Help Your Realtor Sell Your Home More Effectively – Part III


Selling Help, Part 3Get Ready to Leave
The exterior of the home you are selling is beautiful. The buyers love the overall look of your home so far. Excitement is building in the buyers as they move on to the interior of your home.

Ask your real estate agent their opinions about whether you should be present at the time the buyers are going to tour the home. Many real estate agents will suggest being absent when they are showing your home, if possible, even if it is not always the most convenient. This will help them to sell your home. The buyers can then be allowed to talk to them freely about the home and not worry about offending you in any way. The pressure is off them to just view the home at their leisure and spend the time needed to decide whether they want to make you an offer on the home. You want them to take a good look and not buy because they felt like they were intruding on you and your family. If there is no way to avoid being there then try and make yourself scarce. You don’t want to stand over them and make them uncomfortable. You want to sell your home. So give the buyers and your real estate agent the space they need. Dealing with a little inconvenience will allow the buyers to see your home before someone else’s. Don’t miss the opportunity to sell your home.

Home Interior Odors
Pay close attention to details inside the home. The entryway of the home should be immaculate as this is their first impression of the interior.

What is the second thing the buyer will notice before touring the rest of your home? They will view the home with their eyes and take a deep breath of excitement as they cross the threshold of this potential future home. So if you don’t want their second impression to override the first, de-scent your home. Baking soda is a great tool. Soft scent room air fresheners are wonderful. A light flower, maybe a lavender, vanilla, peach, or potpourri are wonderful inviting scents. Don’t run through the house with a can of air freshener spraying like you were trying to purposely cover something. Not to mention the fact that many a buyer and real estate agents are not big fans of the spray air fresheners. Just a small, light, stand-alone air freshening tool is probably the best way to go.

If there are pets, smoking, or a fireplace in the home, then you have odors. Eliminate these odors from the home. Baking soda and cleaning everything again is your best bet. Have your pets find their way outside a little more often to help eliminate the odors and not smoking in the home will make a huge difference. This is especially true if you have a non-smoking buyer view a smoking household. There again what may be a short-term inconvenience will pay off in the long run.

The overall look of the home should be orderly, as well as, spick and span. Take the time to clean and de-scent it from ceiling to floor. Don’t forget the walls. Light switches, bulbs, and fixtures should all be clean and in working order in your home.

Freshen Up
Selling Help, Part 3You want to clear the home of as many personalized things as possible. Clearing things like pictures and family memorabilia will give the house more buying appeal.

Be sure to clean the windows spot free. A buyer will often take the time between switching lights on and off to taking a look at the view from the windows. Vinegar mixed with water comes in handy when cleaning glass to remove dirt, smoke film, and streaks.

A fresh coat of paint on the walls and trim around the windows will go a long way to making your home look pleasing to your buyer. Stay light and neutral with paint colors.

Have your carpets cleaned or rent a carpet cleaner if you don’t own one. This expense is a must. You don’t want the flooring to look poorly when a buyer comes into the home. Be sure to sweep, mop, and shine up any hard floor in the home too.

Be sure to read part 4 for more interior cleaning tips and tricks to get your home ready to sell.

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