Sell Your Home In A Declining Market - Bedford, NH Real Estate, Southern NH Homes
Price - must be realistic.
Preparation - fresh paint inside and out especially at the entry, updated flooring, make all glaring repairs such as wood rot, leaky faucets...anything broken should be fixed. Remove all clutter from interior and exterior of the home. Minimal furniture in each room gives a more spacious feel.
Presentation - drapes and blinds or window covering open, lights on, well-kept lawn and shrubbery, sparkling clean kitchen and bathrooms.
Make Your Home Easy To Show
Should you stick around? Most of the time it is not a good idea to be present for the showings. Most buyers feel they are intruding on your privacy if you are in the house and may not stay as long. They also can not discuss your home freely with their agent. This is not a social visit. If you can not leave, take a walk or sit outside.
You should schedule showings in the same manner that is typical and used by the majority of the homes in your area. This may be by special appointment or by a lockbox system. This will be the buyer's first contact with your home so make the buyer and agent feel welcome and set a positive tone by being as flexible as possible. The buyer may be viewing many homes in a short time. Set a positive tone for the showing.
If it makes things more convenient for you, you could wait until buyer and agent arrive and then slip out a back door. If you get a last minute call for a showing, thank the agent for the interest in your home and try to work with the timing if at all possible. The worst thing that happens is if a Seller comes to the door in a hostile way and demands information about why the agent and buyer are late. Also, if you are inflexible and make it difficult to allow showings, buyers will sense that they are inconveniencing you. Most people are reluctant to intrude or bother people in their homes. The decision to buy a home is emotional. Don't turn them off before they even enter your home.
Emotional Appeal
The buyer is trying to make a big decision and will be comparison-shopping and the buyer is trying to reduce the choices by eliminating homes from the list. Unpleasant odors, barking dogs, dark and gloomy interiors, uncomfortable temperatures (too warm or too cool) can cause the buyer to eliminate your home from the list of potential homes for consideration.
Make buyers feel that you have prepared the home just for them, soft music playing, pleasant scents (but make sure they are not strong and overpowering), light and bright with sparkling clean windows, some fresh flowers, freshly baked cookies or bread on the kitchen counter...set the stage for a successful showing. Make the buyer feel welcome in your home. Often, people are sold as soon as they walk in.
Things to do:
- Take off some of the window screens to allow more light in
- Open blinds and window coverings
- Use higher wattage light bulbs
- Create a good mood with natural and lamp light
- Play some soft music
- Make sure the home is not too warm or too cool
- Designer quality scents...don't use plug-in scents that remind people of a public bathroom
- Turn the TV off
- Use pillows, framed photographs, books, fresh towels and flowers throughout the house
- Remove all pet odor and pay careful attention to kitty's litter box
Is Your Home Ready?
I am often asked by Sellers if their house would show better furnished or vacant and of course this depends on the how the home is decorated and furnished. If your home is dirty, cluttered, messy and poorly decorated, you probably need to stop and assess the situation. Would it be possible to move out, put your belongings in storage and furnish the home with just a few items? Some furniture helps but I prefer a completely vacant home to one that is a disaster.
It is necessary to keep the buyer's focus on the property and not your family, so remove most of your personal collections, family photos, political statements and artistic expressions. These items are a distraction from the buyer's mission...finding a home.
It is crucial that a buyer establish a sense of trust in your home. Confusion due to cluttery spaces and general disorder and messiness will send a deeper message that the systems of the home have not been well-cared for either. A buyer wants to know that the home has been maintained and is in good condition. You only have a few minutes to make and impression on the buyer that your home is the right one. Make sure the showing at your home is a pleasant experience that keeps the buyer's focus where it needs to be.
What Do Buyers Want To Know?
Are there parks nearby? Where does the school bus stop? Where is the closest grocery store, movie theatre, restaurants, gas stations, etc.? Try to anticipate the questions a buyer may have and have the answers ready. Does your home offer the lifestyle and community that would be desirable to a buyer?
Some ideas of what to provide to buyers would be: survey, floor plan, neighborhood newsletter, school information, photo's of parks and schools, information about shopping and nearby entertainment, etc.
You Need A Plan For Your Children and Pets
Children of all ages must know about the showing process. They should know that no one should be arriving and entering the home unless there has been an advance appointment made. You need to have a plan for them to follow if your children are left home alone. They may open the door for an agent and then leave the home during the showing. They could go next door to a neighbor until the showing is done. Discuss with your children what to do if and unexpected person comes to the door asking to see the home. It is very important that they do not let anyone in unless arrangements have been made and they are aware of them.
Consider a couple of points if you have pets. A pet may be fearful of strangers entering the house and some people are very afraid of, or allergic to, animals. They may not be happy to encounter them. There may be a variety of people entering your home, including children so if you are unsure of how your pets will react, be sure to remove them from the home prior to showing. Barking dogs can also be very distracting and a real detriment to a successful showing. If you must leave a pet in the home during a showing, be sure to leave information for the agent about where the pets are and any other special instructions. Knowing the pets name can also be very helpful.
Safety of Your Home
People entering your home could range from senior citizens to children and every age in between. Having your home on the market is going to interfere with your daily life and you need to be prepared for the inconvenience. Consider the safety of those visiting your home. Are there items such as tall lamps or decorative statues that could easily fall if touched? Are there wires or rugs that could be a trip hazard? Are railings safe for small children and adults? Could a visitor be bitten by a pet such as a bird or other animal? Are the stairs clear of items that could be tripped on? What about traffic patterns between rooms?
You must also consider your own privacy and security. Do not leave out any valuables such as jewelry, money, expensive collections, guns, X-rated magazines or any other personal items that you would not like to have seen by strangers. Move any breakable items to places where there is no danger of them being accidentally bumped. Keep all medicines, cleaning supplies and poisons out of reach of children in a secure location. Never leave candles burning when you leave the house.
Should You Stay At Home During A Showing?
You should not be present if at all possible during the showing. Most buyers will feel like they are intruding on your privacy if you are in the house and will not feel comfortable discussing the house with their agent and thoroughly inspecting the home if you are present. If it is impossible for you to leave, you may sit outside or take a walk.
The worst thing you can do is volunteer information because you could potentially say the wrong thing and turn the buyer off. The buyer is there to make a very big decision and will need some time to experience your home on several levels. You should not to make assumptions about what the buyer wants. Many times, a buyer and his or her agent have been together for many home viewings and the agent gets to know what turns this buyer on and off. If there are questions about anything in the home, that agent will either contact you or your agent with questions. That is the time to communicate any facts that you want the buyer to know.
Home showings are one of the first and most important steps in getting it sold. Potential buyers should be treated with care and respect because you only have a short time to gain their trust and interest. Every showing is very important so make your home shine over all the others. You only need one buyer!
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