Presentation begins with online pictures and continues with the front yard and door, and are the buyer’s first impression of your product. If buyers won’t drive by or leave the car, you can’t make the sale. Clean the gutters, paint the front door, pull weeds and spent flowers, polish the hardware, and power-wash walkways and siding. Pay attention to the specific needs of each season.
Be prepared for a white glove inspection. Prospective buyers pull open drawers, look in closets and peek behind the shower curtain, and inspect the oven. Mop, dust, vacuum, clean baseboards, wash windows. Make sure the house looks fresh and smells neutral.
Eliminate furniture that makes rooms feel crowded or décor that will distract buyers from your home’s architectural features.
Use furnishings to give each space a logical identity. Although it may have worked best for your family to use your formal dining room as a home office, get rid of the desk and computer, and bring back the dining table and chairs.
Eliminate countertop clutter. A countertop covered with small appliances and utensils looks crowded, not spacious. Store personal items, including toiletries; stash family photos and team and religious memorabilia. Remember, you are preparing your home to become a product for market; one that appeals to the broadest market. Don’t feel offended that your REALTOR® insists your coveted widget collection is stored, away from view. Plus, the condition or state of your property’s storage capability is very important to buyers whether the home is 1100 square feet or 11,000 square feet. Make the place look both spacious and suitcase ready.
Dripping faucets, burned-out light bulbs, and squeaking hinges become a distraction and can falsely magnify a home’s need for routine care and maintenance and tend to make the buyer question the condition of other items that can’t be seen, such as the HVAC, roof, and other expensive items.
Finally, ask yourself, “Is this property’s condition what I would like to see when I go house hunting this afternoon?”
Condition Affects Proposition$
The buyer is mentally subtracting thousands of dollars from your list price with every flaw he sees and his perception of your property will be reflected in the offer price.
Condition Affects Performance
With FHA loans offering competitive rates with conventional loans, and the FHA lending requirements more attainable by a larger number of prospective home buyers, condition becomes important where an appraiser in concerned. Same is true for VA loans. FHA and VA appraisers have a much different inspection checklist than if he or she were inspecting for a conventional loan. Condition is key. Some defective items may be required to be repaired prior to closing. This can come as quite a shock to both sellers and buyers, especially when the condition of the house has resulted in a much lower sales price than allows the seller needs to cover the cost of required repairs. Buyers may find that sellers are not willing to make the necessary repairs and it may leave them vested in the process, but unable to get money spent on inspections refunded. Here’s where you’ll need a savvy real estate broker on both sides of the transaction who’ll make sure the seller’s and the buyer’s best interests are protected with knowledge of what FHA property conditions are. This will help insure an smooth, on-time closing.
For a checklist on how to prepare your home for market, email your request to: chrystal.safari@gmail.com
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February 2006
I highly recommend Chrystal Safari as a Real Estate Broker. In the selling and purchasing of our home she worked with us for over 9 months, even before we were sure about selling and re-purchasing. With her input we were able to sell our home in 7 days. In the purchasing of our new home Chrystal was very patient and extremely knowledgeable. Chrystal took us thru several neighborhoods and areas and providing us with great feedback and input on what is a great investment and purchase for our family. Chrystal has a great knowledge of real estate, including national markets and international markets. Chrystal was born and raised in the area; she has lived aboard and has strong ties to the international communities here in Charlotte. Chrystal has provided us with so much information, I think it would be worth your time to just take a couple of minutes and speak to her about what you and your family’s needs and desires are in your new home.
Desi and Dinika B.
South Charlotte
Luxury, Lifestyle, and Yes, Location 