Yes! The Market is Hot but you still need to go the distance

We hear it all the time. "The market is so hot that my house will sell itself". My sister and I are in hundreds of homes consulting and staging. We are blown away when we get resistance to painting out the red dining room that was hot in the 90's, the sponge painting of the bedrooms, the wallpaper border that trails around the room. Yes, it was great back in the day but it will not do the job of appealing to a larger group of potential buyers. I know you only need 1 buyer but appeal to many so that you can help drive up the price of your home.

If you want to make the most money selling possibly the largest asset you have then follow the exercise below:

 1. Grab you're smart phone or camera and head to the front of of house. 

2. Take photos of the front yard, side yard and back yard.

3. Head inside your home and do the same for each room.

4. Review each photo and make a list of what your potential buyers will see and where you need to make changes. Voila! the beginning of your "to-do" list.

Your goal is to make it look like your home has been well maintained and loved.

The next steps are equally important:

1. LET GO OF YOUR HOME. IT NOW NEEDS TO TURN INTO A PRODUCT TO BE MERCHANDISED AND MARKETED. (that is if you want top dollar)

2. LISTEN TO THE ADVICE AND EXPERIENCE OF YOUR AGENT. (they are well trained, well connected and have their finger on the market)

3. MAKE A LIST OF RECOMMENDED REPAIRS IN ORDER OF IMPORTANCE AND START THE WORK. (refer to that well connected agent of yours for help with professionals) 

This sells:

This does not:

On the market? First Impressions are a must!

I live in a city neighborhood where homes do not languish on the market. But one home is and I can give you some ideas why.

The home has a For Sale sign out front that is leaning over. That hints to me that it has market fatigue- something must be wrong with it. Next, there is a plastic storage closet near the front door (not a good visual). That tells me there is not enough storage in the home or there is not much of a yard in back for things. And one day, driving by I got a glimpse of the entry as the front door was wide open. The entry has a huge book shelf overstuffed with books. What a visual disaster!

Oh, the power of first impressions...

The sale of your home will most likely be one of the largest transactions of your life. Dig in and commit to getting it on the market with its best foot forward.