We all know that selling a home is a notoriously stressful process. We need to navigate the property market to determine what buyers are drawn to, which is always challenging. However, if you want to secure top dollar for your property, you need to focus on buyers’ needs and on standing out among local inventory that buyers will also be touring. It is important to know your competition. To do this effectively, you should tune in and understand the buyer’s side of the transaction, as this enables you to prepare your house to sell.
Understanding the Buyer’s Interaction
According to Harvard Professor Gerald Zaltman, 95% of consumers buy out of emotion, regardless of the size of purchase they are making. Those emotions are at play whether they buy a smart TV or a home. While a buyer may have a list of must-haves for the ideal home, the ultimate decision-making process won’t be conducted based on logic, but rather on how they feel.
Knowing this, sellers can focus their attention on creating an inviting atmosphere that allows buyers to connect to the home and the property instead of the property’s assets.
What to Prepare to Sell Your Home at Top Dollar
To evoke pleasant feelings that assist you in selling your home, here are the five fundamental areas of improvement you can concentrate on when you prepare your house to sell.
1. Remove the clutter.
I’ve had many clients who, as they were viewing a property, I could see trying to envision themselves living there: “The couch can go here, and the bookshelf there.”(Staging helps tremendously for this.) Visuals are imperative when making a connection. According to data published by Psychology Today, too much data disables buyers’ decision-making abilities. This is not something you want to do as a seller. Clutter can do that. When buyers walks into a room, they should not be confronted with data—in this case, clutter. Instead, they need to be able to scan the area to discover its best features.
To assist in the decision-making process—and make your home the obvious choice—clear the clutter. While you are selling, focus on keeping essential furniture, decor, linen, clothing etc. in your home but removing everything else. Excess toys, storage in the attic or the basement, and keepsakes all need to be removed. You can rent a storage unit to house these items while you are selling.
2. Focus on the facade.
Curb appeal is real. How many times have you driven up to a friend or family member’s house and before getting out of the car you think, “Wow, this house is beautiful!” Most buyers will determine whether they prefer a home as they are driving up to it. If your home’s frontage leaves plenty to be desired, this makes convincing buyers your home is the one far more challenging. Keep things simple by upgrading your facade. Start with the lawn—green and manicured is ideal. Next, focus on any plants at the front of the home. You can also paint the front of the home and any window frames; fix your mailbox and driveway while you’re at it. Make buyers excited to enter your property. The dividends will speak volumes.
3. Add a fresh coat of paint.
That fresh paint smell screams “new,” “clean” or sometimes even “ewww!” Having resided in your home, you probably don’t notice the discoloration on the walls, but buyers will. I’ve had clients that once they notice a small peel or crack, the red flags start flying and they begin to pay more attention and suddenly find many other small things they might have not noticed if not for their antennas going off. Areas to focus on should be the bathrooms and the kitchen. You can also re-grout tiles and caulk the sink and bathtub if necessary. Keep everything in a neutral, light-reflecting color to ensure the spaces you’re painting reflect light and feel larger. Painting makes a significant difference to the look of your home and will make buyers feel welcome when entering and touring your home.
4. Deep clean your home.
The cheapest but most notable task you can complete when you want to prepare your house to sell is cleaning. Cleaning removes bad odors and stains and also makes the home more aesthetic. Remember, while you may not notice the dust, grime or dirt that has possibly accumulated in your home, buyers are scrutinizing the home to ensure it meets their standards. If your home is dirty, buyers will think it’s hiding flaws. Furthermore, by cleaning you also ensure pet dander doesn’t irritate buyers who may have allergies or asthma.
5. Focus on minor renovations.
Another critical aspect when you prepare your house to sell is to catalog the most pressing problems. It’s not always necessary to focus on aesthetic renovations unless certain parts of your home are unbelievably outdated. Instead, focus on fixing specific functions like leaks and structural damage. But if you can’t afford to spend on large-scale repairs, focus on repairs that will instantly improve the worth of your home. Fixing a leaky faucet and peeling wallpaper in addition to installing light fixtures and removing a popcorn ceiling are all affordable alterations you can make to your home but provide immediate value.
So how will you get the funds to do all these repairs? Easy, I can get the funds fronted to you with no fees or interest, ever. When your house sells, you simply pay it back at closing. Contact me for more information.
To help you prepare your house to sell and get top dollar, you can also get the insight of a qualified real estate broker. I founded of the Tewel Team at Compass and have been helping sellers attain advantageous prices for their homes for over nine years. Reach out for tailored advice on what you should do to ensure your home fetches the best price on the market.
Levy Tewel proudly serves Bergen County and New York City and can be reached at 201-477-0117, [email protected] or www.TewelTeam.com.
By Levy Tewel
