Real Estate
Report:
22 Things Real Estate Agents Do
To Their
OWN Homes Before They Sell Them!
By Lynn Byrne
Real Estate Agents know how to get top dollar for their own
homes. After all, they package, market and sell homes for a living. In detail,
here’s what they do to their own homes to prepare them for sale:
The Exterior
Agents
understand the importance of “curb appeal”. To beautify the exterior of the
home, they focus on the driveway, entranceway, landscaping and front door.
- The front lawn and shrubs are
manicured. Gardens are mulched.
- All clutter is removed from the front
lawn.
- Cracks in the driveway and walkway are
fixed.
- Gutters
and downspouts are cleared and in good working order.
- Chipped or fraying paint on door and
window frames is removed, and fresh
paint is added.
- The front door is painted or replaced
if needed.
- The exterior of the house is painted if
needed.
The Interior
- Walls
are cleaned so there are NO smudge marks. If the paint is dingy, the walls MUST
be painted. Light colors are used to make the house appear larger.
- Carpets
are clean and in good condition. Otherwise, get rid of them.
- The windows
are thoroughly cleaned. Buyers like to look outside the windows. The windows
and screen doors easily open and close and are in good shape.
- All clutter
is removed.
- All clothes
are placed in the drawers or neatly in closets.
- The kitchen
is thoroughly cleaned. The cabinets, counters and appliances are thoroughly
spotless. All clutter is removed. Dishes and glasses are neatly stacked in the
cupboards. There are NEVER any dirty dishes in the sink or on the counter.
- The closets
are reorganized so they appear larger. Some clothes are removed if necessary.
- Furniture
is removed and either put in the basement or into storage. This makes the home
appear much larger. You NEVER want to make it difficult to walk through all the
rooms in the house . . . clear the pathways!
- Electrical
and plumbing are in working order.
- Broken
appliances are fixed.
- The garage
door works perfectly.
- Curtains
are always opened, windows shades always up and lights always on (including
lamps, hallway lights, etc) when the home is being shown (even during the day).
The combination of sunlight and artificial light helps make the home appear
larger and open.
- A fresh
scent is always used to appeal to buyer’s senses. Vanilla is one of the most
frequently used scents in builder’s model homes. You can buy vanilla air
fresheners that fit directly on your air filter (available at Home Depot).
- Pet odors
are always eliminated!
- Soft jazz
or classical music is always playing on the stereo when buyers come through.
Caution! Never do
excessive work!
Many sellers think the more fix-up work they do, the higher
the price they will get. That’s not true. Beyond the necessary fix-ups, you can
easily start wasting your money. Never do any unnecessary fix-ups prior to
selling.
I hope this informational report was informative. As your
local real estate professional, I am available to answer any questions you have
about making your home “perfect” prior to putting it on the market. You can
call me at any time for advice, and please remember that you are under no
obligation or pressure of any kind. I would very much like to help you.
Best Regards,
Lynn Byrne
CenterPointe Realty
www.lynnbyrne.com
386-566-7503
|
