coyotewildwomen
30th May 2005, 08:42 AM
Hi,
I just wanted to jump in with my two cents. We live in the Denver Colorado area and have bought and sold 7 houses in the area since 2001. We are involved in real estate as investors and do this as part of our living.
In fact, we sold three very expensive houses at top price right after 9/11 which was the worst down market for us. Here are some suggestions that have worked for us, and for the friends who have asked for our advice.
Stage your house so it will show at its very best. Think about who is likely to buy your house and furnish it to attract them. For example, we had a house that sold for 1.8 million dollars. It had an English style library. We went out and bought inexpensive decorations that would suit an English library, from TJ Maxx, left the tags on them, and returned all the items after the house sold. You would be amazed how many compliments we got on our exclusive decorative items!
Put silk or live flowers in a pot outside the front door, make sure the entrance of your house is very appealing, neat and tidy. Your house should have great curb appeal, and people should say wow when they walk in the front door.
Turn on all the lights before a showing and spray a very nice, light scent throughout the house. Play classical music or light jazz. Open all the curtains to make the house look as light as possible.
If you can move out somehow, while the house is on the market, that is always preferable. I know that sounds ridiculous and may not be possible for you, but that way your house is in perfect shape even when you have 5 minutes notice.
Remove all clutter, including personal photos, shoes, coats, toys, paperwork, books, kitchen items etc. Clean up the lawn and keep it mowed and weeded.
Get a storage unit if you need to do so. Get your windows cleaned and clean the carpet. If you have cracked tiles or anything that need obvious repair, get it fixed. Don't give anyone a reason not to buy your house.
ou have to let go of what you love personally and create what a buyer is likely to love. You may adore the bright red walls but a buyer may not have the imagination to realize they can paint over it.
If you are not good with decorating, ask a friend to help you who has a good eye. Have a friend walk through the house and yard and give you comments. You would be amazed what you may have missed because you live in the home! Ask to borrow what you don't have that may make the house more attractive, or buy inexpensive decorative items you can return.
I hope this helps- it has worked consistently for us in the past.
Also push your realtor to give you feedback after a showing. That way you will know if one thing keeps coming up as a negative.
Wendy
I just wanted to jump in with my two cents. We live in the Denver Colorado area and have bought and sold 7 houses in the area since 2001. We are involved in real estate as investors and do this as part of our living.
In fact, we sold three very expensive houses at top price right after 9/11 which was the worst down market for us. Here are some suggestions that have worked for us, and for the friends who have asked for our advice.
Stage your house so it will show at its very best. Think about who is likely to buy your house and furnish it to attract them. For example, we had a house that sold for 1.8 million dollars. It had an English style library. We went out and bought inexpensive decorations that would suit an English library, from TJ Maxx, left the tags on them, and returned all the items after the house sold. You would be amazed how many compliments we got on our exclusive decorative items!
Put silk or live flowers in a pot outside the front door, make sure the entrance of your house is very appealing, neat and tidy. Your house should have great curb appeal, and people should say wow when they walk in the front door.
Turn on all the lights before a showing and spray a very nice, light scent throughout the house. Play classical music or light jazz. Open all the curtains to make the house look as light as possible.
If you can move out somehow, while the house is on the market, that is always preferable. I know that sounds ridiculous and may not be possible for you, but that way your house is in perfect shape even when you have 5 minutes notice.
Remove all clutter, including personal photos, shoes, coats, toys, paperwork, books, kitchen items etc. Clean up the lawn and keep it mowed and weeded.
Get a storage unit if you need to do so. Get your windows cleaned and clean the carpet. If you have cracked tiles or anything that need obvious repair, get it fixed. Don't give anyone a reason not to buy your house.
ou have to let go of what you love personally and create what a buyer is likely to love. You may adore the bright red walls but a buyer may not have the imagination to realize they can paint over it.
If you are not good with decorating, ask a friend to help you who has a good eye. Have a friend walk through the house and yard and give you comments. You would be amazed what you may have missed because you live in the home! Ask to borrow what you don't have that may make the house more attractive, or buy inexpensive decorative items you can return.
I hope this helps- it has worked consistently for us in the past.
Also push your realtor to give you feedback after a showing. That way you will know if one thing keeps coming up as a negative.
Wendy