How do we know? After twenty years of being a buyer's agent and broker, we know that most houses would either sell more quickly or for more money if the homeowners had followed some common sense, time-tested real estate tips. First of all, it makes the buyer's agent job much easier if a house is showcase ready. While a particular buyer may not like your home for many different reasons, a buyer's agent is much more likely to bring other buyers back to a home that shows well. In the small community of real estate agents, word does get out pretty quickly when a home on the market is showcase ready.

First Impressions - What I'm about to tell you may seem minor and easily overlooked, but this advice goes hand-in-hand with the very well known concept of Curb Appeal. Whereas curb appeal is the very first gut feeling a potential buyer has about your house, the buyer's first impression lasts as they walk up to the front door to the point when the door first opens. With this in mind, the front door should be especially sharp, since it is the entryway into the house. Polish the door fixture so it gleams. If the door needs refinishing or repainting, make sure to get that done.

If you have a cute, little plaque or shingle with your family name on it, remove it. Even if it is just on the mailbox. You can always put it up again once you move. It is important to make your house anonymous as if the house already belongs to the next owner. Buy a new, plush door mat, too. This is something else you can take with you once you move. Make sure the lock works easily and the key fits properly. When a homebuyer comes to visit your home, the agent uses the key from the lock box to unlock the door. If there is trouble working the lock while everyone else stands around waiting, this sends a negative first impression to prospective home buyers. If the lock is sticky, sometimes a shot of graphite in the keyhole is all that is needed.

Then, there is the entry way. Are there shoes or other clutter in the foyer, does the first impression of the inside of your home impress a buyer of things to come set them up for a polite, but quick tour of your home?

In any housing market, but especially in a buyer's market, your house is in competition with all the other houses on sale in your neighborhood. How your home competes is key to turning a prospective buyer in to a buyer with an offer.

A first impression will not last, if the rest of your home is not presentable. Many home sellers wonder what trade-offs to make, how much budget to allocate to get their home ready to list and sell. The starting place is to think like a buyer, put yourself in your buyers shoes, walk across the street from your house and walk up to the front door, make notes of all the things that you'd want to see fixed if you were going to buy your own house. Then, step-by-step, work through the other ten keys to selling real estate and maximizing your profits.

Posted by Sharon Cole on December 13, 2008 at 12:00 AM

About Sharon Cole
Sharon Cole is affliated with Mena Real Estate, which is located in Mena, AR. For further assistance please use the contact information located on the right.




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