You’re Ready to Sell Your Home. Now what?
When I first began my real estate career in 2003, life was a lot different. Oh by the way, thank you, God, for the invention of GPS! Back then, most home listings featured only one picture of the front of the house! Forced to rely heavily on the listing description and that one exterior picture, we Realtors simply hand-picked a few homes for our buyers, the ones we felt were potentials for them, and blindly wandered into the great unknown with them. Sometimes all were pleasantly surprised, but often, we left shaking our heads in disappointment or just plain disbelief! To illustrate this point, while showing homes my first year in the business, I once slipped on a tile floor, only breaking my fall by frantically grasping for the dining room table. When I looked down to find the cause of my clumsiness, I discovered pet urine and droppings over every single inch of the floor. It was at that point that I looked my clients straight in the eyes and said, “I think we’re done here. Next!” and we headed towards the door.
Fast forward to today. More than ever, sellers must be show stopper ready to list their house, if they want the traffic and exposure that will net top dollar. Unlike the early days, when some prepared their house by vacuuming and placing a sign in the yard, sellers must be aware that things have sure changed around here! Today, unless your Realtor is a failure, there are at least 35 high quality professional pictures (No, iPhone photos do not count) of your professionally staged home, with many sites allowing for more, along with embellished descriptions and personal and professional videos that guarantee consistent global internet exposure and marketing on social media. Sellers, you can run, but you can’t hide!
Let’s discuss that front of the house picture that would have grabbed my attention in 2003 to make it on the A list! They were the ones with the great first impression! While I won’t be critically assessing your house unless we are about to list it for sale, admittedly, I do have a distinct opinion the second I drive up with a potential buyer.
With that in mind, I must ask:
Do you have outdated landscaping? You know, those overgrown box hedges, and well, nothing else? Is your brick, siding, walkway, front door, or mailbox filthy? Is your home address visible and impressive? How about that rotted wood, chipped and/or faded paint, or those stopped up gutters?
My buyers and I see everything. You want to know why? Because we are viewing many homes during our tours together, and most of them have pristine first impressions! Really, the other sellers are in it to win it! So, what can you do to avoid the home tour walk of shame? Thoroughly prepare your house for the open market. To help you get started, I have created a checklist of items that I share with my sellers to help them prepare the exterior of their homes for the spring/summer selling season.
Improve the landscaping. Your home's lawn must be immaculate. Mow, trim the bushes, weed the garden and plant flowers and other landscaping, if needed.
Clean the outside. When the exterior is sloppy, buyers assume the seller has slacked off on interior maintenance, as well. Be sure to clean the gutters and pressure wash your home's siding.
Make repairs. Though it’s a seller’s market right now, buyers are paying top dollar, so they demand quality. You will want your home in its best condition possible. Repair major defects like broken windows or a leaky roof that could discourage buyers, or be prepared to lower the list price and leave money on the table!
Make it more inviting. A fresh coat of exterior paint, where needed, will do wonders. Also, paint or replace faded house numbers so they are visible from the curb.
Paint the front door and buy a new welcome mat. Painting the front door in a color that contrasts with the home will make it stand out and leave them wanting to know what’s on the other side! Let buyers know that they are, for lack of a better word, welcome in your home.
Not everyone has a green thumb or is adept at DYI make readies. Obviously, I believe all potential sellers should call a Realtor for a professional evaluation on their homes, both inside and out. If you’re not making your move right away, consider this. Your neighbors will love you more, if you spruce up your home’s appearance!
Coming soon!
Tips for creating that a show stopper first impression on the inside that will entice the buyers so much that they will never want to leave their new home!