Here are some tips that will help you prepare and organize a house or apartment for sale. Every seller wants to sell his property quickly and get the best price possible. That’s right, is not it? But that does not happen by sheer luck. What transforms a potential buyer into “THE BUYER” is usually the result of careful planning coupled with professional knowledge of how to prepare your home or apartment to make it an attractive and salable property.
Consider the following:
- Be realistic about the price of your home or apartment
Today’s buyers are very attentive to the sales of comparable properties in the same area, those sales of comparable properties are the values that determine the real value of your property. To make the price of your house or apartment competitive , try to get the sales prices of three similar properties that have been sold in your area in the last month, also visit comparable properties in your area and think that buyers will see Your house or apartment, you will see the other houses or apartments as well. Then adjust the sale price of your property considering the results obtained from your research.
- Depersonalize the property
Remove items with which potential buyers will not be able to identify themselves. For example, political and religious issues can disconnect or discourage entire groups of buyers, because they cannot “imagine” living in their home or apartment. Buying a house or apartment is an emotional decision, you need potential buyers to visualize your house or apartment as theirs, and it is difficult for them with all their personal items as decorations and photos marking the territory as theirs. The same with the colors, if you use styles or colors that have never chosen, can disconnect or discourage potential buyers.
- Eliminate useless objects
Anything you have not used in the past year has to go! This may be the hardest advice of all, because those things reflect our memories, hobbies and values, but they do not sell houses or apartments! Clutter makes spaces in houses and apartments seem smaller and disorganized. If you do not need them, why not donate them or throw them away? Clean everything on the kitchen counters. Put essential items that are used daily in a small box that can be stored in a closet when not in use. Think of this process as an advance in packaging that you will eventually have to do anyway when moving home.
- First impression
They say that you can only create a single “first impression”, and people usually make their first impression in 30 seconds. The front of your house or apartment is a good place to invest a little time and money; therefore, prepare the exterior with fresh paint, flowers, carve shrubs and weeds, replace the property numbers if they are damaged. Make sure that visitors can clearly read your house or apartment number.
- Redecorating
If you do not think about redecorating, it is still essential that your house or apartment is flawless, make it shine. Hiring a weekly maid service, while the property is being sold, is probably a very good investment. Wash windows inside and out, clean cobwebs, caulk tubs, showers and sinks, chrome plated taps and mirrors, clean the refrigerator, change worn carpets, eliminate bad odors, etc.
- Make minor repairs
Do you have a faucet that drips or a broken tile? These would send the wrong message to potential buyers. Getting all problems resolved before putting your home or apartment on the market is a good idea. Repair cracked flooring, broken tiles, holes in walls, dripping faucets, fix doors that do not close properly, kitchen drawers clogged, if you have considered replacing a worn bedspread, do it now!
- Pets
Always keep your pets under control. Try to limit them to a specific area. Although you want your pets, it is not at all sure that potential buyers share this love, and their smells can be offensive, so make sure there are no persistent pet smells on the furniture or on the floor. If there is, clean them before putting your house or apartment on sale.
- Accept offers
Try to get all the relevant information about the buyer to better understand your motivations and position, and your ability to act quickly and ask for your offer to be in writing. Likewise, the price you will be willing to accept will depend on the market conditions and the speed with which you need to sell. The commitment of both sides is often the key to concretize an agreement. Also, determine whether or not you want to take all your furniture, curtains and white line; since many of these items will not fit your new home, they could serve as effective bargaining tools in order to get the price you want.
- Keep the agreement alive
This is where the hard work begins, and the longer it takes to get the documents exchanged, the greater the chance that the deal will fall apart or the buyer will reconsider its downward price. Then stay in touch with the buyer and / or real estate agent to make sure the communication channels are always working. You need to always be informed on what step the transfer of ownership is in, and how the buyer feels about the progress of the transaction, you need to know if he is still highly motivated, or looking at other property options.
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