Give Your Home Every Advantage

In a competitive market place your home needs to stand out amongst the many that are available for sale. The first thing is to know your competition. Have your Realtor research all properties in your area with similar features that are currently available for sale. Remember that buyers look for specific things such as room sizes, numbers of bedrooms, baths, updated kitchens, family rooms, garages, etc. The fact that your home may have been built with plywood instead of particle board may be an important item to you, but it will not add dollars to the price of your home.  Items such as a swimming pool or extensive landscaping are expensive but unfortunately do not significantly increase the value of your home. Price your home according to how it compares with those homes with features that are most attractive to buyers.

Importantly, once you decide to sell, regardless of how long you have lived there, or how many children you have raised, or the memories it holds, you must look at your home as merchandise. This is a very difficult concept for most home sellers to grasp. You may love your dog or cat but now is the time to deal with that smelly carpet! Also, remove and place into storage any and all non-essential personal items you wish to keep...wall hangings, knickknacks, excess clothing.  Everything that cannot be stored completely out of site should be removed in order to give the home a clutter free, clean look.

If you have limited resources available to spiff up your home, concentrate on the kitchen and the baths. These are the most important areas to buyers. Regardless of how elaborate or simple these areas are they should sparkle from floor to ceiling. Clean and paint soiled walls, repair leaky faucets, replace worn shower curtains, rugs, etc. These areas are where a small investment can pay dividends. Neglecting them will send buyers down the street.

Lastly, don’t forget the exterior. Curb appeal is just as important as what is inside because it is the first experience a buyer will have of your home. If you can’t afford to repaint, touch up and at least be sure any mold is washed off the siding. A buyer will more than likely have a complete home inspection but obvious defects should be addressed to the full extent of your budget up front. In a competitive market place you need every advantage!

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