The first time we meet, I am most interested in seeing
your home’s interior and exterior and understanding
as much as possible about its features. Please be ready
to discuss why you are considering selling, what your
next move will be and why you loved living in this home.
After this step, the next time we meet we will discuss
the following:
Reviewing Your Comparative Market Analysis
Preparing Your Home for Sale
Describing My First Class Marketing Plans
Showing Your Home for Maximum Benefit
Qualifying the Buyer
Negotiating the Sale of Your Home
Managing the Transaction
Closing the Sale of Your Home, Timelines for Escrow
I know this sounds like a lot of information, and it
is! But my job is to take the lead and make the entire
process smooth and simple for you.
Lynn’s Hot Tips
First Impressions Remember what first attracted you to your house
when you bought it? What excited you about its most
appealing features? Now that you're selling your home,
you'll need to look at it as if you were buying it all
over again.
A spruced up house makes a great first impression on
potential buyers. An attractive property grabs their
attention and makes them excited about finding a house
that looks and feels well cared for. So if you prepare
your home correctly, you'll save time selling it when
it's on the market.
A good first impression makes an impact on a number
of levels. It's not just the way your house looks to
potential buyers, but how it feels and smells to them,
how their friends and family will react, how they imagine
it would be to live there.
With simple improvements throughout your house, you
can grab the attention of potential buyers and help
them see why your house is right for them.
Plan Ahead Create a plan to enhance your property. Keep
a notebook for your selling project, and as you stroll
through your yard, make a list of what needs to be done.
Consider what your property looks like to people driving
by or walking through your door. What will they like
or dislike? What needs fixing, painting, cleaning? What
can you improve? Whether you paint your house or fix
up the yard, your efforts don't need to be costly; even
inexpensive improvements and minor repairs go far toward
attracting serious buyers. But remember, those seemingly
insignificant problems you've learned to live with can
actually discourage potential buyers. Here are ideas
for increasing your home's appeal in order to sell it
quickly at the best price.
Interior
Clean Everything Buyers expect a spotless house, inside and
out. So clean everything, especially your windows and
windowsills. Scrub walls and floors, tile and ceilings,
cupboards and drawers, kitchen and bathrooms. Wash scuff
marks from doors and entryways, clean light fixtures
and the fireplace. Don't forget the laundry room. And
put away your clothes.
Cut the Clutter People are turned off by rooms that look and
feel cluttered. Remember, potential buyers are buying
your house, not your furniture, so help them picture
themselves and their possessions in your home by making
your rooms feel large, light, and airy. As you clean,
pack away your personal items, such as pictures, valuables,
and collectibles, and store or get rid of surplus books,
magazines, videotapes, extra furniture, rugs, blankets,
etc. Consider renting a storage unit to eliminate clutter
in your garage and attic.
It's hard to get rid of possessions, but cleaning and
clearing out the clutter can really pay off in the end.
Packing away your clutter also gets you started packing
for your next move. Make your garage and basement as
tidy as the rest of your house. Simple little tasks
such as storing your tools and neatly rolling up your
garden hose suggest that you take good care of your
house. Don't let anything detract from making your best
first impression.
Closets They're an important consideration to many
buyers. By storing clothing you won't use soon, you'll
make closets look spacious.
Paint A new coat of paint cleans up your living space
and makes it look bright and new. To make rooms look
larger, choose light, neutral colors that appeal to
the most people, such as beige or white.
Carpet Check its condition. If it's worn, consider
replacing it. It's an easy and affordable way to help
sell your home faster. Again, light, neutral colors,
such as beige, are best. If you don't replace it, you
can suggest to potential buyers that they could select
new carpet and you'll reduce your price; buyers like
to hear they're getting a deal. At the very least, have
your carpet cleaned.
Repairs and Renovations It's best to avoid making major renovations
just to sell the house since you're unlikely to recoup
those costs from your selling price. Make minor repairs
to items such as leaky faucets, slow drains, torn screens,
gutters, loose doorknobs, and broken windows. Make sure
repairs are well done; buyers won't take you seriously
if your home-improvement efforts look messy, shoddy,
or amateurish.
Leaks and Moisture Water stains on ceilings or in the basement
alert buyers to potential problems. Don't try to cosmetically
cover up stains caused by leaks. If you've fixed the
water problem, repair the damage and disclose in writing
to the buyer what repairs were made.
Exterior
Curb Appeal The "Wow" factor that first visual,
high-impact impression your home makes on potential
buyers can turn a looker into a buyer. To determine
your property's curb appeal, drive through your neighborhood
and note other properties; then approach your own house
as if you were a potential buyer. How does it look?
Does it "wow" you? Will its curb appeal attract
buyers? Note what needs improving, such as trimming
trees, planting shrubs, or painting gutters. Little
things convey that you've cared for your home, and this
is your opportunity to sell that important message to
buyers who are shopping from the street, simply cruising
neighborhoods just looking for houses for sale. To get
them through your door, do what you can to make your
property look like someone's dream home.
Paint/Stain If it's peeling or blistering and you can't
remember the last time you painted it, your house needs
some attention. That also goes for stain that is significantly
faded. A newly painted or stained exterior will help
sell your house faster. And whether you do it yourself
or hire someone, you'll also increase your home's value.
In the Yard
Grab people's attention by enhancing your yard and
landscaping. If your house looks inviting and well-maintained
from the street, people will imagine that it's attractive
on the inside, too.
Prune bushes and hedges; trim trees.
Keep your lawn looking healthy and green by mowing
it often, fertilizing it, and keeping it edged and
trimmed.
Clean up and dispose of pet mess.
Weed your gardens; add fertilizer and mulch; then
plant colorful flowers.
In winter, keep your driveway and sidewalks shoveled,
de-iced, and well-lit.
Stack firewood, clean out birdbaths, repair and
paint fences.
The Front Door
An attractive entry catches a buyer's eye and says,
"Welcome," so highlight this area of your
house with decorative touches, such as a wreath on the
door or new shrubs and flowers around the steps. For
an even grander entry, clean and paint your front door,
or replace it with a new one for a few hundred dollars.
Don't forget to fix and polish doorknobs, repair torn
screens, and then put out that new welcome mat.
Keep yourself organized with the following checklist:
