
If they don’t feel at home, they’ll probably look at other real estate options. It’s the seller’s job to help buyers picture themselves in the house. “You’re pretty safe with a neutral color because it’s rare that someone hates it, but the other benefit is that a light color allows to envision what the walls would look like with the color of their choice,” he points out. You might love that orange accent wall, but if it’s your potential buyer’s least favorite color, that could be a turnoff, warns Sharapan Fabrikant. The goal is to create a blank canvas on which buyers can project their own visions of living there, and loving it. He says sellers should remove personal items and family photos, as well as bold artwork and furniture that might make the home less appealing to the general public.

The next step on your checklist for selling a house? Sellers should remove any distractions so the buyers can visualize themselves and their family living in the property, says Kipton Cronkite, a real estate agent with Douglas Elliman in New York.

Moving out will be easier if some of your stuff is already be packed. Not only will clearing clutter help your house look more appealing to buyers, it will also help you once you’ve accepted an offer and it’s time to move into a new home. Take your excess stuff and donate it, or pack it up to be stored off-site. They won’t sign up to pay a mortgage if they think they’ll also have to rent a storage space. If the house is overflowing with stuff, buyers might worry that the house won’t have ample space for their own belongings. Less is definitely more when it comes to getting your house ready to show, notes Boris Sharapan Fabrikant, a real estate broker with Triplemint.ĭo a clean sweep of counters, windowsills, tables, and all other visible areas, and then tackle behind closed doors: closets, drawers, and cupboards-since virtually nothing is off-limits for curious buyers.
#Get it done house buyers how to
If you’re not sure how to improve your home’s curb appeal, ask your real estate agent for advice on how others in your area have improved the exterior before selling their houses. You want to make sure potential buyers’ first impression of your home is a good one -and inspires them to stop by the open house or schedule a tour -so they can see more.īy investing some effort in relatively easy fixes, like planting colorful flowers and repainting your front door, the outside of your house can beckon prospective buyers to come on in. Yes, for better or worse, buyers do tend to judge a book by its cover. Don’t be afraid to talk to a few real estate agents before picking one.

Your real estate agent should be someone you feel comfortable working with, whom you trust to sell your house for top dollar. Do some research to find a real estate agent who is knowledgeable about your specific market, and then interview her to make sure she’s a good fit. That said, don’t just blindly hire the real estate agent who most recently sent you a flyer or the one your uncle’s friend’s co-worker’s cousin used. That’s why one of the most important things to do before selling your house is find a great real estate agent. He’s found that a “for sale by owner” transaction is almost always a disaster, leading you to sacrifice both money and time. It can be tempting, especially in a hot market, but resist the urge, says Jon Sterling, a real estate consultant with Keller Williams Realty in San Francisco. Think you can sell your home yourself, and pocket the cash you would otherwise pay a real estate agent?
