Tip #17: Pay down the principal
Seller concessions can attract buyers faster than just about anything else. Attract buyers by offering to pay 1 to 3 years of principal on the buyer’s new mortgage (based on a 30-year fixed rate mortgage) if the house is purchased by a certain date. Your Realtor or lender can give you precise figures, but a 3-year principal prepayment usually costs about 1.5% to 2.5% of the loan total amount. This is a small price to pay to sell your house quickly, but to the buyer, it’s like getting 3 years of their 30-year mortgage wiped out, with only 27 years remaining! Generally, the buyer will attempt to negotiate a price concession in lieu of a seller’s concession, but this will increase the readership of your advertising and get people in the door!
Tip #18: Create more space
Remember, you’re not selling furniture; you’re selling a house! Keeping this in mind, you may want to remove any large or ornate pieces of furniture. Unless your taste in furniture is the same as the potential buyer’s, large pieces aren’t going to help your house sell. Their absence, however, will make your house appear spacious and inviting.
Tip #19: Head to the nursery
When your house is up for sale, it’s time to retire all those half dead plants (both in your yard and in your house) that you keep thinking will come back to life some day. They make a mess by dropping leaves, and to put it frankly, having no plant is better than having a dead one. A quick solution is a trip to the nursery for a few fresh new plants!
Tip #20: Start packing
It will take some time to get all your knickknacks packed and ready to move. Why not do it now? Wrapping these little items in newspaper and storing them will make your move easier, and it will help your house show better. Remember, less is more!
Tip #21: Replace the Garage Door
The garage door is one of the largest, most visible elements of a home. If you want to instantly enhance the overall look of your home’s exterior and increase its value, replace your garage door before listing your house. After all, what’s the use of a clean, organized garage if the door itself is warped, cracked, broken, or in need of painting?
Tip #22: Empty the closets
Take as many of your personal items as possible out of your closet and store them in an out of the way place. When your closets are cleaned up, they will look much larger to the potential home buyer! Abundant closet/storage space is a major selling point for most people. Apply this rule to any storage area.
Tip #23: Create an experience
Try writing a letter telling about some of the features of your home. Talk about the schools, good neighbors, malls and shopping centers in the area, perhaps even a little history about the home. Write it in a very personal fashion, as if you were writing to a close friend. Try to create images in the potential buyer’s mind of how great it is to live there. Finally, type this letter and make copies, but sign each one by hand. Put the letter in a nice stationery envelope and leave it out where anyone viewing the house couldn’t miss it.
Tip #24: Buy some new furnishings
Now is the best time for replacing old, worn out items with something new! Use your better judgment as to which items will actually make your current house look better to a prospective buyer.
Tip #25: Scope out new developments
When you’re selling your home, one of the biggest competitors is the new home development in the area. Visit these developments to size up your competition and get ideas on how to beat them at their own game! Help your home to have the same appeal as the new homes by accenting similar attributes, while pointing out benefits your home may have that the new homes do not. You’ll also get a good idea of what the price of your home should be, based on what the new homes are selling for.
Tip #26: Take the dog for a walk
If you own a dog that may be intimidating to the potential buyer, take your furry friend for a walk whenever the home is being shown. Your dog’s bark may be worse than its bite, but if its presence alone could potentially cause tension for the buyer, it takes away from the overall emotional experience of looking at the home.
Tip #27: Water the lawn
Use your sprinklers as much as possible to ensure everything in your yard is green. Turn on your sprinkler’s manual start button whenever a Realtor is bringing a potential buyer to view the home. Newly watered landscaping has a fresh, clean scent and a shimmer that makes it look much better than when it’s dry. By leaving them on, you can also discourage any backyard exploring in the event you have unsightly areas there.
Tip #28: Check the price
Price may be a sensitive issue, but it is the one thing that will sell your house faster than anything else. If you price your house right in line with the market, it’s not likely to sell quickly. That’s because only the 10% or 20% of houses with the best prices are selling each month.
Tip #29: Tame wild jungles
An empty yard sells better than an overgrown yard, probably because an empty yard looks larger! When trimming back your shrubbery and trees as you’re getting ready to sell your house, don’t be timid. Trees and shrubbery should not hide the house itself. Less is more!
Tip #30: Buy potted flowers
Flowers always brighten the appearance of a home, and they add a pleasant odor. Most people do not want to buy fresh cut flowers or spend money on something they will leave behind. A helpful alternative is to use clay or decorative pots as planters. After they have helped to sell your current home, you can use them to brighten up your new home as well!
Tip #31: Don’t leave a mess
Inspect your house on the way out the door every day to see if there are any messes you have not had time to clean up. Kick clothes under the bed or get a couple of large, plastic tubs for emergencies. In short, don’t leave your home a mess if there’s any possibility that a potential buyer may see it. As a final note, be careful not to hide your mess where it will be easily discovered, such as in a closet or cupboard.
Tip #32: Brighten things up
Add a dramatic appearance to your house with new 100-watt light bulbs! A bright house looks larger, cleaner and more appealing to a potential buyer. This will create an open feeling, similar to the many new homes that are built today with lots of windows and skylights!
Tip #33: Dollars and scents
If you’re not already popping something in the oven to fill the house with a pleasant aroma, spray a little vanilla air freshener. This particular scent has a great impact. Potpourri around the house is a good idea, too. Remember, we’re trying to appeal to as many senses as possible!
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