Before placing the marketing of your home in my capable hands, you might want to consider some projects that will improve the marketability of your home. When I use the term “marketability”, I’m thinking more about the length of time it takes to sell your home than I am about price, because, frankly, the two go hand in hand. Homes that are priced right and show well (are staged) tend to sell quickly, and this fact usually leads to a higher price than could be obtained at the end of an extended market time. So if your home is priced right vs. the competition, think about the following to improve the odds of a quick sale:
PAINT:
If you find yourself wondering, “Should we paint?” the answer is almost certainly, “yes”. Interior surfaces free from blemishes and stains are much more inviting than otherwise, and be sure to look carefully at the exterior, because buyers, home inspectors, and bank appraisers certainly will.
LIGHT FIXTURES:
Light, bright spaces entice buyers, and upgrading light fixtures with inexpensive contemporary ones can really provide a striking touch. This latter point is especially true if the fixture tends to be a focal point, like over a dining room table or over a bathroom vanity, or above a center island in the kitchen. Put in the maximum wattage bulbs, and keep them on for showings.
STAGING:
I have discussed this topic an a separate blog. You can spend a little or a lot for this service, but either way, WOW!! what a difference these extra dollars can make! I can suggest stagers at both ends of the price spectrum, and the results can be quite rewarding. Buyers are helped along tremendously by making it easier for them to envision their dream home standing in your living room.
KITCHEN UPGRADES:
Kitchens are focal points in most homes – where do most people congregate at parties??? Inexpensive improvements such as tiling the back-splash or upgrading a faucet or installing door dampeners or replacing a kitchen floor and/or painting cabinets and installing new knobs can be completed for a few hundred dollars, and can easily show a positive return on your investment.
FIX MINOR ITEMS:
Fix in your mind the words “Buyer Inspection“, then check my blog on this subject. In this day and age it does not pay to take the ostrich approach to needed repairs. So address things like missing switch/outlet covers, plumbing fixtures that are not functioning properly, smoke and CO detectors with low batteries, window treatments and elements that are loose fitting, malfunctioning and/or unattractive, broken or malfunctioning door knobs, sliding doors that fall off the track, noisy furnace motors, loose handrails/deck boards, rotted deck boards, and anything else that YOU might take exception to as a home buyer.
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