If you want to sell your home fast and for the most money the market will pay, it needs to be “staged” properly. Staging a home is more than just moving around some furniture. Here’s the step-by-step process for staging the inside and outside of your home:
STEP #1: Assess Your Current Situation
Identify what improvements need to be made for a speedy sale. To assess the inside of your home, jot down a list of rooms that need to be cleared out and freshened up. Then create a second list for the outside of your home. Start by looking at these two areas on the outside:
❑ Take a walk across the street from the home. Examine the curb appeal of the home. Make notes of items that are unsatisfactory from a buyer’s perspective.
❑ Get into your car and start driving away from your home. Look back and make notes about what looks good and what needs improvement.
STEP #2: Eliminate Clutter
The key to making a home attractive to a buyer is getting rid of clutter. Make counters clear, get rid of pictures on the wall and tables, store excess furniture, if necessary, put books in boxes. You’ll be doing this for your move – you may just need to do some of it a little early. Here’s a checklist to get started:
❑ Clear away kitchen and bathroom counters. These are areas where you need to show the most space and neatness. Put appliances and things away.
❑ Re-arrange furniture so rooms look larger. Store old furniture or cluttered items in another location - at least while the home is for sale.
❑ Get rid of as many “personal” things as you can. Buyers have a hard time visualizing “their” new home with personal belongings everywhere. Try to make the home look neutral, so someone wouldn't know anyone specific lives there.
❑ Get all the clutter out of the yard. Put hoses away, store garbage cans, put away the sprinkler, and kids’ toys. The neater the area looks, the better the first impression.
STEP #3: Spruce Up the Home Before Showing
Make improvements to the home, but focus only on changes that will have the biggest impact on the sales price. Getting the most bang for your buck often means applying a fresh coat of paint to strategic walls and areas. New paint is an inexpensive way to show a home in its best condition. Do this:
❑ Check the paint condition of the interior of the home by removing pictures from the walls. You’ll quickly see where touch-ups or repainting may be needed. Complete interior painting before any deep cleaning.
❑ Check the paint condition of the entire exterior of the home. If it’s peeling or worn, buyers will notice it immediately. Don’t devalue your home by trying to sell with poor pain conditions. Pay special attention to the front door, mailbox, garage doors, and walkways—these are the areas buyers see up close first.
Also consider the following items to attract buyers with strong, quality offers:
❑ Professional Cleaning. Hire a professional cleaning company to thoroughly clean the entire home, including floors, ceilings, windows, fireplaces, carpets, and drapes—everything. Also check for odors. If you have pets, your home may need carpets professionally cleaned or deodorized, as odors can make a home far less attractive to buyers.
❑ Home Inspection. Check for issues such as termites or functional obsolescence. Many homeowners choose to have their home inspected before putting it on the market. Providing an inspection completed by an independent company makes a strong impression on buyers and can help avoid embarrassing surprises if problems are discovered later.
❑ Landscaping. The landscaping should look immaculate. Make sure the lawn is groomed, flower beds are clean, leaves are removed, and weeds are pulled. Also check that bushes and trees are properly trimmed.
STEP #4: Show the Home in the Best Light
Always turn on the lights when showing the home. Make sure all lights are on before a buyer arrives, including:
Mailbox light
Front door light
Entryway lights (especially if the entry is dark)
Hallway lights
A bright, inviting home shows better and sells better than a dark one.
Leave all front-area curtains and drapes open. Have you ever noticed model homes? The drapes are always open at night, and the lights are on—because it shows the home better. During the day, open drapes allow buyers to experience more natural light as they tour the home.
There’s one last step to selling for top dollar:
Set the Right Price for Your Home From the Start
Homes that sell the fastest also sell for the most money! If you want to get Top Dollar for your home, beyond staging your home properly, it needs to be priced correctly.
Most agents will only do a CMA (comparative marketing analysis), but the best agents offer a “Maximum Home Value Audit.” What’s that?
It’s a careful, thorough valuation of every square inch of your home to determine the best possible price based on real-world facts and presented in an EASY-to-understand format. You won’t get any inflated values just to pressure you into listing with me.
If we’re already working together, simply let me know you’d like to redeem your “Maximum Home Value Audit” coupon. Or, if you’re looking for professional representation to sell your home, use this free service as an introduction to the value I can provide you.
So, call me right now, I’ll immediately arrange a convenient time to meet, and share with you my Maximum Home Value Audit. It’s Free. It’s FAST. And it could help you net $1,000’s more on your home sale by setting the home price right from the start.
An experienced Home Marketing Expert can net you more money and save you time with selling your home by:
Assisting you in pricing your home so it sells for the most money possible, and you have more for your next home.
Providing you with exposure by marketing your property to other real estate agents and the public, through the official MLS, so it sells in less time, and you can move on. Homes that sell fast sell for the most money!
Screening buyer calls, showing buyers your property, and negotiating so you don’t have to constantly be available, and know things are done correctly to sell your home.
Coordinating the closing process, including opening an escrow account, completing requirements for a purchase contract (disclosures, inspections, and other legal documents), so you don’t have to think about all the details and are protected.
How to Sell Your Home for Top Dollar and Eliminate Costly Pitfalls
We offer a Maximum Home Value Audit for those considering selling in the next 6 months. Our audit is much more than a simple home valuation you’ll get from another agent. It’s a complete top-to-bottom analysis, not just of the value, but every aspect of your home to identify items that may affect your sales price. To request a no obligation audit of your home’s value, or if you have any questions about our Step Home Marketing Plan designed to sell your home for every penny it’s worth, in YOUR time frame, and with the least pressure and hassles – call us using the number below:
Victoria Popescu & Peg Augustus, REALTOR® Home Marketing Expert
