Wanted: Tips to sell a house quickly

[Plantlady]

I want tips!

Our story:

We're relocating to Missouri. The plan is to build a house, we've been approved for that loan, on the condition that our current house sells. We are moving this summer. As soon as this house is under contract, we're set, construction will start.

So, I'm painting. I've been painting for three days straight. The entire interior of the house is becoming light brown. The front is getting a fresh coat of white paint. The cabinets are getting a fresh coat of paint. I've been packing up boxes, and putting them in the attic.

A friend of mine was told by her realtor.. that while the realtor is stumbling with the lock box.. the client will look up, down, all around, and take in all of the smells. he told them to give the front a fresh coat of paint. They sold quickly.

any tips like that out there for me? Words of encouragement?

 

[SundancePass]

You probably have WAYYYYY too much stuff in your house. Pay a "stager" the 500-1000 it takes and let them get the stuff out of your house and stage it to sell. My firend did this and her house sold in two weeks...in this economy. Her house had been on the market for 9 months before they bought it 7 years ago....and it's a 20 year old house. She stored half of what her family owned.

Good luck!

 

[Amy&Dan]

Sounds to me like you're on the right path. De personalize your house. Bake cookies, light candles and keep it super clean. Also make sure you don't have things that are unsightly like stains on anything. For some reason, peope see a stain on a couch that they aren't even buying and suddenly they think the whole house is dirty!

Remove your stuff, things like collections, photos and things that are very taste specific. Box up things except for things like candles, plants and things that compliment your house without being about you and your own taste. And make sure you don't have too much or too little furniture. Too much makes it look cluttered, too little makes it hard for people to guage the size of a room and how much of their stuff can fit into it.

Most people can't use their imaginations to see around someone else's taste and decorating. So when you make it very neutral and unpersonal, they have less of a hard time seeing their own stuff and selves in your house.


Good luck, I hope it sells soon!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Make your house look like a display house. Go to some new home builds in your area and take it in.

Remove all clutter, personal items, empty the basement & the garage to a storage shed.

Painting is good. How are is your flooring?

While the above poster means well, I do not agree with cookies and lit candles. I hate them. It feels like you are covering up something. Fresh paint and a clean bathroom are better.

 

[Nette]

Stage! And make sure every room in the house is clean... We saw some real disasters...

 

[Amy&Dan]

Make your house look like a display house. Go to some new home builds in your area and take it in.

Remove all clutter, personal items, empty the basement & the garage to a storage shed.

Painting is good. How are is your flooring?

While the above poster means well, I do not agree with cookies and lit candles. I hate them. It feels like you are covering up something. Fresh paint and a clean bathroom are better.

I agree. But its also crucial to make your house smell like something besides yourself! Most families create smell. They have kids, dogs, etc. Using candles and baking is a great way to make a lasting scent that is not about dogs, litter boxes and diaper pails and what you cooked for dinner last night. I have done some professional staging for a realtor friend of mine and I have sold five houses of my own(never had one on the market longer than thee weeks). Believe it or not, on the whole, this works. No matter how clean a house looks, if there is even a hint of smell that will turn off buyers very quickly. And most people grow used to the smells of their own house and family. You live there, so you are immune to it. Somebody just walking in, very different story. Baking the night before will keep the scent going. YOu can also boil vanilla for a few minutes.

BTW, do not light candles unless you are having an open house that is attended by somebody at all times.

Fresh flowers also work well for scent and decorative purposes. Do not use air freshner as it turns people off.

 

[Plantlady]

Thanks everyone!

I have gotten rid of photos. I am boxing up at least 50% of our things, and storing them in the attic. My in-laws are storing some things for us.

We are getting new carpeting.. as of now, our floors are concrete.. and I"m sure that would turn some people off. So, new carpeting.. fresh paint.


I think I need to keep packing.. We don't have that much furniture, but I bet it's still too much.

thanks again, I'm reading and devouring every suggestion.

 

[famofsix]

look up other houses in your price range to see the competition.

Also, You are moving so pack up the house and put it all in storage except for a few items for staging the rooms.



Our last house had one bathroom but it was the cleanest bathroom ever, I pulled back the shower curtain to show that baby off. Some of the houses we looked at in the price range of our house had two nasty bathrooms but ours sold first

Our drawback was we listed before we were ready with the house and in retrospect I would have put more in storage and staged it better.

Good luck

 

[famofsix]

a storage unit doesn't cost that much especially since you know you are moving and have to pack it up anyway. People will look in your attic.

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

Bake bread. Buy a loaf of the frozen bread dough, and bake it when there is going to be a showing.

Bury a statue of St. Joseph in the front yard. Hey. It's not my invention! Can't hurt!

Be sure the curb appeal is there. Plant some flowers, maybe? Be sure the lawn is manicured and any shrubs are neatly trimmed.

Remove all personality of your family from the house. You want the potential buyers to see themselves there, not feel like they are intruding on your home.

Good luck to you! Hard work selling a house these days.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I agree. But its also crucial to make your house smell like something besides yourself! Most families create smell. They have kids, dogs, etc. Using candles and baking is a great way to make a lasting scent that is not about dogs, litter boxes and diaper pails and what you cooked for dinner last night. I have done some professional staging for a realtor friend of mine and I have sold five houses (never had one on the market longer than thee weeks). Believe it or not, on the whole, this works.

BTW, do not light candles unless you are having an open house that is attended by somebody at all times.

Fresh flowers also work well for scent and decorative purposes. Do not use air freshner as it turns people off.

My DH is allergic to air freshers, lit candles, and things that smell. So it is a huge turnoff for us.

We sold our last house within 4 weeks and we had 2 dogs. We just keep it squeaky clean and fresh.

We are on house #4. Always sold fast. We staged it ourselves. We had it looking like a new display house.

Get that stuff out of the attic, empty it. Rent a storage shed!!!! That works great for premoving and selling.

Oh and make sure your pics online are stellar!!! Take up any small rugs in the bathrooms, kitchen, etc...just for the pictures. It looks so much better online like that.

 

[RitaZ.]

Do not use air freshner as it turns people off.

ITA

I still remember the owners that sprayed Lysol in the family room to masquerade a horrible fart odor in the family room. Gross!

OP, good luck with the sale. Sounds like you're on the right track!

 

[Plantlady]

Our attic is not really that accessible. I know the inspector will be up there.. but do you think the potential buyers will really go up there?

It's quite a pain to get to.

I am not storing in the basement for that reason.. that it is easily seen.

I was planning on fresh flowers, for that "fresh" smell.

 

[kristilew]

Take out literally every single personal photo in the house. If you have any photos of your yard looking lovely in the spring or summer, with no people in them, put those around. But leave the walls as bare as possible.

Put up lots of mirrors. This helps people "see themselves" in your house. I know that sounds cheesy, but it works!

Empty out closets until there are only a few items hanging in them. Also, clean out top drawers in the kitchen and bathrooms. People pull those open and if they are packed full, it looks like there is no storage space.

Clean off the front of the fridge, and inside the fridge. But on the fridge or the bulletin board, if you have one (also cleaned off), put a note about some fun neighborhood thing - "block party - Sat afternoon" or "Easter egg hunt in the culdesac" to show that it's a fun neighborhood. Unless, it's not.

Check for dust/dirt along baseboards, on the backs of door, on ceiling fans.

Did somene already say to put on all the lights before a showing, even on a sunny day?

Good luck! Just the fact you're focusing on this will give you an edge. You would not believe how some people show their houses!

 

[nataliela]

I disagree with the painting everything the same color... Yes, its good to freshen up the paint with neutral colors. Walking into a house and realizing that even though the paint is fresh, I will still have to repaint half of it, is not a selling point for me.

Windex your windows and open the curtains. Get as much sunlight as possible in the rooms.

Make sure the beds look great- like a hotel room or a picture from a magazine. It just seems so much more "homey" with lots of pillows instead of a blanket and two pillows.

Dust the ceiling fans...It shows that you have attention to details.

I have not been turned off so far with other peoples pictures. It gives me ideas on where I can put mine

Clear out your closet and only keep the items needed. An over crowded closet makes others think there is not enough room.

 

[teacups]

People say bake cookies for that smell... but who knows when someone will be popping in? You dont want to gain 25 lbs in the process of moving! Get those plug in things from Bath and Body Works and get a light fresh scent. DONT GET MUSK! I hate smelling that in houses, and I dont think its just me. I have these particular plug in things (I can not think of the name! Sorry.) in 4 areas of my 3600 sq ft home. THEY WORK! I replace the "juice" about once a month.

I am hooked on their Enchanted Orchid scent , but not sure that would be right for your situation. Its not light enough and might turn people off.

GOOD LUCK!

 

[teacups]

Thanks everyone!

I have gotten rid of photos. I am boxing up at least 50% of our things, and storing them in the attic. My in-laws are storing some things for us.

We are getting new carpeting.. as of now, our floors are concrete.. and I"m sure that would turn some people off. So, new carpeting.. fresh paint.


I think I need to keep packing.. We don't have that much furniture, but I bet it's still too much.

thanks again, I'm reading and devouring every suggestion.

Dont forget to go onto realtor websites and look at others people pictures. Which ones do you like and why? What stands out as hideous and why? Dont be shy about borrowing ideas! Unless you want to splurge on the stager. Love that idea too!

 

[Plantlady]

Thanks again guys.

I just filled the last of my boxes, with the kids' clothes out of their closets. I They now just have a handful of clothes in there.

I need to go get more boxes.

We did go with a neutral color for the entire house... Before, our house was bright colors, different in every room. However, some of our walls are brick, some are stone.. so, there is some variety.

There are not flowers available yet, for planting outside.. but, believe me, I will snatch up some pansies, as soon as I spot them!

I have no personal photos up at all. They're gone. I've put a few potted plants around. I've cleared off counters.

It will be priced under the appraised value, I think the cheapest house for sale in this town (small town). I've been keeping an eye on the competition. One house sold so fast.. but, it was freshly painted on the outside, great curb appeal.

Thanks again guys. This is all that is on my mind. I'm sore and stressed, but I will get this house sold quickly.

 

[richmond282]

Clean out your closets. Jammed full closets make it appear that there is not enough storage space.

Turn on lights and/or open blinds, shades, curtains b/f showing your house. Everything appears bigger this way.

Leave shower curtains open (if you have them) when showing your house. Again, it makes the room appear larger.

Show what every space can be used for. Don't leave a buyer wondering what a space is supposed to be.

If you have a garage that is now being used for storage, clean it out. A potential buyer may actually want to park a car there and will want to see the space. Again it also gives the impression of not enough storage space if your garage is packed full.

 

[Chicago526]

You're getting great tips on staging the house, but don't forget pricing your home right. You don't want to be the smallest house on the market in your area, but have the highest asking price, for example. Of course you don't want to give the house away, but be realistic, you're not going to set the neighborhood highest-sale-price-record either, not in this down market. Your agent will show you comps (what other similar homes have sold for recently). Look those over, listen to your agent, and price your home accordingly. I watch a lot of real estate shows on HGTV and the biggest mistake sellers make is asking way over what the market will give them for their home. It's the difference between a ton of foot traffic and a quick offer, and being stuck for months with hardly any showings and no offers. If after a few weeks if you get a decent amout of views and no offer, or just not a lot of views period, chances are you're over priced.

Remember, your house is not worth what you want to sell it for, or what you need to sell it for. It's only worth what someone is willing to pay you for it.