Would you like to sell your home this summer? The keys to success are presenting your home and pricing your home.
In the first of this two-part series, we will look at presenting your home for sale. Next week, we will help you develop your pricing strategy to sell your home.
Here are some thoughts about presenting your home:
First, take the blinders off. If you currently live in the home you are selling, there are maintenance and appearance items that you may no longer see.
One of the ways to overcome this is to “pretend” you are coming to the home for the first time and evaluating everything from curb to the door and then throughout the house. Another way is to ask a trusted friend to help you evaluate. Third, you may want to hire a professional stager to help you prepare your home for sale.
Most of the outside work to be done is simple, and you can start with this question: Does your home “pop?” Is the outside maintained with the lawn freshly mowed and trimmed? Are the gardens weeded? Do you have planters with beautiful colors to welcome your guests? Is the siding well maintained or does it need stain or paint?
How about the inside? Is the air fresh? Odors from smoking, fireplaces and kitchens can put off buyers. Is your home neat and clean? Have you taken advantage of furniture arrangement to make the rooms feel larger, and have you utilized your furniture groupings to be the most appealing? Have you eliminated clutter in the home?
Perhaps it is time to box up some of your possessions to create more open space. Have you utilized color inside to draw attention to specific areas, and have you chosen colors that will make the rooms feel larger? If you are painting the interior, I would recommend having the advice of a professional interior designer to help you achieve your goals.
For showings, have you created the most light possible? Keep window coverings open, the lights on, utilize high wattage but soft light. Have you set your table as if your guests are just arriving? On a cool morning or an evening showing, you may want the fireplace burning. Soft background music enhances the ambiance.
What attributes of this home have you enjoyed? Have you conveyed a sense of lifestyle? Perhaps you can convey a lifestyle enjoyed in your backyard by utilizing color with your outdoor furniture and pads or a colorful umbrella?
On a recent showing, I noted some lifestyle touches that really made a difference. On one patio, there were two lounge chairs, with towels, a hat, an open book and a pair of sunglasses. It appeared the home owner had just been enjoying the sun and reading a book before their guests showed up.
After evaluating some of the topics listed above, create life in your home by moving away from clean and sterile and adding a zest that your guests and buyers will find appealing.
Don Ricedorff is a Realtor at The Wells Group in Durango, and a past president of the Durango Area Association of Realtors. He can be reached at don@durangorealproperty.com.
