Hints to Present Your Home For Sale

By Jade Guilmartin

As a real estate agent, I would say that only about 40% of home owners are successful at presenting their homes effectively for sale.  It is a proven fact that if your home is well presented, you can attract a higher price for the home, or attract a buyer who might not otherwise be interested.  Some handy hints for presentation include:
•    Ensure that the home is free from clutter.  For example, keep a bucket in the bathroom, whenever there is an inspection due, take all of the products off the vanity, put them in the bucket and store it in the cupboard.  I mention this one first because clutter is the single biggest problem in house presentation.  We all love our belongings, but what is a treasure to us might be unsightly or trashy to the eyes of another.  Store away as much clutter as you can before putting your home on the market for sale, this will also make it easier when a contract is secured and you have to move out.
•    Keep lawns mowed and gardens weeded.  It is surprising how attractive lush lawns can be to a person.  I, myself purchased a home that is way too small for me, but I remember how much I loved the front yard and how green the grass was!
•    Try sugar soaping the walls or engaging a professional cleaner for those annoying little jobs like cleaning the fan blades and the window sills/tracks.  When we live in a home, we often overlook these details, but it can make a difference to the overall feel when a buyer enters the home.
•    Check for cobwebs - there is nothing more unattractive than a home with cobwebs, it tends to make your home feel older, dusty and poorly cared for.
•    Keep your pets out of the way when prospective purchasers are coming to view the home.  Some people are allergic to pets, some don’t like animals and others are just plain scared of them.  Make sure you pick up any “mess” the pets make too.
•    You could appeal to the buyers sense of smell with a roast in the oven, a cake baking, some fresh flowers - or whatever you like really (as long as its something that people like to smell).  The smell makes it feel more like home to them.
These were just a few ideas and suggestions.  There are many articles that give great ideas on how you could present your home.  We have some more handy hints in our Information Pack we send to those who are thinking of selling - be sure to ask us for one if you’d like.
One final comment i’d like to make on this is - make sure that when your agent comes through the property you are NOT there.  It is very difficult for prospective purchasers to imagine themselves in the home if you are there.  If you absolutely must be there, make sure you position yourself in the worst room/part of the property.  So if the home has a lovely deck that looks over the ocean, do NOT stand on the deck while the agent shows the buyer through.  It is important that the buyer experience all the good points, and if you are there they are more likely to spend less time looking in that part of the house.
Finally, please feel free to share any tips you might have.  Just post a comment!  Thanks for reading, happy selling!