28 Important Things That Will Make Your Home Sell Faster
Posted Oct 11, 2007 @ 8:11 am, Viewed by 450 Visitors, Read 460 Times.
Morris County home sellers, showing your home at it's best is critical to getting your home sold quickly and for a fair price. Leave things undone and it is quite possible you may not get any home purchase offers at all.
1) It is extremely important to make certain that the first impression your home makes on a home buyer is the best impression your home can make.
2) Your home will never have more buyers look at it than the first three to four weeks of the listing. The reasons are simple: there are buyers out there who have seen everything available and for one reason or another, haven't bought. They are just waiting for something new to come on the market.
3) When that new property does hit the market, home buyers and Realtors both will scramble to look at it. It is common knowledge that the property will all most always sell for the highest price during this time. After the initial surge of interest, the only people to look at it will be those buyers new to the marketplace. (Over Pricing Your Home Can Be Disastrous!)
4) Make your home look and feel like the President is comming for a visit. Everything should look like it belongs even if it means storing some things until your home is sold. You are trying to create a feeling that makes potential buyers see the home as their home.
5) Don't wait to see if the house will sell first before making repairs or replacing items. Once you decide to do something, don't do just the easy ones or just the bare minimum.
6) Curb appeal is of extreme importance. You must make sure your home invites people to come in. Coming up the sidewalk, on the front porch, throughout the house, and in the darkest closets. You definitely want to give the impression of a well cared for home.
7) Your home is in competition with all the other homes that are currently for sale: in your area and other areas, those listed with Realtors and those trying to sell themselves; your home is even in competition with the foreclosures in the market.
8) Your home must appeal to home buyers who will pay the highest price for the property because they are going to live there as their home.
9) The typical home buyer puts all of their savings into the down payment and closing costs and don't have anything left to make improvements to the home such as replacing old, worn-out things. Those buyers will have to live with that carpet until they can afford to replace it.
10) If buyers have a choice of two comparable homes similar in price, they'll choose the one in the best condition every time. Just as on the other hand, if two properties are similar in condition, the buyers will choose the one that is lower in price.
11) Stand at the street and look at the house. If all you can see are trees and shrubs, you have more than a little yard work to do. One of the easiest things to do is trim the shrubs that are overgrown. They should be lowered to a height near the bottom of the windows. If there is ivy growing on the side of the home, remove it. Consider bringing in a yard crew to get this hard work done fast.
12) If there are tree branches hanging low in the yard, they need to be pruned. A simple rule of thumb is to have all the limbs high enough so that you can walk under the tree. Any dead branches or shrubs should be removed.
13) Invest in some annual flowers that will last the entire growing season. They will add color and beauty to the front of your home. Consider putting some nice looking flower pots on the front steps with blooming plants in them.
14) Look at the front door and the area around it. Give it a fresh coat of paint. If the doorbell is broken, fix or replace it. Wash the mail box. Keep the entry swept. Get an attractive mat for people to wipe their feet.
15) Air out the home. You are the last person to notice any peculiar odor in your home that may be obvious to visitors. Go on a search to find the offender. It may be a kitty litter box or a dog bed. It might even be a mildewed shower. Light scents from vanilla candles, or room fresheners can make a room seem more cheery.
16) Wash all the windows in the house, inside and out. While you're at it, clean the window sills and the bottom of the window jambs, and wash the blinds. You never know where a home buyer is going to run their fingers.
17) If it has been over a year since you've had the carpets cleaned, you would be well advised to get them cleaned. Wood floors should be very clean.
18) Put bright light bulbs in every light outlet. Buyers like "bright and cheery" so you have to keep it bright whenever buyers may be visiting. You'll also want to keep the drapes and shades open during the day, even if you're not in the habit, because it will make the property look better.
19) Clean out all of the closets, cabinets, and drawers. Get rid of things you haven't used in the past five years. Pack up everything that you haven't used in the last year. Consider getting rid of things you have not used in 24 months.
20) Closets should look as they have enough room to hold additional items. You might need to box up off-season clothes to make it look that way. Get everything off the floor and don't have the shelves piled to the ceiling.
21) Even though it may be inconvenient, you will be far better off by selecting the furniture pieces that look best and putting the others in the garage, basement, or better yet, in storage. You can rent a mini-storage unit for a few dollars a month.
22) Go over the kitchen like a health inspector. Clean the oven and keep it that way, even if it means eating out more often. After cleaning the range, put new drip pans under the burners, or at least, cover the old ones with foil. Clean around the seal of the door of the dishwasher.
23) Bath tubs, showers and sinks should be freshly caulked. All the grout should be clean and in good condition. There should be no leaks in the faucets or traps.
24) Keep children's toys out of the front yard and off the sidewalks and neatly put away when not in use. Get the teenagers and children to keep the house looking good while it is on the market. Take down the posters until the house is sold.
25) Clean the ashes out of the fireplace.
26) Be sure there is are light fixtures with working bulbs in the attic so it is easy and safe for people to walk.
27) If you don't have time for a garage sale, donate things to charity. Make a list of all the things you will donate and their estimated value, be sure to get a receipt. The donation is tax deductible and may be worth more to you than the time and effort you'd put into a yard sale.
28) The pool needs to be clean, free of leaves, and looking like new.
Click here if you would like to do some research on Morris County Real Estate or Union County and Essex County New Jersey
James Boyer
Realtor Associate
Keller Williams Real Estate
488 Springfield Avenue
Summit NJ 07901
973-376-0033 (Summit Office)
973-647-0253 (Mobile Office)
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James Boyer, is a resident of Morris Township in Morris County New Jersey and Specializes in listing and selling homes in Morristown, Morris Township, Madison, Florham Park, Chatham, Summit, Short Hills, Millburn, Maplewood, & South Orange New Jersey and Morris Essex & Union County Real Estate. Read More
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