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HOME OWNER’S HINTS FOR A SUCCESSFUL SALE! INTERIOR HINTS
HOUSEKEEPING: You are competing against other nice homes, so your home must look as nice as possible. Floors, bath fixtures and appliances must be sparkling as much as possible. Make all beds and puff pillows on sofas and chairs.
ODORS and AROMA: Avoid heavy frying or cooking strong-smelling foods. The odors last and work against the image you are trying to create. On the other hand, some smells have a positive effect on people. Baked bread, apple pie, chocolate cookies and cinnamon rolls are examples of foods that can help sell your home. Consider keeping packaged cookie dough or bread in the refrigerator. Just before an open house or scheduled showing, the smell of these baking foods can be a great help in selling your home. If you or your family members SMOKE, don’t smoke in your home and don’t allow guests to smoke. Stale tobacco odors can be masked with some odor spray. If the temperature allows it, open windows and air out the house every morning.
PAINT: If you have leftover paint, you can accomplish a great deal by doing touch-ups where needed. If the surface is dark, re-paint with light colors as off-white or light beige. Light colors make rooms appear fresh as well as larger.
PLUMBING: Repair any leaky faucets. Make certain that you don’t have a gurgling toilet.
SHADES AND BLINDS: Replace any torn shades or broken blinds.
DRAPES: If drapes need cleaning, have it done. If they are old and worn, stained or dark, consider replacing them with either light colored drapes or new blinds.
CARPETS: Dirty carpets should be either professionally steam-cleaned, or you can rent a heavy-duty rug shampooer. If the carpet is badly worn, replace it with new carpet and a quality pad in a neutral color.
LIGHTING: If any room appears dark, increase the wattage of your light bulbs. Before a showing, open the blinds and drapes and turn on the lights, even during the day- you want the house as bright as possible. Be sure that your light fixtures and windows are clean.
CLOSETS: If closets appear crowed, remove items that are not needed and put in boxes. They can be stacked neatly in a corner of the basement, attic or garage.
TOO MUCH FURNITURE: Many homes appear crowded, with too many pieces of large furniture and too much bric-a-brac. Consider putting excess furniture in a storage locker, garage or basement.
GARAGE AND BASEMENT: Spruce up your work area. Consider a garage sale or get rid of items you no longer needed. Put excess items in boxes and stack them neatly in a corner.
TEMPERATURE: On cold days, a natural fire in the fireplace will help us sell your home. Start the fire before the showing is scheduled. On hot days, consider turning on the air conditioning four to five degrees cooler than normal. The contrast will seem phenomenal, making a very positive impression. In moderate weather, open windows for fresh air. Avoid opening windows near busy street traffic.
EXTERIOR HINTS
PETS: If you have a dog, clean up any dog mess on a daily basis. Secure pets while the house is being shown. If you have a cat, change the litter box daily or as needed. Nothing can kill a sale faster than the odor of an unclean cat box.
FENCES: Make any needed repairs. A neat, well-maintained fence gives a positive impression. FRONT DOOR: Front door should be refinished or painted if it shows excessive wear.
FLOWERS: Plant seasonal blooming flowers, especially near the front door and in any patio area. A profusion of color can have your home half-sold before the door is even opened. GRASS & SHRUBS. Keep shrubs trimmed and grass mowed for a tidy appearance.
THE SELLERS BEST ROLE DURING SHOWINGS
When your home is shown, it is best that you disappear for a while. Buyers feel restrained with an owner present. If buyers hesitate to voice their concerns, then their questions cannot be answered and their problems cannot be solved.
If you must remain in the house, try to stay in one non-central area.
While soft music is fine, turn off the TV.
Try not to follow the agent around the house during a showing and don’t volunteer any unnecessary information. Although it is nice to be friendly to prospective buyers, too much chatter can distract from the selling process.
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