The Best First Impression

You may actually not want to sell your home -- you may love your home, however, the realty is that no one is going to love your home the way you do -- at least until it is theirs.

What a prospective buyer sees is every little imperfection magnified a thousand time.  All they can think about is how it will affect their check book and free time.  Buyers don't want to take on more tasks then they have to so they will go to the next home for sale and the next until they find a home in "move-in" condition.

Buyers may not have the ability to see past your family treasures and imagine how their belongings would look in your home.  Let's go over the simplest ways to make the 'Best First Impression" on the prospective buyers that will be viewing your home.

Start by walking across the street and looking back at your home pretending to be an out-of-town buyer who has never seen your home before.  What catches your eye first?  Is the landscaping neat and welcoming?  Would a mowed and edged lawn and a few new flowers make your home more appealing?  Are there overgrown shrubs and is there peeling paint?  What would you object to if you were seeing your home for the first time.

Let's walk back across the street to your front door.  Is it clean and without peeling paint?  Would a pot of pretty flowers create a splash of color at the front door?

When you walk through the front door -- does your home smell fresh and is your home light and airy?  If you removed some of the furniture would your home appear larger?  Do window coverings need to be cleaned or removed?  Are the windows clean?

Is the kitchen and are the bathrooms spotless and fresh smelling?  Could the inside and/or outside of your home become more attractive with a fresh coat of paint?

Do you think that it may help the prospective buyers to imagine themselves living in your home if you removed personal pictures and mementos?  

If you have pets, are their areas clean?  Are the closets cleaned out so they appear large?  Does the back yard appear to be a place where your family would enjoy gathering to have a barbeque?

Is the garage cleaned out so that someone could realize that they might be able to get 2 cars in it?  

These are just a few of the items that can help you to sell your home in the least amount of time for the most amount of money.  Remember, when you are taking inventory of your present home to role play and be a prospective buyer who has not seen your home before.  Be tough on yourself -- it will make a difference in the sale of your home.  Also, remember your agent has a lot of good information on staging your home.