Be a Better Seller

How to Be a Better Seller

One of the most important things you can do is a seller is to make sure that your home looks impeccable before listing it. Check out your curb appeal; do you have overgrown weeds, a cracked driveway, chipping exterior paint on the garage, or broken roof shingles? All too often, sellers forget to do minor things such as enhance curb appeal, touchup some paint, or clean windows. It’s such a shame, because those things make all the difference.

Another shame is when you see nice homes that are vastly overpriced. When your home is overpriced, a lot of the time, buyers won’t even see it. This is because today’s buyers start their search on the internet. The common websites used are Zillow and Trulia; on these websites, buyers can set their maximum price range. They do this so that they do not get obsessed with a home they cannot afford. So, your home may have been in their price range had it been priced properly from the beginning. By the time you’ve lowered the listing after months of your home not selling because of it, that buyer has already found a new house. One tool many realtors use is pricing the home a little lower than its worth. Especially if it is a very nice house; the reasoning behind this is that first, it drives more attention to the home, which essentially paves the way for a bidding war. So, the seller gets either the number they wanted, or sometimes higher.

If you can afford a stager, it is definitely the way to go. Stagers can also ‘rent’ furniture through certain accounts. You’d be amazed at the power of staging. Look below at this photo. Now, imagine the room empty. It wouldn’t look like anything special, but with pops of color, decorative artwork and curtains, it looks inviting and glamorous.

Your home needs to be in tip-top shape at all times, without exception. You cannot reschedule with a buyer when they want to view the home; well, you can..but not if you really want to sell the house. If you can’t afford a stager, there’s no excuse to not be able to decorate some things yourself. There are too many outlets such as magazines, TV shows, and books that can teach you decorating tips for you to not at least attempt to make the space look nice and presentable.

Please understand that it is likely your home will not sell immediately. Sometimes sellers get frustrated as they know a ‘friend-of-a-friend-of-a-friend’ who’s home sold in 6 days. Sorry to break the news, but that probably won’t be you. When you find yourself frustrated, remind yourself that this is normal. Talk with your realtor when you are frustrated; perhaps you should lower the price, perhaps your photos aren’t that great, or, maybe the house just isn’t being marketed enough.

The most important thing to take away from this article, is to be sure that you complete any repairs and do any necessary improvements. Work on curb appeal to make buyers actually want to come into your house. Stand on the curb yourself and ask: “Would I want to see the inside of this house?” The yard does not have to look perfect, but every yard could use some work. Whether it’s weeding, tossing out dead plants and replacing them, or reviving or replacing dying grass. As long as you do your part, have faith that at some point you’ll likely be able to sell your home.

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