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When preparing a property for sale, homeowners often focus on the things that will impress buyers, such as clean and uncluttered spaces, well lit rooms, staged furniture designed to maximize appeal, and so forth.

But it’s equally important to pay attention to those things you don’t want buyers to see… those little turn-offs that, although seemingly minor, can distract buyers and cause them to lose interest in your property.

For example, you don’t want buyers to see these things:

Pets. Although many people love pets, some don’t. Others are allergic to them. Dogs, in particular, can take a keen interest in new visitors, jumping and barking excitedly. It’s best to take pets for a walk during viewings.

Unfinished repairs. Dripping taps. Gouges and marks on walls. Broken tiles. Squeaking gates. Home buyers will notice, and may mistakenly think there are other deficiencies lurking in your home. Do as many repairs as you can. Then be upfront about those that are in progress.

Clutter. It’s common for main rooms, like livingrooms and kitchens, to be clean and uncluttered during a viewing. But buyers who become interested in your property will take a closer look, and check out the garage, cupboards, backyard shed and other places where things tend to accumulate. The more you de-clutter, the better your property will show.

Smells. Obviously not something a buyer will see, but he or she will definitely notice lingering smells associated with pets, garbage, exotic cooking, and smoking. Scents have a strong influence on emotions. That’s why perfume companies do so well! So make sure your home is as scent-free as possible.

You. Nothing personal. When buyers view your home, they want to visualize themselves living there, not you. So let your REALTOR® be the host. Remove as many personal items, such as family pictures and trophies, as possible.

You probably know there’s more to selling a home than putting up a FOR SALE sign. But if you don’t understand the process in detail, you might feel intimidated and stressed when it comes time to put your property on the market.

Fortunately, the home selling process isn’t that difficult to understand. There are basically six steps.

Step one is selecting the right REALTOR®. You need a knowledgeable, trusted expert who can guide you through the process, take care of all the details, and help sell your home quickly and for the best price.

Step two is preparation. You need to ensure your home is clean and uncluttered. It’s also important that you take care of any needed repairs, even minor ones like wall dents. You may also need to consider a home improvement, such as replacing worn carpeting.

Step three is the listing price. You need to select a listing price at or near the fair market value of your property.

Step four is promotion. How will buyers find out about your property? Will they see it on MLS? Will they come across an ad in the newspaper or on the internet? Will they receive an invitation to an open house? An effective promotion plan is critical.

Step five is dealing with offers. Ideally, you’ll get several. But the best offer is not necessarily the highest one. An offer can fall through for many reasons, so dealing effectively with offers is, perhaps, the most important part of the home selling process.

Step six is the transaction. Once the sale is made, you want to know that you have the right professionals in place – your lawyer, mover, etc. – to make sure all the after-sale details are taken care of properly.

Want more ideas for making sure the home selling process goes smoothly for you? Call today.

One of the best things you can do to ensure you get the home you want is to arrange for financing before you go shopping. This is often referred to as getting “pre-approved”.

Getting pre-approved simply means that your lender has calculated how much of a mortgage they’re willing to offer you, depending on your down payment and current financial situation.

There are two advantages to having a pre-approved mortgage. First, you know exactly what you can afford when shopping for a new home. Second, when you make an offer, you’re likely to be taken more seriously.

You find a beautiful home available on the market, but you’re not so sure about the location. Does it really matter all that much? Yes, it does. That’s why you’ll often hear real estate professionals say, “Location, location, location.”

The location of a home you’re considering buying will affect you in two ways.

First, it will affect the property’s future resale value, especially if the area is becoming less desirable.

Second, it will affect your lifestyle. If the area doesn’t have the features you want – nearby schools and playgrounds, walking trails, proximity to activities that interest you, such as golf or restaurants – you probably won’t enjoy living there.

A good real estate professional will help you find the right home in the best location for you.

Your home probably has dozens of great features that are going to help it stand out and sell faster. Perhaps it has a cozy sunken living room? Or an equipped and smartly decorated kitchen that Rachel Ray would envy? Or a location in a desirable area?

All these things will help.

But there’s another selling feature you should consider adding: a pre-sale inspection.

A professional home inspection is usually done on behalf of the buyer before the deal to purchase a property is finalized. In fact, you can expect any offers to purchase your home to be “conditional upon satisfactory home inspection.” However, there are two good reasons why you, as the seller, should get the home inspection done:

Reason #1

A professional inspection can identify problems that might otherwise thwart the sale.

Say, for example, you get a great offer but the buyer’s home inspector discovers a minor leak in the foundation. That might be enough to jeopardize the deal. However, if you had a professional inspection done, you would have had the opportunity to get that problem fixed in advance of the offer.

Reason #2

Informing potential buyers that a professional inspection has been done is a great selling feature. It demonstrates to buyers that there are no hidden problems with the property, which gives them more confidence to make an offer.

A certificate of home inspection can be as enticing a feature to home buyers as a wrap-around deck!

Let Potential Buyers Feel at Home!

You may think that being a host or tour guide for potential buyers who are viewing your home is a good idea. After all, who knows more about the wonderful features of your property than you do?

The problem is, buyers don’t feel the same way.

They much prefer to see your home with only a REALTOR® present. This helps them feel less like an intruder and more comfortable giving your property their full consideration.

Putting your home on the market may be the last thing you have on your mind.

But as you know, life happens. Things change. You might unexpectedly find yourself in the position of wanting or having to quickly sell your home.

It happens more often than you might think. In fact, according to studies into why people sell their homes, more than a third are due to relatively quick and unexpected changes. Something happens – a job relocation, a lifestyle change – and the homeowner finds him or herself making a move.

In these situations, the biggest source of stress is caused by the need to prepare the current home for sale.

If you’ve lived in your house for a few years, or even just a few months, you know how quickly things can pile up. The garage and basement get filled with stored items. Things needing minor repairs get put on hold.

That’s why it’s a good idea, every so often, to inspect your property and ask yourself, “If I had to put my home on the market this month, what would I need to do?” Then plan to get those things done. That way, if you suddenly find yourself wanting to sell your home quickly and for the best price, you’ll be ready.

You might have heard about home staging and wondered what it’s all about. There are even a few television reality shows that feature staging experts doing their magic on a particular house or condo.

So what exactly is it?

Home staging is simply setting up your home to maximize its appeal to potential buyers. It involves everything from cleaning and removing the clutter, to arranging the furniture and decorating. The concept was developed by Barb Schwarz, who has become a legend in the staging industry.

Think about some of the most attractive furniture showrooms you’ve visited. Remember that beautifully set table with the bottle of wine set perfectly in the middle? Did you notice the two wine glasses and place settings that made it look as if a couple were about to sit down for an enjoyable meal? That’s an example of staging.

Does staging work?

According to studies, it does. In fact, staging has been shown to help sell a home faster and for a good price. In some cases, effective staging has even increased the selling price.

Should you stage your home?

It’s definitely going to help make your property more appealing to buyers. When it comes to staging, you have a couple of choices: you can hire a professional stager, or you can stage your home on your own. A good REALTOR® can help by either recommending a stager or providing you with staging tips.

You can definitely do some or even all of the staging on your own. In fact, some of the simplest staging techniques are easy to implement. Putting fresh flowers in the kitchen is an example of staging. So is arranging furniture in a room so that it looks as bright and spacious as possible. But if you have a difficult space or you need to bring in or reorganize furniture, you may want to consider a professional.

You’ve heard the story. Someone finds a home on the market that seems underpriced, grabs it, and subsequently discovers it’s worth tens of thousands of dollars more than the selling price.

What a bargain!

The truth is, bargains like that rarely happen.

Most properties sell for somewhere close to their market value. That’s why you need to find the perfect home for you, in the right area, with a list price that is within your affordability range, and then buy that property for the lowest price your REALTOR® can negotiate.

When you shop for the right property at the right price, you have a good chance of finding and buying your dream home.

But if you go into the market with a plan to find a bargain, you risk overlooking those homes that might otherwise be great opportunities for you. Why? Because your price expectations will probably be a lot lower than the actual market prices.

The good news is that an experienced REALTOR® can help you find a home that’s perfect for you in every way: type, features, location — and price.

They say, “Home is where the heart is.” How true! That’s why, when selling your property, it’s important to realize that your home – your heart — is moving to another place. Your current property is now a product that you want to sell quickly, and for the best price possible.

Making that mental transition, however, isn’t easy. After all, you probably have at least one fond memory associated with every room in your house! Here’s a tip: Pack up the personal items, such as pictures and trophies. Rearrange the furniture. Make it look like someone else’s home.

When you let go of your emotional attachment to your property, you’ll be able to be more objective when preparing it for sale.