Successful Selling Tips Checklist

When selling your home it is important to put yourself in the position of the buyer.

You must organize your house in a way that is most appealing and comfortable to

the buyer and not what is most enjoyableand convenient for yourself. If you are

able to achieve such a mindset, it could potentially lead to a faster sale of your

home for more money.

The key to successfully selling a house begins with first impressions. You only

have one chance to strike a positive lasting impression with potential buyers

when they view your home.

The first time prospective buyers set eyes on your property they will

begin forming an impression. According to the National Association

of REALTORS® (NAR) 49 percent of homes are sold based on curb appeal.

There are several easy ways to improve the buyer’s impression of your

home:

□ Keep the front yard relatively tidy by removing any tools and

toys to reduce clutter

□ Sweep the stairs if necessary

□ Clean windows if they are dingy

□ Clear away visible weeds and fungus while keeping your plants

and lawn healthy

□ Apply a new coat of paint where necessary

□ Replace your old doormat with a new one

□ Consider pressure washing the exterior of your

home giving it a newer and brighter look

When prospective buyers enter your residence they should be able

to feel a sense of space and flow. Try the following tips:

□ Make sure that the entrance and hallways are free of clutter

□ Make the effort to reposition furniture to generate a more

spacious and natural feel

□ In a small room try switching to smaller furniture to create

a feeling of more room

□ It is important to have matching accessories that complement

the décor of the home

□ In darker rooms be sure to have all the blinds and curtains open

□ Move any unwashed dishes into the dishwasher

□ Hang up any loose clothing

□ Clear kitchen and bathroom countertops

□ Organize closets and other storage spaces as buyers do look

inside

Often the best solution is not to repaint your walls. Simple touch ups

can improve the appearance of your home and can take years off your

walls. Here are several techniques you can use to improve the

appearance of your walls:

□ If your home has wallpaper, instead stripping it, which is often

expensive and damaging to your walls, just paint over it - to

paint over wallpaper keep in mind to first use an oil-based

primer

□ To fix holes in your wall that are often left by family portraits or

paintings simply use spackle to fill the hole and then use a wet

sponge to wipe the surface

□ If interior paint is required, reduce cost by avoiding painting the

whole house, only paint critical areas

□ To rid yourself of painted dry wall ceiling stains use a spray bottle

containing a mixture of half bleach and half water, applying the

spray to the stain - often a second application of the spray will

take out the stain and you might not even need new paint

Every home comes with its own unique scent – it could be the smell

of new carpet or the smell of a pet. To combat undesirable odours

you can try the following:

□ Open windows to let fresh air in and the stale air out

□ Minimize pet odours by vacating your pets prior to showing

and vacuuming to remove pet odours from furniture and

carpet

□ Running a lemon through the kitchen garburator can remove

unpleasant garburator smells

□ Using scented candles would be a good idea as many people

enjoy vanilla based scents, such as French vanilla, crème

brûleé, and scents related to baking, which enhance the

potential buyer’s first impression of your home - other scents

that might also be pleasant to buyers are the scent of clean

laundry and citrus smells which indicate a clean home.

 

Here is some constructive advice on how to improve the impression and sale of your home:

Having the Right Mindset

First Impressions

Curb Appeal

Create Space and Flow

Revitalizing Your Walls

Dealing with Odour

Need a Professional Home Stager or Decoarator? We have both available to you in the office!