Let Your Home Welcome Buyers !

With a little effort, you can make your home
ready to sell more quickly and at a better price.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS ARE IMPORTANT!
Remember, when a prospect comes to look at your house, the first thing he will see is your home’s front door! Be sure that it is fresh and clean. Be sure your lawn and landscaping is well manicured and trim looking. Be sure your yard is free of refuse and leaves.

WHAT YOU SHOW IS WHAT YOU GET!
Faded walls and worn woodwork will reduce the appeal of your home. Why try to tell a prospect how your home could look. . .when you can show him a reasonable amount of redecoration? A quicker sale at a higher price will result. Invest in some paint for the kitchen or bathroom.

LET THE SUN SHINE IN.
Open those drapes and blinds all the way, so the prospect can see how bright and cheerful your home is.

FIX THAT LEAKY FAUCET.
Dripping water discolors sinks and suggests faulty or worn-out plumbing.

LITTLE THINGS MEAN A LOT.
Take a few minutes to check to be sure that your doors don’t stick, squeak, or have loose knobs on them. Don’t forget your windows and cabinet drawers. Get all those minor flaws fixed since they detract from your home’s value.

SAFETY FIRST AND ALWAYS!
Keep stairways clear and clean since this will avoid injuries around your home, as well as avoid detracting by distraction.

FROM TOP TO BOTTOM.
Display your attic, basement and other utility space (including crawl spaces) by removing all unnecessary articles. A coat of paint can do wonders if your basement is dark and dreary.

BIG CLOSETS!
Make them look bigger by having them neat and well organized to show that your home has ample closet space.

BATHROOMS SELL HOMES.
Make these rooms sparkle! Check and repair any damaged or discolored caulking in the bathtubs and showers, and be sure that the towels and area rugs are bright and clean.

BEDROOMS SHOULDN’T SLEEP!
Keep these rooms bright and cheerful. Remove any excess furniture and be sure and use attractive and colorful bedspreads, and fresh curtains.

SHINE ON!
Your home’s illumination can be a “welcome” sign that prospective buyer! Turn on all of your outside and inside lights when showing your home at night and the buyers will feel a glowing warmth as a result of your lighting.

TWO’S A COUPLE & THREE’S A CROWD.
Don’t have too many people present during a home inspection, since the potential buyers will feel like an intruder and want to hurry through your house.

MUSIC SOOTHES THE SAVAGE BEAST
but not the potential buyer. When showing your house, turn off that blaring radio or television. Let your agent and buyer talk freely and not be distracted.

CURB YOUR DOG!
A dog is man’s best friend,” but not when showing your home. Keep all pets out of the way and not underfoot. A barking dog in the home is a nuisance.

SILENCE IS GOLDEN!
Be courteous and friendly, but don’t try to “force” conversation with a potential buyers. He’s there to inspect your home.

BE IT EVER SO HUMBLE
There’s no place like home. Never apologize for the appearance of your home. If any objections or derogatory comments are offered, let the experienced agent answer them, that is his job.

STAY IN THE BACKGROUND.
Your agent knows the buyer’s needs and desires and can better emphasize the virtues of your home when you’re not “tagging along.” If there are any questions, he will call you.

DON’T PUT THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE.
Trying to sell the prospective purchasers any of the furniture or furnishings which you’re not taking with you, before they’ve purchased your home, can often lose the sale . . . So “cool it”.

A WORD-TO-THE-WISE.
Let your agent discuss the selling price, terms, possession and other factors with the purchaser. He’s been trained and has experience, so let him bring your negotiations to a satisfactory conclusion.

GO AHEAD AND USE OUR SALESPERSON.
We recommend that we show your home to prospective customers only by appointment through our office. This will be sincerely appreciated and will help us make the sale more quickly.

GET RID OF CLUTTER.
That's universal. Ask someone who won't “hold back” to give you an honest opinion of what needs to go. Kitchen appliances all over the counters, for instance are not appealing. Get rid of the magnets and other things stuck on the refrigerator door. Get rid of collections like baseball caps. Pack them up until you move to your new home.

WIPE UP DIRT.
Once you live in the house, the dirt becomes invisible. I went into a house once, and dirt was literally hanging off the ceiling fan. The sellers never even noticed. And dirty bathrooms. These are personal things buyers don't want to see.

ROLL ON A FRESH COAT OF PAINT.
Just make sure the color is neutral. You might like bright orange, but the majority of people don't want it and see it as work that has to be done.

MAKE YOUR MASTER BEDROOM A HAVEN.
Replace dingy bedding and soiled carpeting. It's distasteful. Make the master bedroom look like a retreat, someplace they want to spend some time.

BOX UP PLASTIC KIDS' TOYS.
You don't want buyers tripping over them in every room. And if they're pushed up against the wall, you can't see the size of the room. Bright colored plastic is offensive in every way.

FINISH THE PROJECTS THAT YOU'VE STARTED.
The buyer sees all this work he'll have to do. Floors unfinished. Molding around windows. They'll (want to) patch a hole, not paint over it. The buyer will wonder what happened. It's a red flag.