Tips for Selling Your Home

By Dianne Conway

First impressions count – and nothing makes a stronger first impression than a spotless home in mint condition. If the first impression is outstanding, potential buyers will assume that every part of the house has been equally well taken care for – something which serious buyers will pay a premium for.

Start from the outside. Take a look at your house, as a stranger would see it. Do the windows need painting? Are the eaves troughs overflowing with leaves? Is the grass cut and edged? Should the hedge be trimmed? Is there a clear, unbroken path to the front door? These are all simple methods to entice the potential buyer to walk through your front door.

Inside, a little time and effort are probably all that’s needed to give your home the feel of move-in condition.

• Remove clutter from all rooms
  
• Ensure rooms are neat, tidy, dusted, and vacuumed
  
• Spend extra time cleaning the kitchen and bathrooms
  
• Wipe down the cupboards and door frames
  
• Make sure all windows and mirrors sparkle
  
• Tidy the closets (yes, potential buyers will look inside)
  
• Remove excess furniture that crowd a room
  
• Store children’s games and toys
  
• Keep the rooms smelling fresh, especially if you have pets
  
• Remove fragile items and valuables for safety reasons
  

Most buyers have certain requirements in mind when they shop for a house, whether it’s location, the number of bedrooms, the size of the yard, etc. Once you’ve met those basic requirements, the trick is to appeal to their senses to make your house feel like it could be their home.

• Set out fresh flowers
  
• Entice visitors with the aroma of fresh baked bread or cookies
  
• Have soft music playing in the background
  
• Display colour photos of outdoor views during different seasons
  
• Make refreshments available – iced tea in the summer or hot apple cider in the winter
  
• Light a fire if possible
  
• Turn on lamps
  
• Get out of the house during showings and open houses – if that’s not possible, keep a low profile
  

Make your home priced to sell. If you’re serious about selling, don’t price yourself out of the market. Overpricing is the most common error sellers make. Too high a price could turn away potential buyers before they even see your home. You’re better to stay firm with a lower price and negotiate by creating value in other areas, such as including window coverings, major appliances, or gardening tools. If your existing mortgage rate is lower than current market rates and your mortgage is assumable, you could offer it to your buyers for savings they can count on after closing.

Selling your home will take some work. Make a plan and work through the process. It won’t be long before you see the SOLD sign and you can move on.

Dianne Conway is Sales Representative with Sutton Group – Preferred Realty Inc., 181 Commissioners Road, West, London, Ontario. Phone: (519) 438-2222 Email: homes@dianneconway.com www.dianneconway.com

Published in Networking Today, February 2004.