Even though there have been some encouraging signs as of late in the home sales market and with mortgage rates holding at historic lows, selling a house can still be very trying and difficult to do. For the most part, homeowners fall into a few ‘traps’ that deter potential buyers from proceeding to closing.
There are a number of small things that can be done to move a potential buyer from the ‘maybe’ stage to the all important ‘make the offer’ stage. However, what might be the most difficult task for homeowners is to force themselves to ‘let go’ of the old house and the memories contained therein.
Not only should home sellers figure out how to make the house into a product for sale in their minds, but they need to remove all the personal items that remind them of those memories. Once the decision has been made to sell, the house needs to be prepared like the product it is.
Once the emotional hurdle has been overcome, there are a few very inexpensive and quick things that can make the difference between a sale and a walk-away.
The first thing home sellers need to do is clean the home from top to bottom and remove all clutter. Basically, if they are not going to move items from within the house when they move after the sale, those items are not necessary and should be sold, donated or tossed. Books and glassware, figurines and collectibles should all be eliminated – packed, sold or thrown away.
The next thing homeowners should do is dive into the closets and cabinets to remove anything not necessary. If there is room to rearrange for a more appealing look, that should be done as well. Closets should neat and free of clutter of any kind. Again, pack, sell or throw out anything not needed or being moved after the sale.
As an aid to the cleaning and clutter removal process, homeowners should consider renting a storage facility for the short term to move as much of the old house away from the property as it is being shown to potential buyers. These buyers are more interested in what they can bring to the home after the sale, than what the seller did to and with the home.
Also if sellers intend to take appliances with them, those should be removed during the sales display phase of selling the house. That is also true for window coverings, bathroom accoutrements, work benches and anything else in the house that will be moved.
Then the next step in preparing a home for sale to to fix as many small items as possible around the house – holes in walls, plumbing leaks, squeaky doors and cabinet doors, stubborn door knobs, cracked tiles, and more. Even making sure all the light bulbs work is an important sales tool.
Then the final step is to make everything, inside and out, ‘spic and span’ – make the house shine. Clean windows inside and out, pressure wash sidewalks, curbs and driveways. Clip the hedges, cut the grass and clean up yard waste. Shine door knobs, polish banisters and wood. Vacuum and scrub and dust everything everywhere.
After the homeowner is done with everything, the entire house should be looked at one final time as if was a product worthy of sale. When satisfied. Stick the ‘For Sale’ sign up and watch the house sell.
