Setting
The Stage Sells Your Home
The age-old observation
that "you never get a second chance to make a first impression" certainly
applies when it comes to attracting buyers to a home for-sale. Making a good first
impression can mean the difference between receiving serious offers for your home or being
subjected to months of lookie-loos dropping by but never buying.
How can you ensure that your home will make the best impression possible? Here are six
tips for savvy home sellers:
1. Focus on curb appeal. The outside of your house can be the source of a very
good first impression. Keep the grass well-watered and mowed. Have your trees trimmed. Cut
back overgrowth. Plant some blooming flowers. Store toys, bicycles, roller-skates,
gardening equipment and the like out of sight. Have at least the front of your house and
the trim painted, if necessary. Sweep the porch and the front walkway. After dark, turn on
your front porch light and any other exterior lighting.
2. Clear out the clutter. Real estate agents say buyers won't purchase a home
they can't see. If your home has too much furniture, overflowing closets, crowded kitchen
and bathroom countertops or lots of family photos or collectibles on display, potential
buyers won't be able to see your home. Get rid of anything you don't need or use. Fill up
your garage or rent some off-site storage space if that's what it takes to clear out your
home.
3. Use your nose. Many people are oblivious to scents, but others are extremely
sensitive to offensive odors. To eliminate bad smells, bathe your pets, freshen the cat
litter box frequently, shampoo your carpets, dry clean your drapes, and empty trash cans,
recycling bins and ash trays. Place open boxes of baking soda in smell-prone areas, and
refrain from cooking fish or strong-smelling foods. Introduce pleasing smells by placing
flowers or potpourri in your home and using air fresheners. Baking a fresh or frozen pie
or some other fragrant treat is another common tactic.
4. Make all necessary repairs. Buyers expect everything in their new home to
operate safely and properly. Picky buyers definitely will notice - and likely magnify -
minor maintenance problems you've ignored for months or even years. Leaky faucets,
burned-out light bulbs, painted-shut or broken windows, inoperable appliances and the like
should be fixed before you put your home on the market. These repairs may seem small, but
left undone they can lead buyers to question whether you've taken good care of your home.
5. Introduce lifestyle accessories and make your home as comfortable and attractive
as possible. Set the dining room table with your best dishes. Put out your
only-for-company towels. Make up the spare bed. Hang some fresh curtains. Put some logs in
the fireplace. Use your imagination.
6. Get a buyer's-eye view. Walk up to your home and pretend you've never seen it
before. What do you notice? How do you feel about what you see? Does the home seem
inviting? Well-maintained? Would you want to buy this home? Your answer should be an
enthusiastic yes!