TIPS FOR SELLING YOUR HOME
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50 TIPS FOR SELLING YOUR HOME
INITIAL IMPRESSIONS No matter how good the interior looks, buyers have already judged your home even before stepping foot inside. There’s no second chance to make a great first impression, so it’s important to make people feel warm, welcome and safe as they approach your home.
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Clean up your landscape, add mulch and flowers. If there is a pot, there must be a flower!
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Remove old, overgrown bushes and trees. If the buyer can’t see it I can’t sell it!
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Install and update exterior lights.
Paint your front door. The color of your front door says a lot without speaking... Red - Welcome
Eggplant - Royalty
Yellow - Energy
Aqua - Friendly
Orange - Warmth Blue-Trust
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Itsy bitsy spider...you may not use the front door, so make sure it is free and clear of obstacles including spider webs.
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Fix all walkways and driveways.
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Replace old hardware on the front door. Make sure the lock opens easily and that handles are in the correct orientation.
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Bright, white trim looks fresh and crispy.
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50 TIPS FOR SELLING YOUR HOME
KITCHENS & BATHROOMS SELL HOUSES IN THE KITCHEN
IN THE BATHROOM
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Change the drawer pulls and cabinet knobs. It is important to be consistent throughout your home, choose one finish for the whole house.
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Buy some pretty, fresh, white towels.
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Some cabinets may benefit from being painted or re-stained. Consider re-facing if the cabinet box is in great shape.
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Change outdated lighting.
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Add new, stylish drawer and cabinet pulls. Remember keep it consistent.
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Add stainless steel appliances.
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Swap out your old counter tops with granite or quartz. Regardless of your home’s price range, buyers want to be wowed by stone!
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Remove the big outdated mirror and replace with a framed mirror. Or, if you are crafty, paint or stain moldings and add them around the perimeter to simulate the framed look.
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Consider updating the sink and faucet. Farm sinks and pull out spray faucets are all the rage.
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Add a crisp white shower curtain to update and amplify the spa look.
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De-clutter the counter tops and store all small appliances that aren’t used daily.
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Keep cooking foods with distinctive smells to a minimum. What makes your mouth water, may make the buyer’s stomach turn.
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Consider adding a seamless shower door. Nothing says updated like seamless.
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Keep bathroom counters and the shower area neat and clean. Personal items should be at a minimum.
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50 TIPS FOR SELLING YOUR HOME
EDIT IT OUT AND LIGHT IT UP DE-CLUTTER
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While de-cluttering, or as I like to call it “editing”. is the least expensive suggestion, it has the most impact. But it can also be a time-consuming and emotional portion of your preparation to sell. Remember potential buyers can’t see themselves in your home if everything in your home screams you!
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Plan ahead! If you are thinking of selling during the height of the spring market, don’t wait to start cleaning. 6-12 months ahead of time is not too early to start.
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Too much clutter is distracting to the buyer. Instead of remembering the fabulous stone fireplace, all they remember are the 50 photos of Uncle Bob on the mantle.
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Simplified spaces help the buyer easily visualize their furniture and their family in the living room.
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Organize and edit those closets. Remember light to dark, left to right and top to bottom!
MAXIMIZE LIGHT
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Remove heavy or dark draperies. For selling we want buyers to see light, bright and happy radiating through the windows.
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Trim back any foliage that is covering windows. Refer to tip two! If the buyer can’t see it I can’t sell it!
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Clean your windows. Many times buyers think the window is defective or fogged and it is nothing more than a few years of dust. Remember the buyer is always looking for that shiny penny!
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No burned out light bulbs allowed! Every fixture should have consistent light bulbs. No blue light, yellow light, white light hodgepodge here. All bulbs should be the max voltage.
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Remove, clean and store screens. Did you know window screens reduce the natural light by 15%!
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Place a mirror on a wall adjacent to a window or opposite a window to maximize that sunshine.
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678-755-3711
50 TIPS FOR SELLING YOUR HOME
NOTHING SAYS CRISPY LIKE A FRESH COAT OF PAINT... TRIM
PAINT
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Most, if not all home buyers in any price range cringe when they spot wallpaper in a prospective home. They anticipate a huge mess and expensive inconvenience. Although sellers tell us that they are willing to offer a credit to compensate buyers for this dated feature, most buyers just can’t see past it when viewing photos on-line and may just click “next”.
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Even if buyers can see past the wallpaper, be prepared for them to over estimate the cost of removing and repainting, Many will add in some extra “hassle bucks”. For the most positive impact, you should take it down.
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Painting can be one of the least expensive preparations that can make the most impact. Choose colors that appeal to the masses. While you love an orange dining room, most buyers may not have your sense of adventure.
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Get advice from our color expert to help you choose. You want it to feel inviting and evoke the emotions of warmth and happiness.
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If you have a home with dark stained moldings and windows, paint these moldings bright white! Even though you may love the look of dark wood trim, the buyers of today generally don’t. The dark wood crown molding defines the ceiling height, which can make the room feel less spacious. Online photos with dark trim make most buyers feel the home is dated. This may cause them to skip right over your home, even though this is a minor issue.
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Do you have white wood spindles from the 90’s? Think about painting them matte black from Benjamin Moore. Get the look of Iron for a fraction of the cost.
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678-755-3711
50 TIPS FOR SELLING YOUR HOME
PREPARING THE BACKYARD AND POOL AREA... OUTSIDE
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Give the backyard the same curb appeal treatment you would give the front yard. Backyards are a big deal for buyers. The backyard is where the entertaining happens and is a huge source of pride for homeowners.
Add pots of colored flowers and manicured landscaping. But don’t go crazy, we do not want the buyer to think too much maintenance.
Remove the BBQ cover and thoroughly clean the inside. Why? You are not leaving your grill... True, but if it is unclean with food debris it is attracting bugs, not buyers!
LANDSCAPE
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Remove or hide dog houses, kennels, children’s toys and play equipment. Those items are how you live in your house, not how you sell it.
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Replace dated and discolored outdoor furniture or get new cushions for a fresh and crispy look.
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Store away inflatables, noodles, and other pool toys. We want that pool looking clean and spotless. The only thing we want the buyer to see in that pool is themselves. Have the pool professionally opened and cleaned during listing.
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678-755-3711
50 TIPS FOR SELLING YOUR HOME
KNOW THE MARKET AND HAVE YOUR HOME INSPECTED AND APPRAISED... THE MARKET
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Try not to factor your own emotional feelings for your home when evaluating its market value. Be objective and realistic. This strategy will give you, the seller, more control in the sale.
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Know the market. It is important and valuable to be aware of the current inventory of homes for sale, because these homes may represent your competition when you are ready to sell.
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Have your home inspected prior to listing. A licensed home inspector is a valued advisor that can save you time and money in the long run. It gives you the opportunity to fix these distracting small issues, as well as remediate any larger concerns that are uncovered. Buyers can get spooked, even with small issues. Especially if they are not handy people. Fixing these issues in advance can keep nervous buyers calm and keep your deal from falling apart.
PRICING
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Setting a competitive price in today’s market is imperative. Pricing your home at slightly below market can lead to a multiple offer situation resulting in a sale over the list price. Having an appraisal prior to listing (like the buyer’s lender will require at contract) can help us through the negotiations and closing process. Bonus Tip... Have you done some improvements yourself that are incomplete, unfinished or just not quite up to snuff? Hire a professional handyman to come in and bring those items up to code and completed. Nothing says cha-ching to a buyer more than unfinished DIY projects.
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www.glennda.net
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The homes I sell are the backdrop of people’s lives. My clients do life in these homes. They raise children, celebrate milestones, and create memories. Real estate is not my job, real estate is my life! Glennda Baker LeBlanc
We provide the backdrop, you create the memories!™
Do you really want to know who is number one? OUR CLIENTS, ALWAYS!
East Cobb Office 3775 Roswell Road Suite 200 Roswell, Georgia 30062
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