Dress your home for sale!

Buyers are looking for HOMES, not houses. Most buyers select their homes within a few seconds inside the house—based purely on emotions. Then, they look through the house to confirm their emotions. If the house meets most of their pre-determined criteria list, it's SOLD! Here are just a few things you can do before you market your home:

• First  impressions set the tone for a buyer. This is called "curb appeal." Take a look at your home as you drive up. What can you do to beckon visitors inside?
• Take care of any deferred maintenance because if you don't, the buyer may ask you to take care of it or reduce the price.
• Tidy up! Imagine that you are the Better Homes and Gardens photographer. How would your home look? Declutter. Depersonalize. You may as well pack away those collections and family pictures now. For unwanted items, host a garage sale, give to charities, or toss out. NOW!
• Pay attention to the sense of smell and sound: soft music, a scented candle, mowed grass, a bouquet of fresh flowers.
• Pets are best kept out of sight (and smell!) Some folks may be afraid of pets or even distracted by them. You want them to remember your home, not your pet!
• Light up! Your home, that is. Open the blinds, turn on the lights.

What do Ginny and Tim Do? After we sign a listing agreement with our customers, we discuss the five steps to "pristine staging" that have proven to add value to properties. These simple solutions work every time and do not need to cost you a penny! Save your decorating dollars for your next home! When you are showcasing a home for sale, it is going to be "staged" for buyers. After all, the way we live in a home and the way we sell a home are two different things.