In the past 12 months I've shown nearly 800 homes for sale to prospective Buyers.  That's 67 homes a month, 17 homes a week, 2-3 homes a day.  Just when I think I've "seen it all" I get surprised by something like I did last week - Black Shag Carpet in the Master Bathroom ... even surrounding the Bathtub!  The purpose of this particular Blog this week is to help Sellers gain an understanding of what to do and what not to do when putting your home up for sale.

When my Team is hired by Banks to sell their Foreclosure properties they give us money to fix them up before we put them on the market.  Did you know that?  Not only are Foreclosures priced extremely well they are actually spending money to make them appear more inviting to Home Buyers. 

Point #1 - Don't be afraid to spruce up your home before putting it on the market for sale.

HGTV has dedicated nearly an entire TV network to helping home owners sell and/or purchase residential properties.  My suggestion - watch them.  You can pick up all kinds of tips and tricks (from a real Stager as opposed to someone like me).  If you know that you have ugly wall paper in the kitchen and bathrooms - RIP THEM DOWN AND PAINT!  Don't be afraid to invest in some mulch for the front yard.  Weed, mow, plant fresh flowers, de-clutter - invest some time and energy to make your home look great.  This will impress Buyers and will make them feel as though all they have to do is move in - the personalization of the home can be done by the use of their own decor, furniture, etc.

Point #2 - Don't go too far!

Installing Granite Counter Tops will not fix all of your problems and suddenly make your home sell faster.  If your cabinets are old and out-dated - save your money.  If your home needs neutral paint and new carpet and you don't want to spend the time and money to paint and replace the carpet - fine - acknowledge the problem and offer an allowance.  Just expect that a Buyer will value that repair at a greater cost than it will cost you to fix it.  Sorry - that's just the way Buyers work in this market.

Point #3 - 90% of Buyers shop online.  If the pictures of your home don't look great your showing traffic WILL suffer.

We all know by now that the Internet is the best source for finding Buyers for your home.  Our Local MLS allows up to 24 pictures of your home to be posted online.  I can't tell you the number of homes that do not utilize the full amount of pictures allowed.  My guess would be nearly 80% of listings do not have the full 24 pictures.

Your home needs to be perfectly clean for pictures - no excuses.  What really impresses Buyers is when the home actually looks like the pictures while walking through it.  This means storing unnecessary furniture (in the garage, POD, etc.), rearranging furniture if necessary, and creating a cohesive appeal throughout your home.  Most Sellers know if they need to do something around the house that they've been neglecting for a while.  Find the time and do it - I promise you you'll be glad you did.

If you'd like suggestions from me on how to make your home look more appealing to potential Home Buyers - guess what?  IT'S FREE!  I'm more than happy to help you and am full of good tips and tricks to help your home in Charleston, SC sell.

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