Mar 11, 2009

Make a Good First Impression

You never get a second change to make a good first impression - especially with your home. Potential buyers take about one to two minutes to determine if they like a home or not. If you don't pass the first impression test, they mentally move on to the next property.

It won't matter how fantastic the master bath is, if the buyers don't like the first two or three rooms they see. That's why it is so crucial to make a great first impression by staging your home in the best possible light.
Just think of the home selling process like dating. Prince Charming (the homebuyer) is looking for his true love and you are available. The buyer's first visit is like a blind date or a school dance. Sure you normally lounge around in sweats, but not when you're trying to find your perfect match. Spruce the place up, put on your best, and you're more likely to catch their eye. Otherwise, you may end up a wallflower while the other homes are dancing off into happily-ever-after land with their new buyers.
Here are a few quick & easy tips to get your home ready for a buyer to fall in love (and put that ring on your finger).
  • Completely clean the outside entry and place a new 'Welcome' mat.
  • Add fresh mulch to the flower beds
  • Make it smell and sound nice. Use plug-in fresheners and turn on soft music. Remember, you want the buyer to fall in love, so turn up the sex appeal.
  • Remove bulky furniture to make rooms appear larger. Try to scale back 1/3 of your stuff.
  • Clean light fixtures and windows so that they sparkle and shine.
  • Pack away all collections (especially religious, political or sports paraphernalia)
  • Remove magnets and pictures from refrigerator
  • Remove most small appliances from counter tops
  • Make the buyers think "I want to live like this."
[where: 75230]

1 comment:

Jeff Duffey said...

Brilliant advice. As always!