We think you’re pretty smart if you’ve decided to be a FSBO (prounced fizbo). FSBO is the real estate industry’s acronym for FOR SALE BY OWNER and realtor’s will often do their best to convince you it would be fool-hardy to even attempt to sell your house on your own. But we say what have you got to lose by at least trying? You can always call in a real estate agent if you are not successful. But we want to make sure you are successful. You’ll not only have the satisfaction of selling your own home, it is very likely you’ll come away with a lot more money in your pocket. A woman in Melrose just sold her own staged home after holding a single open house. Not only did she sell fast but for only $3000 less than her asking price which was by the way $20,000 more than a real estate agent had suggested she list her house for. Do we have your attention yet?
All homes, staged or not, are seen first on the internet. Buyers pour over internet photos in their desired price range and location then eliminate those they don’t consider a good or at least potential fits for their needs or taste. Your goal is to have photos that keep you out of buyer’s elimination pile because the more people that actually come to see your house, the better your chances of selling quickly.
So you say “We have a great house. We’ve loved it for 12 years. All our friends say our house will sell easily”. We can’t tell you how many times we’ve heard this. Understand this. Even if you do have a great house that is priced right for your area, it could languish on the market for months - even years if your home is not properly staged and photographed well. People are comfortable in their own homes. They learn to overlook things that might turn off potential buyers. They become oblivious to flaws, smells, and signs of deferred maintenance. Sellers often fail to see the need to neutralize their taste specific décor and color scheme. That’s what a good stager will do for you. They look at your home objectively with the purpose of identifying every potential road block to getting your house sold quickly and for the best price. FSBO’s should take full advantage of this service because the end result will likely mean more money in your pocket and less time on the market.
Here are our top 10 basic tips for ‘Selling Your Home’.
1. Hire a professional stager before you hit the market. Have all staging completed before photos are taken.
http://www.eastcoaststagingandredesign.com/
2. Get yourself a good real estate lawyer.
3. Remove all window screens even in the summer. Wash all windows inside and out. Pull open blinds. Raise all shades. Every bit of natural light counts.
4. Have well lit and well framed photos taken for the internet. If you don’t have the equipment and skills to do this yourself, hire a pro or find a stager who offers this as part of their service. Be sure your stager approves any shots that will be used to market your home. Trust in their ability to notice things you wouldn’t.
5. Clear all but two electrical appliances from your kitchen counters.
6. Leave exterior lights on at night for people who will do drive-bys after dark.
7. When showing your home, be aware that buyers are less comfortable when the owner is standing right there. Tell buyers to feel free to open cabinets and closets…or better still, open them yourself so they can look in.
8. Limited closet space? Eliminate half of the clothes in your closets. Jammed closets scream “Not enough storage”.
9. Have soft music just barely noticeable somewhere in the background during showings.
10. Remove all pets, pet houses, and pet trappings from the home completely during showings.
Here are a couple of pictures we found on the internet. Would you be attracted to this house?
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