In today's market, it's challenging to sell a house or any other piece of real estate. In addition, the longer a home stays on the market the less likely it'll attract viewers and offers as people will wonder what's wrong with it.
Most buyer's are looking for basement bargains while seller's need to get the best price they can to make it worthwhile selling. If you're going to try to sell a home right now, you need to realize it's a buyer's market. But there are things you can do to increase your chances of getting reasonable offers. These home selling tips are valid in any economy but need extra emphasis in the current economic climate.
Beyond the importance of the design and sound structural elements of your home the next most important selling point of your house lies in its aesthetics.
A clean and well maintained property can make your home memorable in the eyes of a buyer. The fact is people are viewing more homes before making a decision and you want your home to remain uppermost in the minds of potential purchasers.
The first impression of any house is the yard and exterior. Mow your lawn, trim bushes and trees and pull up unsightly weeds. The last thing you want is a potential buyer driving off before seeing the inside of your home because the outside scenery is a mess.
Fix up the exterior and make it look neat - this sends the message to buyers you care about your house and more likely to have kept on top of repairs. Talking of repairs when was the last time you painted outside or power-washed the siding or cleaned the glass on the windows? Flaking paint on the trim is unsightly and easily cured with a fresh coat. Finally, put stuff in its place outside.
Inside go to work on a thorough clean. This doesn't mean do your regular once-a-week clean but break out the big guns and clean every inch of your home. Make anything that can sparkle blindingly shiny, get your tiles professionally washed and your carpets steam cleaned.
If you've been experimental with paint colors on your interior walls then consider repainting a neutral color such as white - and this will also give your house that extra new feeling. Buyers tend to think how much work they'll need to do when they move in, and not having to redecorate immediately because they can live with the colors for awhile will be viewed positively.
As with the exterior make your interior neat as well. A place for everything and everything in its place is a cliché worth remembering before showing your home. Most houses have odors and a few well-placed odor eliminator plug-ins will go a long way making the house smell presentable. Just don't go overboard on sweet-scented candles everywhere as buyers will wonder what you're trying to hide.
The goal behind these tips is to show the potential of your home to a prospective buyer by seeing it in the best possible light when viewing. This will make it memorable and more likely to surface to the top when recalling the homes they saw and help make it to their shortlist and finally a fair offer.
Bill McCormick is an experienced real estate agent and owner of a Re/Max Executive Realty office covering the market in the metro-west Boston area. Bill specializes in Homes for Sale in Upton, Mendon, Milford and Grafton Massachusetts towns. His website has more tips for house sellers and buyers and also moving tips and you can find them at: http://www.billmccormick.com.