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Selling Your Real Estate
Tips Before Your
Listing
by John Ashtonson
Selling your home in the competitive real estate market
requires a change in mindset. It’s important to remember that the house is no
longer “your home”. What was once your home is now a product that must be
marketed to buyers in your area, regardless of how long you and your family have
been there, how many personal memories are associated with the home and how much
money or time you’ve personally invested in the property. Here are a few
suggestions to help you prepare to sell your real estate.
1. Walk through your home and look at it from a buyer’s perspective. Write down
any imperfections that are noticeable to the naked eye. Is the plaster on the
walls cracking? Are there pet stains in the carpeting or sections of hardwood
flooring that are bad? Is paint peeling from the walls? Fix whatever small tasks
you can tackle on your own, whether it’s fixing a crack in the wall or painting
rooms to freshen up the house.
2. Earn the trust of potential buyers by providing them with professional
estimates from reliable contractors on bigger projects like new roofing,
replacing worn carpeting or flooring and adding new windows.
Gather any warranties for appliances, your furnace, hot water tank, central air
and anything else that will remain a part of the house when you leave.
3. Enlist the help of friends, contractors or an experienced Real estate agent
who will view your house objectively and not refrain from pointing out problems
and offering suggestions.
It can sometimes be difficult to break that emotional attachment to your house
and find fault in a place that has been dear to you and your family for so many
years. Someone has to look at your home without that bias.
You can also learn a lot from the prospects viewing your home. Once your home is
added to real estate listings, you’ll likely find many interested people
scheduling to view your home. These people have likely viewed other real estate
for sale. Listen intuitively for any revealing comments. If you hear multiple
times that the house is dreary - improve the lighting. If you hear comments that
the paint colors are too loud or vibrant – repaint the walls with white paint or
neutral colors.
It’s also a good idea to order a pre-sale home inspection. This way the buyer’s
home inspection shouldn’t reveal any major issues that could potentially delay a
closing or cancel a contract. Any looming issue can be repaired prior to even
listing your home.
4. CLEAN! So many people overlook this important aspect of showing off a home to
potential buyers. Wipe down the walls and baseboards. Vacuum the carpeting and
mop the floors. Tidy up any mess left behind by children or pets. Everyone
accumulates clutter when living in the same place for an extended period of
time. It’s good to purge items that will not be following you in your move.
Think of it as getting your belongings organized right now so everything is less
of a hassle come moving time!
5. Make the outside of your home as attractive as possible. Be sure to mow the
lawn, plant flowers and trim the bushes, all of which will give the home some
curb appeal. Maybe purchase a nice lamppost to light up the walkway to your
home, purchase a new address plate or treat yourself to a new mailbox. Something
that will “wow” buyers before they even walk through the front door.
Follow some, if not all, of these suggestions and you should have a much easier
time selling your property!
John is a contributor to a Connecticut Mortgage Loan Calculator website, and
Suffield Hartford Greenwich and Stamford CT Real Estate
which has helped hundreds of aspiring homeowners calculate their mortgages. |
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