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Need to Buy or
Sell a Home!
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Does Your House for Sale Show Well?
A Sloppy House and Yard Can Prevent Your
Home from Selling
By Mark J. Donovan
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One of the most important things you
can do to sell your house is to put a little TLC and money into it before you
put it on the market. As a licensed real estate agent I can unequivocally state
that a neat home and surrounding yard that shows well can garner a higher price
tag and sell quicker. When putting a house on the market often realtors focus on
the property’s curb appeal, and whether or not the property has it. Though
having curb appeal is a big plus, its initial impression by the prospective home
buyer can quickly evaporate if they walk into a cluttered house with a sloppy
backyard. |
To ensure your house shows well it’s important to remove the clutter from
each room in the home. If necessary store excess furniture and belongings
in the basement or attic so that each room appears larger and easier to
maneuver in. This way the potential home buyer can get a better
perspective of what they can do with the space. Also, home buyers are less
apt to care if they see a cluttered basement or attic.
As part of the process of un-cluttering the home, also remove some of the
knick-knacks and family pictures from shelves, bookcases and walls. Again,
you’re trying to simplify the rooms and make the spaces neutral so that
the potential home buyers can envision their own belongings and family
living in it. Lots of your family’s portraits hanging on the walls and
resting on book shelves can prevent the prospective home buyers from
envisioning the home for themselves.
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The next step in ensuring a house shows well is to paint the walls if they
are in need of a paint job. If you can simply wash the walls down to remove
fingerprints and scuff marks to achieve clean walls that’s fine. However, if
the walls look battered and stained even after washing them down, spend the
time and money and paint them. Also, neutral colors are always preferred
over strong vibrant colors by prospective home buyers. So again, if you have
dark red walls prime and repaint them an off white color. It may sound a bit
drab, but it will make a difference relative to the prospective home buyers. |
If the flooring is in horrendous shape, such as outdated and stained carpet, I’d
highly suggest spending the money and replacing the carpet. Though installing
new carpet in a home that you are trying to sell can be a bit expensive it can
potentially be the difference in whether a home sells or not.
| A pleasant smell is another subtle way to ensure your house
shows well. By cleaning rugs, washing walls, and opening windows you can
help freshen up the home and eliminate the previous night’s dinner smells.
And yes, warm chocolate chip cookies fresh out of the oven can make a
difference in selling your home. It sounds petty, but the smell of freshly
baked cookies makes the home more inviting and triggers the home buyers’
senses to say, I want this home! |
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On the outside of the home take a look at the house siding. If it’s in need of
power washing or a paint job invest the time and money. The last thing
prospective home buyers want to do when they first move into a home is have to
paint its exterior. Not to mention, a freshly painted home improves its curb
appeal.
In regards to the home’s surrounding yard, minimalist is the key word to keep in
mind. Remove as much of the backyard toys as you can, and make sure you keep the
lawn regularly mowed and trimmed. Also make sure leaves, twigs and grass
clippings are removed from the lawn. A neat backyard can help achieve that Fen
shui positive feeling that invites people to want to relax and enjoy the space.
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