Remember the saying, “first impressions make lasting impressions”? Well, that expression is very much true when it comes to preparing your home for sale and ultimately selling it. The presentation of your home to the public and potential buyers is not only critical, but can translate to thousands of dollars in the final sale price. Thousands more or thousands less, depending on how your home is perceived by buyer’s and their agents.
When you decide to sell, preparing your home for sale can do a lot to increase the appeal of your property and create a lasting impact with prospective buyers
As your trusted and experienced Realtor, I will help you by making suggestions in preparing your home for sale including items that will increase the value of your property. I will make simple suggestions and steps you can take to enhance your home’s features and desirability to prospective buyers. If you have larger items in your home that need to be addressed, I can also help you by recommending trusted tradespeople and professionals in the area.
Curb Appeal is always the first reason that gets buyer’s in the front door
Keeping your landscape tidy, and adding small creative touches to your yard, such as colorful annuals, will create an immediate positive psychological impact on passers-by and potential buyers. If you live in a condominium, preparing your home for sale means making sure the common areas are clean and well lit. Report any deferred maintenance issues to the condo association so they are corrected before your property is going to be shown to prospective buyers.
Property Repairs are an important part of preparing your home for sale
Simple upgrades such as window repairs, cleaning the windows, polishing the brass, and a fresh coat of paint in the most frequently used rooms will instantly freshen up the property. Buyers tend to notice the small stuff so make sure you don’t overlook anything. Again, preparing your home for sale can sometimes mean more than just simple fixes. Sometimes, it might mean replacing the roof, rotted exterior trim, repairing the chimney, replacing leaking toilets or sinks. Your experienced real estate agent will bring a trained eye to the scene and make specific recommendations so your home is ready to be marketed for sale.
Cleanliness And Staging
Preparing your home for sale requires you to keep your property uncluttered, clean-smelling and well-lit from top-to-bottom. Pay attention to details: put away the kitty litter, place a vase of fresh flowers near the entryway, clean the windows, have your carpets cleaned and your hardwoods buffed. If you have a musty or mildew smell in your basement, it might make sense to have an indoor environmental company do an analysis and try to resolve it before buyer’s trek down into your basement asking “What’s that smell?”
In terms of staging, your expert real estate agent (me) will scan the property before it is listed for sale to see how you can improve the organization of furniture, etc. Too much furniture or furniture that is too big in smaller rooms, makes rooms feel smaller and could potentially turn away buyers that lack vision. Our goal is to make your home look and feel bigger than it is. Removing large furniture and re-configuring the layout can optimize the visual effect for buyers, helping them choose your home over another. I have interior designers that I work with who will come and put their expertise to work for you and me.
Disclosures And Inspections
I am very familiar with the legal procedures involved in disclosures and am ready to help you develop a thorough disclosure statement beneficial to both you and the buyer. I can suggest home improvement measures before placing your property on the market (such as termite and pest inspections). If there is a known property issue, now is the time to deal with it. Once you alert your real estate agent about a known property defect, I am obligated under the law to disclose this to the buyer and their buyer’s agent.
Showtime
Preparing your home for sale is done and it’s time to showcase your beautiful home to the world. Presenting your home to potential buyers and their respective buyer agents is a job that I take pride in. Buyers feel more comfortable viewing your property when the seller is not present and discussing all their questions and thoughts with their agent openly. Moreover, your trained real estate agent knows what information will be most useful in representing your interests when speaking with prospective buyers and their agent.
If you need help and advice on how to prepare your South Shore home for sale, please contact Realtor George Jamieson at 617-877-4839 or email him at George.jamieson@cbrealty.com.