By Brad Bledsoe
Preferred Realty Executives serves Port St. Lucie, Saint Lucie West and surrounding areas.
Selling a home in this market these day's isn’t really a walk in the park, but it isn’t so bad either if you take the right steps.. When you are selling your house, there are a number of things you must consider. First you must study the Saint Lucie County or Martin County market that you are in. In addition to studying the competition, you also need to make your home as appealing to potential buyers as possible. Doing this doesn’t have to cost you a lot. You just need to be creative and resourceful. A little paint and cleanup will go a long way. Here are a few tips that you might find helpful as you are preparing your home for viewings and open houses.
Get your HOME in good condition: The house needs to look well taken care of and clean throughout your selling process. If your home looks like it has been on the defered maintenance program for years then buyers will worry about the costs to repair and what else you have not maintained that they cannot see. Your home should be ready anytime a prospective buyer wants to check it out. So, clean up after yourself constantly. Keep the house dust free and keep the floors clean of clutter and dirt as much as possible. Make some small repairs you can manage to make based on your home improvement skills. Hire out odd jobs if needed. Keeping it well maintained doesn’t have to cost you a bunch but some repairs will be required unless you want to sell as a fixer upper to an investor looking for a steal. You can paint over areas of the wall that have stains and marks using anti stain paints. I know this process of keeping your home in pristine condition with kids can be tough and difficult as we have done it. BUT the payoff is you will sell your home much quicker. The time it takes to get your home in show condition may be the time it saves you in waiting for that perfect buyer.
Think curb appeal for your home: As soon as they pull up to your house, prospective buyers need to be able to imagine themselves living there. So, give your place more curb appeal, and make it more attractive on the outside. Keep the lawn mowed, the trees and bushes must be trimmed! Paint your front door. Edge the driveway, replant and trim if necessary. Buy a new mat for your doorway, and sweep the porch. You want to create an inviting feeling for your prospective home buyer. Imagine... Buyers will be standing on your porch looking around as the real estate agent unlocks the box. This takes at least a minute or so so this view must be excellent. You must look great here. Cleaning it up a little will do wonders.
We all love Fiddo... But: Home buyers do not care to see a big beautiful dog or cats when they are looking at your home. Remember some have allergies and others think of the hair in the carpet or where your pet make have spoiled the carpets. It would be best to have no distractions for the buyer so they can emotionally be able to feel like this could be their home. Most buyers looking at an occupied home already feel a bit on edge, If they feel like they are intruding on your home even more because Fido is staring them down then they will not stay long and the chances of a contract diminishes. Consider finding a neighbor or family to watch or just take them with you as you exit your home for the Realtors to show.
Make it Feel like Theirs, Not Yours: There are a lot of ways to remove your personal touches from the house. One way is to remove the personalized paint on walls and paint over it with more neutral colors, if necessary. Neutralizing things is important because it allows you to please a broader market with varying tastes. Another way of making your home appeal to a diverse audience is to remove all personal keepsakes, family pictures, and religious items. Placing fresh flowers available to greet them also goes a long way. One thing we have done before a prospective buyer comes is to bake a cake in advance. 30 minutes before arrival through it in the microwave for a few minutes with some vanilla extract and icing on top. This will make the home smell good and once the smell is out cover the dish and place it in the fridge for the next time you need to smell good again!
Scrub, Scrub, Scrub: Both the kitchen and bathrooms are critical places when it comes to showcasing your house to prospective buyers. People cook meals and spend quality time with their families in the kitchen. It’s also a place where homeowners often welcome guest to their homes. It’s crucial to have the kitchen in near perfect condition. This may be the area of your home you need to spend a little extra money to renovate. Check the tile grout and clean or re-stain f needed. Use bleach if necessary to make the bathrooms clean and white. To make it really attractive, you can put in some new counters and appliance but be certain that you will be able to recoup the upgrades. (Contact a realtor). If your budget is tight, just do some cleaning and make sure the kitchen looks spotless.
For more information on selling your home please visit my real estate website below.
Brad Bledsoe REALTOR®
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