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Home Staging
Preparing Your Home to Sell, Inside and Out
By Teri Brown
'Tis the season! No, not the holiday season, the house-selling season! Spring fever is a well-known phenomenon in the real estate business as buyers start looking for a new home and sellers queue up to attract their attention. But before you hang out that For Sale sign, there are a few things you need to know to get the best price possible for your humble abode.
Carolyn Henderson, from Cochrane, Canada, has learned a few tricks in getting her home ready for sale. She has become adept at making the home as welcoming as possible for that all-important first impression and knows which upgrades are worth the investment. "We have repainted the entire house in a neutral tone," Henderson says. "But, to make it more attractive in the 'showing' process, I always put out a fresh bouquet of flowers and make sure everything is very clean."
Henderson has taken clues from what she sees in show homes by getting rid of all the extra clutter so the home looks as big as possible. "I do put a lot of effort into the presentation of my home when I'm selling and, if nothing else, it makes me feel good for trying," Henderson says. "My house always looks more beautiful when I'm selling it than when I'm actually living in it!"
Holly Slaughter, senior marketing manager for RealEstate.com, says the No. 1 thing sellers overlook when getting their home ready for market is a professional presale home inspection. "If your home is more than a couple of years old, it is better that you know of the major as well as the minor flaws before your home goes on the market," Slaughter says. "A potential buyer will hire a home inspector, so it is better that you know of any concerns in advance so that you can either have them repaired or know that home improvement might be a negotiation factor in the sale of your home. Either way, you have the control to make pre-planned decisions, not rash choices."
By doing your own home inspection prior to putting your home on the market, you are gaining knowledge about your home, which will be invaluable, not only for attracting buyers, but to forestall any delays in the selling process.
