So, you want to sell your house. You have listed it for sale, but weeks have passed and there are still no buyers in sight. This is the time to take a good look at the hard facts. Why is your house not selling? Usually, there are 2 major reasons:
- You have priced it too high.
- Your house isn’t appealing to buyers.
Therefore, if you want to sell your house, you should start with checking the listing price. Compare it with other similar properties in your neighborhood and see what they are selling for, not what they are listed at. Your real estate agent can also help you with some helpful Competitive Market Analysis.
The next step is to increase the appeal of your house. Buying a house is not just an economic decision for a buyer; it is also an emotional decision. If a buyer can really see themselves living happily in a house, they will be more likely to pay the asking price. So it all comes down to making your house appeal to the prospective buyers. Now how do you do that? The key to successful property sale lies in the art of staging.
Staging is the art of showcasing or merchandizing the best features of your property. For example, without staging, how can you show how spacious your house is and what potentials it has. All a buyer gets to know is how much area (square feet) your house covers.
The one of the most important points about a home which buyers look for is space. Because of this, the basic rule of staging focuses on increasing the space in your house. To start with, de-clutter as much as possible. When it comes to de-cluttering, more is less. Remove everything that you will not need during the time your house is on market. Pack up the books, knick-knacks and memorabilia on shelves and store them away. Remove all but the bare minimum of furniture.
You are no longer selling your home, you are selling a property and every single square foot of free space matters.
You are selling a property and every single square foot of free space matters
Similarly, clean out the closets and drawers. Here is a quick tip-: keep the closets less than half full. This creates an more spacious feel to closets. Don’t forget to clean out the garage and basement because as said, it’s the storage space you are selling.
De-personalize the house so that the prospective buyers can easily imagine themselves living there. Paint the walls in a neutral color, and clean the house till it sparkles.
Don’t forget to fix all the leaking faucets and jammed windows or sliding doors. Everything that is not functioning properly will simply decrease the value of your house, and reduce the appeal to potential buyers. So change the burnt light bulbs and anything else which may need repairing.
Finally, curb appeal is a very important part of staging your house. So mow the lawn, trim the bushes and clear the front and the back yard.
Don’t forget: if you want the professionals to advise you on what needs to stay or needs to be removed, just give Prep This House a call.
