Myrtle Beach Real Estate -Preparing Your Home To Sell

 

PREPARING / STAGING YOUR TO SELL!

 

 

Your getting ready to sell your home, it’s time for some major decision making, regardless of the market you are attempting to sell in, the “WOW” factor should be your number one priority. Success depends on many factors of which the amount of traffic you can generate should rank in your mind as number one. Time has proven that for every home there is a buyer. The following paragraphs are some guidelines that have proven successful throughout my professional real estate career.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS PAY DIVIDENDS:

When an agent pulls up in front of your home, it can tell them a lot about their client's wants and needs, so keep this in mind, depending on the excitement he sees, as well as hears.

1. Have your lawn mowed, trimmed and clear- of any unsightly messes.

2. Clean or freshly painted mailbox

3. Fresh clean and bright mulch

4. Shrubbery should be trimmed, thinned out if necessary and try to plant things that bloom throughout the year if possible

5. Windows should be sparkling clean both inside and out

6. Power wash the exterior of your home, sidewalks and driveways

7. Touchup paint wherever required and caulk around windows and doors if needed

8. Repaint or replace front door and entrance

9. Front porches need fresh plants as well as a “Welcome” mat

 

INTERIOR:

 

1. Lights turned on, window treatments opened or pulled back for light

2. Carpets freshly vacuumed, professionally cleaned if needed

3. Hardwood floors polished and dust free as well as baseboards, crown molding and chair rail and furniture

4. Freshly scented spray, don’t overdo, might make buyer feel like your covering something up

5. Pets should be out of the way, pick up pet dishes, beds, toys etc. We all should love animals, but some buyers don’t

6. Go through every room and de-clutter. There is a difference from living in your home and having it for sale. Regardless of the square footage, all homes can be made to appear larger. This will also allow the buyers to visually place their furniture more easily and not eliminate your home because that old inherited piece of furniture they have won’t fit

7. Un-personalize your home as well, eliminate all the personal pictures and items that you possible can. You want your buyers to feel like this is their home, not yours

8. Maintain comfortable temperatures year around, we sure don’t want them hurrying through, the longer they stay the better our chances are, make them want to linger

 

KITCHEN:

 

1. Clear countertops of all things that are not absolutely necessary, counter space is extremely important

2. All appliances should be sparkling clean

3. Arrange cabinets neat and orderly, store sparingly, appearance and roomy matters

4. Do any necessary caulking around countertops if needed

5. Lighting should be bright, maybe a little higher bulbs

6. Pantry arranged in orderly manner, put trash container out of sight

7. Replace any appliances if they need to be, pay for it now at the home inspection

 

BATHROOMS:

 

1. Brightly lighted and fixtures polished

2. Display new fresh towels

3. Showers and tubs should be sparkling

4. A few fresh flowers make the room smell terrific

5. Linen closet neatly arranged

 

BEDROOMS:

 

1. Remove any unnecessary furniture to give larger appearance

2. New or freshly cleaned bedspreads, pillows etc.

3. Clean and dust all furniture and ceiling fans

 

PATIOS:

 

1. Power washed or freshly painted

2. Limited outdoor furniture

3. Fresh and pretty flowers and plants sparingly

 

 

GARAGES:

 

1. They are made for cars, make every effort to clean and arrange for their purpose

2. Clean or paint floor if needed

3. Neatly arrange attic storage above garage, husbands are world known for their love of garages and attics

I know by now your thinking this guy is nuts. As I said at the beginning, I’ve been doing this for quite sometime and believe me when I say your work and expense will come back to you at the time of negotiation. In the market we’re experiencing at this time, your biggest competitors are new construction homes. With this in mind, you want as much of a competitive edge as possible and the closer your home shows the appearance of new, or as close to it as possible, will be dollars in your pocket.

One last tip, having a home inspection done on your home prior to putting it on the market will go a long way in the right direction to a successful sale. It’s much better to take care of those little things up front than letting the buyer use them as a negotiating tool. These things can also be hired out to a Professional Home Stager but, I’ve found that a good realtor and willing buyers can get the job done.

Free No Obligation Home Consultation.

Doug Procter

RE/MAX Southern Lifestyles