Tips For Sellers 

As a homeowner, you can play an important part in the timely sale of your property. When you take the following steps, you’ll help me sell your home faster, at the best possible price.

1. Make the Most of that First Impression: A well-manicured lawn, neatly trimmed shrubs and clutter-free porch welcome prospects. So does a freshly painted – or at least freshly scrubbed – front door.  Replacing rusty door hardware/knobs can make an old door look like new!  The fewer obstacles between prospects and the true appeal of your home, the better. 

2. Invest a Few Hours for Future Dividends: Here’s your chance to "clean up" in real estate. Clean up in the living room, the bathrooms, and 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. Prospects would rather see how great your home really looks than hear how great it could look, “with a little work”.
 
3. Check Faucets and Bulbs: Dripping water rattles the nerves, discolors sinks and suggests faulty or worn-out plumbing. Burned out bulbs leave prospects in the dark. Don’t let little problems detract from what’s right with your home.
 
4. Don’t Shut Out a Sale: If cabinets or closet doors stick in your home, you can be sure they will also stick in a prospect’s mind. Don’t try to explain away sticky situations when you can easily plane them away. A little effort on your part can smooth the way toward a closing.
 
5. Think Safety: Homeowners learn to live with all kinds of self-set booby traps: roller-skates on the stairs, tangle bunches of electrical cords, slippery throw rugs and low hanging overhead lights. Make your residence as safe as possible for visitors.
 
6. Make Room for Space: Remember, potential buyers are looking for more than just comfortable living space. They’re looking for storage, too. A cluttered or overly-stuffed attic gives the appearance of NO space for storing their items.  Make sure your attic is as clean and free of unnecessary items as possible.
 
7. Consider Your Closets: The better organized a closet, the larger it appears. Now’s the time to box up those unwanted clothes and donate them to charity.
 
8. Make Your Bathrooms 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.
 
9. 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.
 
10. Open Up In The Daytime: Let the sun shine in! Pull back your curtains and drapes so prospects can see how bright and cheery your home is.
 
11. Lighten Up at Night: Turn on the excitement by turning on all your lights – both inside and outside – when showing your home in the evenings. Lights add color and warmth, and make prospects feel welcome.
 
12. Avoid Crowd Scenes: 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. If at all possible, allow the showing agent to show your home while your are away.  If you must remain, please give the agent and potential buyer plenty of space to tour your home and speak freely to each-other.  If they have questions, they will seek you out to ask.
 
13. Watch Your Pets: Dogs and cats are great companions, but not when you’re showing your home. Pets have a talent for getting underfoot. Also, remember some folks have allergies or what some may feel are irrational fears of certain animals.  So do everybody a favor: Keep kitty and Spot outside, or at the very least out of the way.
 
14. Think Volume: Rock-and-roll will never die. But it might kill a real estate transaction. When it’s time to show your home, it’s time to turn down the stereo or TV.
 
15. Relax: Be friendly, but don’t try to force conversation. Prospects want to view your home with a minimum of distraction. If possible, leave your home for showings.  Clients always look harder and stay longer when they don't feel that they are imposing on you.
 
16. Don’t Apologize: No matter how humble your abode; never apologize for its shortcomings.  Real estate agents are trained to overcome any obstacles the buyer may have with seeing themselves living in your home. 
17. Keep a Low Profile: Nobody knows your home as well as you do. But Sales Associates know buyers – what they need and what they want. Your Associate will have an easier time articulating the virtues of your home if you stay in the background.
 
18. Don’t Turn Your Home into a Second-Hand Store: When prospects come to view your home, don’t distract them with offers to sell those furnishings you no longer need. You may lose the biggest sale of all-The House.
 
19. Defer to Experience: When prospects want to talk price, terms or other real estate matters, let them speak to an expert – your Sales Associate.
 
20. Help Your Agent: Your Associate will have an easier time selling your home if showings are scheduled through our office. You’ll appreciate the results!

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