Preparing your home for sale, hopefully a quick sale, in today's topsy-turvy housing market requires careful planning and prioritizing. Anxious sellers want to have their homes sell quickly and without any hassle. Buyers, on the other hand, come in many different varieties, ranging from the skeptical to the enthusiastic. Your job, probably the most important job in the selling process, is to make your home so appealing and attractive to the buyers that they simply must buy it in order to satisfy their needs.
So, just how do you go about preparing your house for sale? The simple answer is to place yourself in the buyer's shoes and try to feel like they do. What are buyers looking for in a home is an unanswerable question, but you can begin to discover the answer by regarding each buyer as an individual with a set of unique needs, dreams, and desires. The operative word here is "feel". It is a well know fact that buyers buy for emotional reasons and justify their purchases afterwards. So how a prospective buyer feels about your home after viewing it for the first time may largely determine whether you sell your home or not. First impressions count and you should set your sights on making a great first impression when preparing your house for sale.
How a potential buyer feels about your home, or any product for that matter, is a very important aspect of marketing. There are many fundamental concepts of marketing that have been proven to be successful over and over again. These concepts apply equally selling shoes or perfumes as well as to selling your home. Proven marketing strategies include:
1. Increasing awareness of the product
2. Create a desire for the product
3. Stimulating a positive response to the product, and
4. Attempting to satisfy buyer emotional needs for the product.
With these marketing principles in mind, you can begin to see your home in a new light and take actions to prepare your home for sale. Here are a few simple tips and explanations of where to begin.
First, consider the need for making improvements or upgrades to your home, especially if it's an older home. Today's younger generation of home buyers do not place the same value upon such things as formal dining rooms or parlors that our parents once did. These once elegant and pleasant gathering places have given way to open kitchens and technically sophisticated family rooms. Bathrooms are expected to be larger and yet more inviting places to spend time relaxing and enjoying soothing moments in a luxurious setting. You might take an open house tour of some newly constructed model homes to get the idea of what's in these days. It will be well worth the time and you and ask many questions about these new style homes in the process. You can also compare what's new with what your home's features and decide if the cost of renovation is going to be worth it in terms of return on investment.
Next, you should carefully evaluate the condition of your home and make any repairs that are necessary. Remember that first impressions count and prospective home buyers can quickly lose interest if they see broken windows, signs of water damage, signs of rodents or insects, a sagging roof, a cracked foundation or walls, an ancient heating system, leaking plumbing, and any structural damage of any kind. Unless you are certain that your home is in near-perfect condition, it may prove cost effective to hire a professional home inspector to perform a home inspection for your benefit. Once you have this step taken care of and made the necessary repairs, you can show the results to your real estate agent and prospective home buyers as proof if the integrity of your home's structure and utilities.
The last thing on this list is to consider your home's curb appeal, or attractiveness from the road. A home that catches the buyer's eye will be far more likely to sell quickly than one that does not. Some things that a buyer might be looking for from a distance are: openness, attractive landscaping, lighting and security, an attractive exterior color with coordinated doors and shutters, and windows that send a welcoming message to the viewer. You home doesn't have to appear as if it is a model for a magazine, but it does reflect your taste and personality into the buyer's memory and creates a lasting impression from the very first viewing.
How the inside of your home appeals to the home buyer's emotions is even more important. Your home should convey a message of openness and welcome from the entrance to the bedrooms and recreation room. Every room should be well lighted and clutter free. Furniture should be arranged naturally and if at all possible in a manner that promotes a positive flow of energy throughout. Unpleasant odors should be non-existent, and each room should be fresh, clean and at a comfortable temperature. There should never be any sign of insects, rodents, mold or mildew anywhere. Be sure to look carefully for these unwelcome, yet common, household invaders in any wet or close areas such as sinks and closets.
Keeping the marketing principles above in mind, you can easily prepare your house for sale even in today's uncertain housing market. Preparation is only half the job, however. The other half is being patient throughout the process and keeping your spirits up during these tumultuous times. Your prospects of selling your home quickly and at the price you want are far more likely when the buyer feels that it's the dream house they have been searching for. And, thanks to you, they've found it at last!