In honor of Valentine’s Day…. we wanted to do a blog about how to make buyers fall in love with your home! First you need to look at getting your house ready for a potential buyer the same way you would when you are getting ready for a first date: here are our tips to make buyers fall in love with your home.
First impressions are everything (aka curb appeal): when a buyer pulls up to the house.. that is the first impression. We have had many buyers pull up to a home and instantly say no and never even make it in the front door. A little can go a long way… some ideas are re-paint the front door, trim the shrubs, power wash the home, add beautiful flowers and shrubs, keep porches and decks uncluttered/clean, remove all toys/tools from the yard, etc.
Dress to impress: Even if you normally are more of a sweats and t-shirt kind of person.. would you ever show up to a first date in that? Of course not! Well, we live in a house completely different than we show a house! Do your best to stage the home, remove large bulky furniture to allow for a good flow in the home, arrange the pillows, put on all the lights/pull back the curtains, show off the best assets of your home! Repaint that turquoise room (or all rooms… haha) to a more neutral color. Put out fresh towels and decorative soaps.
No baggage: when you go on a first date you know never to bring up all the baggage that may come with you.. so we recommend you do the same with the home. DECLUTTER. Remove the out of season clothes or half of the clothes in your closet – you want this buyer to believe that there is room for them! Remove kitchen appliances off the counters/ remove bath products off the sink. Get rid of junk.. you are going to be moving soon so in the long run this will just help you for your move! DEPERSONALIZE: Take down personal photos, personal collections, etc – make the buyer believe this could be their home.
Smell, smell, smell: Would you ever show up to a first date after a long work out or run and not shower? I believe most people would not.. but for some reason when it comes to their home.. smells can be a touchy subject for many people. As someone with three dogs, there are no judgements here! But the truth is… if you want someone to buy your house.. it has to smell good (or not smell at all). Pets are really the main culprit… but also smoking, cooking odors, mold etc. The problem with smells is you as the owner get so used to how your house smells.. you can barely smell it all. But when someone new comes in, they are not used to your home and can instantly smell any unsavory odors. When we do an initial walk through of a home, we are always honest with our clients because unfavorable smells can costs THOUSANDS of dollars in your bottom line. And there are SO MANY things that can be done regarding odors.. many times deep cleaning or new rugs can easily fix it. AND for larger problems, we have solutions!
Overall… remember what would you like to see when previewing potential homes… and I hope potential buyers fall in love with your home! 🙂
If you want a professional opinion – we do free home consults.. where we help get your home ready to sell!
Call us direct at 615-972-6220 or email us at lisa@nashvilleonthemarket.com!
xoxo,
Lisa Stigliano – Nashville Agent/Co-Owner
Nashville on the Market Real Estate
