– by Tim and Georgia Wiggins –
How does design matter when preparing your house for sale? Well, if the preparation of your home is done with skill and an eye for design you should sell faster and for more money. It’s that simple. After 25 years experience one thing we know for sure is that if we can get a buyers emotions going and they can picture themselves in your home then we are that much closer to a sale. This combined with targeted marketing and experienced negotiation should result in a successful sale, a happy seller and buyer. Following are a few pointers on how to prep a house and turn it into an irresistible and marketable home.
When prospective buyers walk through your home, you want them to imagine it as if it were their own. You can help this by presenting a clean, clutter-free environment. The old adage LESS IS MORE couldn’t be more relevant! Pack up your personal photographs and family heirlooms. We want buyers to visualize living in the house.
Buyers will be looking for clues that your house is well cared for. Replace cracked floor or counter tiles. Touch up paint in doorways. A coat of paint transforms a space making it look clean and up to date. Fix leaky faucets. Replace burnt out light bulbs. Have windows cleaned inside and out. Replace old worn out shower curtains and bath mats. Ensure all plumbing fixtures are clean and in good working order.
First impressions are everything. Many buyers drive by the home before making an appointment to view it. Create an inviting tidy entrance. Does the front door need painting? Polish the door handle. Hire a professional gardener to edge and top up the beds and trim trees.
90 percent of today’s buyers are shopping online. The pictures need to be captivating. The home’s best feature should be the first picture on MLS, you have about 6 seconds to engage the buyer so that they go to the listing for more details. An example of this is a home we listed that had previously been on the market. The buyer, who lived in Vancouver, by-passed the listing originally but when we listed it she flagged it, caller her realtor, came over and bought it. Our first picture clearly grabbed her; it was of the sandy beach with a Muskoka chair looking out over the water. Who wouldn’t want to wake up to that every morning? The previous realtor’s first picture was of the front of the house which was rather small and old looking!
Remember real estate should be a good investment, you deserve the most you can get out of it.
For more info www.timwiggins.com.
