Challis Idaho Real Estate

How to Sell Your Home Faster

Taking steps to showcase your home can help potential buyers visualize living there. The following tips are plain common sense, and have worked for decades. Also known as "home staging," these tips will help you get your house ready to sell... faster.

Clean, clean, clean... everything from floors to windows. Clean the oven and all major appliances. Make sure skylights are crystal-clear.

Rid offensive odors. They're the first thing buyers notice, and often a permanent turnoff.

Reduce clutter. Put away small kitchen appliances and other items sitting on countertops and tables. You may even have to rent a storage unit, but do everything you can to clear out closets, pantries and storage areas. Create the impression that your home has plenty of room for the buyer's belongings.

Don't forget the outside. Clean the drain gutters. Buyers nearly always comment if gutters are full of leaves it makes them question other maintenance issues. Store or organize items that make the yard look messy.

Special Tips for Vacant Homes

Vacant homes often greet agents and buyers with a blast of stale or mildew-laden air. As soon as buyers smell mildew, they are out the door.

Have you ever noticed that during cold months the interior of a house without heat always feels colder than it is outside? Leaving the heat or air conditioning running while a home is on the market reduces odors and makes the house more inviting.

Keep the lawn and landscaping tidy, even if you have to hire someone to do it.

Don't Take It Personally

Separate yourself from the personal feelings you have about the house--it's not your home now; it's a commodity you intend to market.

Home staging can be accomplished in many ways, so trust your instincts. Try to evaluate the house as if you are seeing it for the first time. If you were a buyer, what would you think about the house?

What changes would make immediate improvements?

What are the house's best features and how can you show them off?

Pack away most of your family photos. Buyers should imagine their possessions in the home.

Pack up the bulk of large, personal collections, so that buyers don't get so interested in looking at them that they forget to look at the house.

Remove excess furniture to make rooms more spacious. Clean and organize the closets. Store boxes in an out-of-the-way location or rent a storage unit so you can de-clutter every part of the house.

Remove area rugs if they expose nice hardwood floors.

Plants go hand-in-hand with nearly any home staging theme--living plants, not artificial versions.

Go with fresh paint. Are walls in the house dingy? Are the colors dated?

Create a mood:

Bake bread during showings, or place a fresh loaf in a basket on the counter.
Classical music playing softly in the background is nice, but choose something that enhances the mood you are trying to create.

Taking the time to prepare the house may put extra dollars in your pocket, and in less than average time. Plus, a great overall impression is often enough to make a buyer more lenient about minor repairs that may be required. You want them to fall in love with the house as soon as they step inside.