There is something that everyone who is interested in presenting a home for sale should know: the average home buyer looks at 10 properties before finding the right one.
That is just the average. Some spend years searching for their dream home, and visit more than 50 before signing on the dotted line. So, what can you do TODAY to make sure that your home is the one they buy?
Well, you can make it a memorable one (for all the right reasons, of course), and that is what we are going to teach you today in this article.
So, without further ado, here are 10 great tips for presenting your home for sale – and getting it sold!
Get Professional Photos
Everyone is a hobby photographer these days. And with Instagram filters, anything and anyone can look good. But you want more than that to attract buyers.
A professional photographer sees the house differently. They pay attention to the light. How it flows through the garden in the afternoon, and how it illuminates the living room in the early hours of the morning. Things you may not even think about.
They know which angles to use for the pictures, to show off the best features of your home. And they won’t miss the details that you ignore, like the full ashtray on the coffee table.
If you really want to go the extra mile, 360° photos are a good investment. These will make people feel like they are in your house, looking around, without even being there.
For busy people, and those wanting to relocate to your area from afar, these 360° photos will help them save time and money, and it will also attract more motivated buyers to your viewings.
Because if they can be in your house without actually setting foot outside of their own, and they still choose to view it live, that means that they are really interested in what you have to offer.
First Impressions Count
There isn’t much you can do about the neighbours, but you can take charge of your own property.
If your house looks like it hasn’t been painted in the last few decades, your garden is full of weeds and tall grass, your pool contains floating bits of unknown origin, this is not going to give buyers a great first impression.
Even if you live in an apartment, at least put up a welcome sign and make sure the doorbell works. Buyers are looking for a house to live in, not any combination of 4 walls.
Tidy Up Your Mess
Sometimes, you just don’t notice the mess you live in. And neither do your friends, thankfully. But when it comes to preparing your home for viewings, be sure that visitors will see it.
That is something you want to avoid simply because a messy house shows a messy occupant. In other words: it shows that the owner doesn’t care. And if you don’t care about the house you live in, why should they?
It also makes them wonder what else you are letting slide.
Clean It Before You Show It
Tidying up makes your house more presentable. But if it’s not clean, that is even worse than a cluttered pad.
The smell of dirty gym socks, wet dog, cat litter or cigarette smoke, can quickly turn a buyer off. So, make sure your house is sparkling clean and smells that way too.
One area that you should pay extra attention to, is the windows.
Because when buyers enter a home, one of the first things they check is the view. A dirty window, with flies in the window sill and ugly curtains, is not going to help you make the most of the view from your house.
Put Personal Stuff Away
Yes, you live there, we get it. But the point is that the buyer should be able to imagine themselves living there too. And that is going to be difficult if the whole place screams of you.
That is why personal stuff, especially family photos on the walls, need to go. Put them in storage until your house is sold.
Keep the Pets Outside
Many people love animals and have pets of their own. Still, what could be an issue, is a prospective buyer with an allergy.
And yes, some are also afraid of cats! However unbelievable that sounds. So, there you have two good, solid reasons to keep the pets outside during viewings.
Also, as we explained in point number 3 about keeping your house clean, pets don’t really help you with that. They can be messy, loud and smelly.
And so are kids. Yeah, you are right. By all means, ask a friend to babysit while the viewings are taking place. But don’t throw them out. Screaming and crying kids banging at the door will not generate any comfortable feeling whatsoever.
Fix What Is Broken
The tap is dripping, the paint is peeling off the kitchen walls, the door to the bathroom doesn’t close properly and there is mould in the corner. These are red flags to most buyers.
When they see these things, they are already thinking about how much it is going to cost them to fix it. And that maybe there are hidden issues in the house that will cost them even more, this will raise even more doubt about your credibility and may create a bad image of you.
You could of course try to put them at ease by saying these are just minor, cosmetic issues, that it won’t take a whole lot of money or time to get it fixed, and that there are no major problems with the house. Still, that is not likely to work in your favour.
Because, if these are minor issues that are cheap and easy to fix. Then, why haven’t you done so already?
Finish Your DIY Projects
Maybe you ran out of money in the middle of a renovation, and that is why you are selling your home. That is fair enough. Anyone who wants to buy it then, will know that they are getting a fixer-upper.
But if you have a few DIY projects going on in the house, finish those before the viewings.
A half-painted wall, missing window sills, an unfinished bathroom or kitchen – these things scare off buyers.
What most people want is a home that they can move into straight away. Where they don’t have to do any work. If you can present your house that way, you’ll have a much bigger chance at getting a quick sale.
Appeal to the Senses
It’s so old, it’s almost cliché. But it works!
The smell of newly baked bread is a huge turn on for buyers. A fresh pot of coffee or tea won’t hurt either. Anything that smells good, and that they can sink their teeth into, can help land a sale.
After all, would you eat anything from a place you didn’t like?
A viewing where nobody touches the food usually means that they are uncomfortable. You wouldn’t eat at a roadside café, where the place looks unwashed and the grub appears to have crawled out of the gutter and onto your plate. And those who come to viewings feel the same way.
So, if they are happily munching away in your home, it means they trust where the food is coming from. And that is great news for you.
Create A Promo Video
And once again, this is where you might want to invest in a professional product. A home video of you with the dog and the kids, is not what will sell you house. But a well put together 1-minute video, featuring the highlights of your property and neighbourhood, might just do the trick.
According to Databox, Facebook ads that feature videos generate about 50% more clicks than images. That is a huge difference!
We can take care of this for you just get in touch.
Wrapping It All Up
If you are selling your house, I’m guessing that you want to move out of there as quickly as possible. But you also want to get the right price. And these two things don’t always match up.
What can help you land that quick sale, at the right price, is following the tips that we outlined in this article.
And remember: even though you don’t want to live there anymore, you still have to invest in your property to make it appealing to buyers. The little money you spend to presenting a home, will be worth it the day you hand over the keys, and move on with your life.
Get in touch and see how we can help!
If not Good luck with your sale!
