Even in this robust real estate market, the good houses, those that sell quickly and at a higher price than might be expected, need prep work, care and planning before they hit the market. Most likely, it took weeks, if not months of prep time getting them ready. So what kinds of things are sellers doing? Remember, buyers paying top price have high expectations of the home. Help buyers see the good parts of your home while allowing them to imagine living in it. Avoid contentious inspection negotiations by addressing the easy and obvious stuff up front.
Perception is everything. You may have developed a practical way of living in your home; I keep the garden clogs by the back door, mail on the front stairs and a laundry rack in my bathtub. No buyer wants to see that. Buyers are buying how they think they'll live in a house, not how you actually do. I had a client for whom a nice dining room was a MUST in his new house. When asked if he was the kind of person who entertained a lot at home and liked to cook, he responded, " no, but I want to be". He was buying the house for how he wanted to live. This is about clutter, its about clean, its about tidy inside and out.
Declutter: Seriously. You are moving. It all needs to go soon anyway. Rent a storage space and box up the majority of your crap, I mean treasures. Empty closets, drawers and shelves by at least half. Clear surfaces. Take out at least half of your chairs, end tables, baskets etc. Box up your keepsakes, artifacts, collections and photos. Leave a few nice pictures or pieces of art. Leave some books on the bookcase, well arranged.
Life/Safety: Buyers, inspectors, appraiser, agents and sellers should all be concerned that a house not be a death trap. Install working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms that meet current installation and other codes. Our sale agreement calls for these, in accordance with state law. Put them in ahead of time.
Strap the hot water heater such that in the case of an earthquake, it won't be come a huge pressurized canister (that is kind of what it is right now). Don't just attach the straps bought at Home Depot. Actually secure the hot water heater so it won't move in the case of an earthquake.
Make sure there is a decent, sturdy handrail on stairs to the basement, down the front steps to the yard etc. While you're at it, make sure stairs aren't too slippery, especially in the rain.
Have an electrician tidy up any scary as hell electric stuff. Really, that hot wire dangling from the basement ceiling? You may know not to touch it, but others may not. Get your electrician pal to terminate it in a junction box or some such. Similarly, there should be no open slots in your electric panel in which folks may stick their fingers. Easy, cheap and well worth the price.
The front of the house matters: People want to feel enthusiastic and optimistic when they drive up. Consider taking off the screen door unless it is a really nice LOOKING screen door. Sweep the stoop, consider pressure washing the stoop/drive/walk. Weed, mow, trim. Nice plants in pots help, but don't be too cliché. Brush away cob webs. If your front door isn't used by your family regularly, be sure to brush away spider webs on a daily basis. Ask your realtor to place the lock box in an easy to find and easy to open location. In the summer water regularly, in the winter, rake, or shovel or whatever you have to do. Ask your realtor or a friend to point out small things that catch their eye as you are so used to seeing your house, you won't notice those little things.
Professional Photos: There are many different ways to market different properties. I do believe, no matter the property, that good, professional photographs are a must. I know, you fancy yourself good with a camera, but folks who do this everyday, and have for years, are better. Photos you can provide could include before and after pictures, pictures of the yard in bloom if you are marketing in winter and pictures of work done behind now closed up walls.
Paperwork: Did you have the oil tank decommissioned way back when? Round up that paperwork as it is good as gold. Without it, the buyers of your home may well test the soil again, and DEQ has only gotten more strict on detection and action levels. While you are at it, round up the manuals for your appliances, furnace and such. Receipts for any major work done are good too; sewer replacement, water line etc. Buyers love seeing an organized seller. It makes them feel the home has been well cared for over the years. It has, hasn't it?
Behind the scenes: Make sure any crawl space and attic accesses work, so folks can take a peek, and so inspectors can actually get in. Any bare dirt should be covered with 6 mil black plastic to act as a vapor barrier. The attic and crawl space should be vented. The bathroom fan should be connected via a duct to a roof vent, not venting hot moist air into the attic. Make sure the electric panel us accessible, not blocked behind a bunch of boxes an what not (for safety reasons it should always be accessible so the power can be quickly shut off in an emergency). Buyers and agents will notice theses things when they look at your house. No vapor barrier yet? They'll think of years of ground moisture seeping up into your home. No reasonable attic access? They'll imagine no one has looked up there in years - lord only knows what is going on up there (mold? pigeons? slow roof leaks?).
Change the furnace filter, wash windows, clean out under sinks
I am not a proponent of remodeling your house just to sell, unless you are actually flipping the house. But there can be a place for fresh paint, new carpet and carpentry to repair dry rot and other issues. No, you probably don't have to paint the whole house, but painting the entry way (high traffic and high visibility area) could sure go a long way.
On the flip side, it is fine for the garage and/or basement to have lots of boxes and show signs of moving. Buyers are reassured to see this.
So yes, you may well be able to draw multiple offers on your house after a few short days on the market. But you'll have to work for it. And your agent? Your agent will be working well ahead of putting your house on the market to position the house optimally for this market. Each house has its own unique set of pre-market needs and conditions. Let me know if you want to get started on your house's to do list.
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