When you prepare to place your home on the market for sale, it becomes a product. Just like any product on the shelves at your local store, it has features and benefits, pluses and minuses, and there are other products to compare yours to. To gain an edge in your marketplace, you must be priced right and look better than the competition.
Four factors control the sale of any property. These include the price, terms, marketing, and condition.
This week our team at I Love OC Homes is helping you prepare your home for the market!
It is most important to have price and condition perfected when your property first goes up for sale. If you have a “honey-do” list or know of items that need to be addressed at your home, do them upfront. Do not let the buyer wonder if you have cared for your home. Fix anything that needs addressed upfront to avoid headaches later.
Presence and Stature
Any agent will tell you that one of the worst things that happen to them in the course of showing the property to qualified buyers is to drive up to a home and have them say: “I don’t want to look at this house” - before you have even put the car in park. This impression is nearly impossible to overcome.
General Exterior
Start by standing in front of your home with this checklist and pen. Jot down anything that leaps out at you. Then, walk around the outside of your home with this checklist in hand. This includes looking at the front, side, and backyard, along with your front door.
Inside Appeal
You see your home through your heart. To get the highest price, you have to appeal to potential buyers who will see your home through cold, calculating eyes. If buyers have a choice between two comparable properties that are similar in price, they will choose the one in the best condition. This is the time to look at the fireplace, kitchen, laundry room, garage, and bathrooms to make sure they are in tip-top shape.
Preparing for Your Photography Appointment
To produce the best possible listing brochure and internet tour, the interior and exterior of your home should be photographed from multiple angles. Every room will be photographed, including bathrooms, laundry room, and the garage. This is your time to declutter and simplify. Small things will make a big difference, like putting the dog food dishes out of sight.
Showtime
Your property looks great, and you have a scheduled showing appointment. Whenever you leave the house for the day, please leave it as if it is going to be shown and try to accommodate all showings. Buyers tend to look at multiple properties during each outing and may find another before you can reschedule. If your electric bill does not go up while your house is on the market- you are doing something wrong! While on the market, your house should have the lights left on in case of a showing and a comfortable temperature should be maintained. During a showing, keep pets out of the way and leave the premises as buyers are intimidated when sellers are present and tend to hurry through the house. Agents should also leave the home exactly as it was when they arrived in case of a following showing.
If you need the name of a painter, house cleaner, handyman, roofer, electrician, etc. just give us a call at (562) 881-8252. We would be glad to refer you to vendors we have worked with and from whom we have received excellent service. We also provide an extensive checklist for all of the above in great detail to all of our clients.