Our biggest tip for sellers is to remember: view your home from the eyes of the buyer. Seemingly simple. Curiously difficult. Unless you’re “just not the emotional type”, what often prevents this strategic mindset is the strong attachment to your house itself. Of course you’re going to be emotionally attached to your home; it’s the place where you’ve created core memories with your family and loved ones! Everyone wants the largest return on investment possible for their home, right? Here are 5 key mistakes we often see sellers make when listing their homes.
- Painting. It’s time to paint your daughter’s lime green and purple bedroom. Yes, even that neutral, soft pink in the nursery. Paint it. Or maybe it’s that one dark accent wall you love...that room you painted yourself with friends over pizza and beer that one day? Paint it. Neutral colors sell houses to the widest range of potential buyers, period. Can accent walls work? Absolutely. Are they how to appeal to the masses? Probably not. Hire a painter, choose your neutrals, and if your real estate agent does their job right, you’ll make more than your investment back at closing.
- Staging. Buyers want to see themselves moving into your home. Maybe your 3rd bedroom would market itself better photographed as a home office. Or perhaps your dining room table could be rotated to allude to more space. If you’re able, allow your real estate agent to stage your home. Humans are visual creatures, and there is an entire industry of experts in the real estate industry: stagers. Many agents have professional stagers they work with at no extra cost to you!
- Cleaning. There’s nothing worse than walking into a showing and the home isn’t clean. Buyers notice everything. We’ve seen houses look sparkling clean in their photos, but filthy upon inspection. When preparing your home for showings, remember the details! Don’t just pick up your clutter and sanitize the countertops. We’re talking clean the toilets, scrub the shower (yes, people will look in your shower), detail your stovetop, and take out the trash. Imagine walking into a house with dirty diapers in the garbage that someone forgot to take out before they left. Accident? Most likely. A turn off? One-hundred percent.
- Upgrading. Ask your local real estate expert which upgrades are likely to yield you the greatest return on your investment. Easy no-brainers? The kitchen and bathrooms. 99.9% of the time. Many homeowners are hesitant to tackle any upgrades before they move for multiple reasons, but here’s one we hear time and time again: “It’s already outdated. I’ll just let the new homeowners update it to their taste.” While this may hold true, many buyers don’t want a lot of “projects” when buying a new home. Your goal when selling your home should be to have it look as move-in ready as possible. We aren’t saying you have to renovate your entire kitchen, but sometimes a little goes a long way. Think swapping light fixtures or cabinet pulls!
- Repairing. Is there a list of repairs you have but don’t feel like doing? We have a simple answer for this: just do it. (Sorry, Nike. We had to say it.) No, don’t leave repairs for “credits at closing”. No, don’t list it as-is. Work now; payoff later!
We know you love your home, and you want someone else to love your home too. Reminding yourself to step into a stranger’s shoes when entering your home is KEY to selling your home for top dollar. And of course, be sure to connect with your friendly, local real estate expert to help guide you along the way. ;)
