Month: June 2021

When potential buyers view your home, they are just as interested in the surrounding area as they are in the property itself. So, before listing your home on the market, it makes sense to think about your community and its key characteristics.

Here’s a good way to do that:

Imagine a relative from out-of-town coming to visit. She may say that she likes your community, and wants to know what you enjoy most about living there.

How would you answer?

Would you talk about the friendly nearby residents? Would you list the community events? Name all the local shopping? Describe the nice restaurants within walking distance? Or tell her about the local playground?

There are probably many things about your community that make it great. What are the top three? Those are probably characteristics of the area that most buyers will want to know.

The late comedian George Carlin used to have a routine called, “A place for my stuff.” He was referring to the idea that, besides being a place to sleep and eat, the purpose of a home is essentially to store all the stuff you accumulate over the years.

That may or may not be true. But, if you’re like most homeowners, you probably have a lot of stuff in your home… stuff in closets, and stuff in the garage.

That’s just what happens!

The problem, however, comes when you try to sell your home. What may seem to you like a comfortable home office filled with supplies, office equipment, books and papers, may look to a buyer like an uncomfortable, small and cluttered space.

That’s the problem with “stuff”. Too much of it, and it gets in the way of buyers seeing and appreciating the great features of your home.

So, when you’re selling your home, what do you do with all that extra stuff?

One solution is to have a garage or yard sale. (If you call it a “moving sale” you’ll attract more buyers.) This is a great way to get rid of the things you don’t need anymore – and, perhaps, make a few dollars!

Another solution is to give some of the items you don’t need to charity. There are many local organizations that can make good use of second hand clothing, furniture, and toys.

Finally, for all of the things you want to hang on to, but are cluttering up your home, consider renting a locker at a self-storage company.

One thing is for certain. The more spacious and comfortable each room of your home appears to potential buyers, the more likely it is that they’ll see the true value of your property and become interested.