Looking at your house through the eyes of others seems to be a challenge to some. You have become used to the way it looks and feel good about it. Here is a little exercise you may go through to really see your home the way others do. Try going across the street, or better yet take a picture of it. Is it still living up to its fullest potential? Or are the blue and green garbage cans screaming for cover? Is the hose you so neatly piled up looking like a pile of clothes outside? Does the peeling porch paint stand out when you never thought twice about it? Chances are when you look at this blown up picture on your monitor you are going to see where the possibility for improvement lies.
Making your house look its best is not too difficult if you’ve been maintaining the paint and gardens. If not it is going to be a little pricier to soup it up, but imperative if you are going to put it on the market. Do not make the mistake of thinking that these things didn’t bother you, so they won’t bother a potential buyer. The first day your house is on the market is like a debutantes coming out party. She is going to be presented to society as your house is being presented to the market, so chances are she will never look better than that day. Making sure your house is in its best shape ever is the single most important thing you can do to assist your agent in getting top dollar for your home.
Here are a few things you can do to get your home started:
MANICURE YOUR GARDENS! If grass is patchy you will need to reseed and this can take time. If the grass is brown and dying then rolling sod will be a worthy investment. Also, make sure that there is not a lot of exposed dirt between plants. Spreading ground cover makes a world of difference.
PAINT! Is your home the most unique color on the block? If it is you should probably get some really honest opinions from family or friends on its appeal. There are some colors that should just not be on a home and they will make the house difficult to sell. Remember that the front picture of the home is the first glimpse any potential buyer has of your home! If they like that picture they keep looking, and if they don’t your dead in the water. If your color is a nice neutral or the opinion of your color is favorable, then just making sure it is touched up and in great shape will suffice.
DEBRIS! Make sure there is none! This means visible garbage cans, hoses, newspapers, furniture that doesn’t match or is in bad shape, gym bags and shoes…etc…All gone.
DECORATE! Matching porch furniture is a worthy investment! Stage your porch so people want to come in. I often go to OSHA or Kmart and buy a nice matching set for a couple of hundred dollars.
These are just a few examples of how to better prepare your home for its market debut. Please call me for a free, no obligation consultation.
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