When you get ready to sell your home, there will be a few lessons you will learn. I’ll warn you about them now!
- The color of paint on your walls is probably not what will attract a buyer. If it’s too white, it’ll be to plain and turn buyers off; it’s too bright or dark, it will be too bold and turn buyers off. Stick to the neutral colors to appeal to the masses.
- Family pictures all over the walls? That can be a turn off to buyers. It’s hard to visualize yourself in a home when all you’re doing is looking at pictures of another family. Remove them (or most of them) and clear the space.
- When removing things, you’ll see that there might be discoloration on the walls. It’s important to patch all holes and paint everything fresh.
- You don’t need all that clutter. Remove it! You’re going to be moving anyways, right? So get ready now by boxing things up and storing them in the garage or a storage facility. Or even better – donate to Goodwill if you haven’t used it in awhile!
- Maybe your taste in furniture and that really comfy chair you just can’t part with isn’t actually as nice as you think it is. Furniture can play a big role in the perception buyers have of your home, so it might help to work with a professional stager. Or at least spruce things up with new throw pillows.
- Now is the time to fix little problems that have been lingering around. Leaky faucets and drain stops are common problems. Buyers are looking for excuses to not move forward with the sale in today’s market, so make it right before they have a chance to make excuses.
- If you think it will stay clean, it won’t. The house will get messy. People will be in and out of it for showings and it becomes a revolving door. With all the extra foot traffic, you will be constantly vacuuming and tidying up. It’s inevitable, just prepare for it.
- You have more stuff than you think you have and it will take longer than you think to pack and box it all up. And it takes longer to actually move it out of your house! Give yourself plenty of time, and try to pack things up over a length of time.
Good luck selling and preparing for the process!
Gabe Mellein was voted a Top Real Estate Agent – Exceptional in Service and Overall Satisfaction by Gulfshore Life Magazine in 2012 and 2013. He is the broker of Gulf Pointe Properties, Inc and has over 9 years experience in the SW Florida Real Estate Market. He is a member of The Naples Area Board of Realtors, Bonita Springs – Estero Association of Realtors, Realtor Association of Greater Fort Myers and the Beach, The Florida Association of Realtors, The National Association of Realtors, and is nationally certified in Feng Shui for Real Estate. Need real estate help? Please contact Gabe at: 239.825.2234, Gabe@GulfPointeProperties.com or www.GulfPointeProperties.com
