| First
impressions are very important and you
only get to make one. Your
real estate agent, who is interacting
in the marketplace every day, can assist
you in approaching your home from the
buyer's standpoint. What needs to be
changed to make a good first impression?
This may mean that all you do is prune
the trees and shrubs. On the other hand,
it may mean that you completely repaint
the house, inside and out. Do a "curb
to door" check. Give the potential buyers
a clear path to enter the home. The
fewer obstacles between the buyer and
the true appeal of your home the better.
Keep in mind that over time we become
accustomed to our surroundings. What's
normal for you may be detrimental to
the buyer.
Make
your home look as spacious as possible.
Organize your closets and kitchen cabinets,
and if you have things stored in the
attic or basement, make sure they are
presentable. If you are showing during
the day, pull back your curtains and
drapes to show how bright and cheery
your home is. If you are showing at
night, turn on all of the lights to
create a warm and welcoming environment
for the prospective buyers. A home that
is marked with your personality and
style may be harder to sell. You might
even consider such things as removing
obvious clues to your political affiliation
and tucking away any biased literature
that may be visible. This will reduce
distractions and help the buyers to
visualize the home as their own.
Step
4 Marketing Strategy |
