Helpful Tips For Selling Your Property
As a homeowner, you can play an important part in selling your home faster and at the best possible price. That is why you need to hold up your end of the relationship. Let Leslie Ballinger tell you about several simple things you can do to help her get you the best deal.
Before the Prospects May Come
First Things First
Create an information sheet that lists your home's features and best qualities, especially those that people might otherwise overlook. This sheet will be very useful for Leslie when marketing or talking with potential buyers.
Also you might need to talk about upgrading. Your home may need fresh paint or new carpet. (Make sure you choose neutral colors.)
Make the Most of That First Impression
A well-manicured lawn, neatly trimmed shrubs and a clutter-free porch welcome prospects. So does a freshly painted - or at least freshly scrubbed - front door. If it's autumn, rake the leaves. If it's winter, shovel the walkways. The fewer obstacles between prospects and the true appeal of your home, the better.
Invest a Few Hours for Future Dividends
Clean up the living room, the bathroom, the kitchen. If your woodwork is scuffed or the paint is fading, consider some minor redecoration. Fresh wallpaper adds charm and value to your property. If you're worried about time, hire professionals to get your house ready. Dripping water rattles the nerves, discolors sinks, and suggests faulty or worn-out plumbing. Burned out bulbs or faulty wiring leave prospects in the dark. Remember, prospects would rather see how great your home really looks than hear how great it could look "with a little work."
Make Room for Space
Remember, potential buyers are looking for more than just comfortable living space. They're looking for storage space, too. Make sure your attic and basement are clean and free of unnecessary items. The better organized a closet, the larger it appears. Now's the time to box up those unwanted clothes and donate them to charity.
Make Your Bathroom Sparkle
Bathrooms sell homes, so let them shine. Check and repair damaged or unsightly caulking in the tubs and showers. For added allure, display your best towels, mats, and shower curtains.
Create Dream Bedrooms
Wake up prospects to the cozy comforts of your bedrooms. For a spacious look, get rid of excess furniture. Colorful bedspreads and fresh curtains are a must.
Some Other Things
If cabinets or closet doors stick in your home, you can be sure they will also stick in a prospect's mind. Think of those self-set booby traps in your house: roller skates on the stairs, festooned extension cords, slippery throw rugs and low hanging overhead lights. Make your residence as non-perilous as possible for uninitiated visitors.
Now when your house is ready for potential buyers it's time to see how to handle those visits.
Here Comes the Light
Let the sun shine in! Pull back your curtains and drapes so prospects can see how bright and cheery your home is. Turn on the excitement by turning on all your lights - both inside and outside - when showing your home in the evening. Lights add color and warmth, and make prospects feel welcome.
Crowd, Pets and Volume
Potential buyers often feel like intruders when they enter a home filled with people. Rather than giving your house the attention it deserves, they're likely to hurry through. Keep the company present to a minimum. Also watch your pets, they are great companions, but not when you're showing your home. Pets have a talent for getting underfoot. So do everybody a favor: Keep Kitty and Spot outside, or at least out of the way.
When it's time to show your home, it's time to turn down the stereo or TV. You may like it loud but it might kill a real estate transaction.
Some Socializing Facts
Be friendly, but don't try to force conversation. Prospects want to view your home with a minimum of distraction.
No matter how humble your abode, never apologize for its shortcomings. If a prospect volunteers a derogatory comment about your home's appearance, let Leslie handle the situation.
Leslie Ballinger Needs Your Help
Nobody knows your home as well as you do. But Leslie's experience tells her a lot about the buyers - what they need and what they want. So let her articulate the virtues of your home. When prospects want to talk price, terms, or other real estate matters, also let them speak to her.
And after years in real estate and successful sales Leslie learned that it makes it a lot more efficient if all the arrangements with the prospects about showing, etc. are made directly through her office.
The information provided by this website is for the personal, non-commercial use of consumers and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing.
Listings information is updated daily.
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