Driveways & Garage
Rutted driveways and junk filled garages spell OWNER NEGLECT,
and can easily sour a buyer's otherwise positive impression
of your home. Give these areas an honest appraisal and see
whether a few small improvements might make a difference.
Remember that buyers are scouting for flaws, which they
can use to justify a low offer. If you hope to get top dollar
for your home, don't give potential buyers any extra ammunition
in a poorly maintained driveway or garage.
50. FIX UP DRIVEWAYS FOR FIRST-IMPRESSION IMPACT.
The driveway is no place for children's toys.
Not only are such things dangerous, the clutter is unsightly.
The surface of your driveway should be beyond reproach;
after all, it's one of the first things a buyer will see
when he drives up. Repair cracks and potholes, pull up pesky
weeds, or get a new load of gravel.
51. ENLARGE AND IMPROVE THE APPEARANCE OF THE GARAGE.
A clean, organized garage appears larger. If
dark, add more light, if small, one-car garage - remove
your car before buyers visit. An empty garage always looks
larger. If a two-car garage with very little extra room,
remove one of your cars so that the buyer can make their
inspection in comfort.
Yard
Whether your property consists of fifty
acres or a small suburban lot, much of the value is in the
land itself. If your yard is a well-landscaped setting for
your home, your chances of selling quickly will be greatly
enhanced.
52. AVOID AN OVERGROWN, UNKEPT LOOK.
Does your yard radiate owners pride? So, drag
out the lawnmower, sharpen up those hedge cutters, and shape
up your yard. Prune bushes, mow your grass, trim trees and
hedges, edge along walks and driveways, spray stubborn weeds.
An inch or two of bark mulch around your foundation shrubs
makes an excellent first impression.
53. MARK YOUR PROPERTY BOUNDARIES.
Paint stakes a bright red or yellow, and stick
them in the ground at the corners of your property. This
will not only show consideration, it will be an effective
sales tool.
54. BRIGHTEN UP YOUR PROPERTY WITH SOME FLOWERS.
Plop the plants into a well-placed wheelbarrow,
and old fashioned washtub, or what have you. Such standbys
as nasturtiums, petunias, impatients, and verbena are easy
to maintain if you remember to water them regularly. Try
a row of sweet smelling alyssum to line a short sidewalk
or pop in some perky dwarf marigolds to form a cheerful
oasis of color in your yard.
55. DRAW ATTENTION TO SPECIAL TREES.
Many buyers can't tell an oak from an elm, but
they like the notion of having gracious, mature trees on
the property they buy. Make sure yours grabs the buyer's
immediate attention. Hang a swing from a strong branch,
plant some bright, shade tolerant flowers like impatients,
or set up your picnic table under the tree's leafy awning.
56. PLAY UP FLAT AREAS.
Set up your old badminton or volleyball net
in that flat area of your yard.
57. SET UP A BACKYARD LIVING/DINING AREA.
It is important to devote at least one area
of your yard to outdoor living. Buyers will still recognize
a scene set with picnic table and chairs and respond positively
to it. Cover your picnic table with a fringed, red-and-white
checked cloth, set out some plastic plates and glasses,
bring out the barbecue equipment, and buyers will almost
smell the hot dogs cooking!
When Your Home Is Shown
Of course, like all home sellers, you're
fantasizing that the first prospective buyers who walk through
your front door will fall madly in love with your home and
offer to meet your price right there and then. It can happen,
but it's a rare occurrence. Now your home is in peak sales
condition, hopefully you've employed Rich Czeh &
Barbara Diddle with The Real Estate Warehouse, LLC, both top real
estate agents, and your property is priced realistically.
These three factors should give you a distinct selling edge.
Before you rest on your laurels, however, study the following:
58. BE WILLING TO SHOW YOUR HOME (PRACTICALLY) ANYTIME.
Play the odds. The more people who see your
home, the more likely you are to sell it quickly. Yes, it's
an inconvenience to show your home at dinner time, but if
the people buy your home, isn't it worth reheating the pot
roast?
59. HAVE A FAMILY "GAME PLAN" FOR LAST-MINUTE
SHOWINGS.
Prepare for the inevitable, unexpected showings
with a family game plan. To be effective, this plan should
be worked out by all your family and actually written down
so that everyone knows what to do if you sound the alarm.
No one is talking about major house cleaning at this point.
The kinds of tasks you ought to be concerned with now are
simple ones: dust the dining table top, stuff last night's
dirty pans in the dishwasher, hide those damp panty hose
hanging on the shower rod. Even young children can participate
by`"cleaning" their room.
60. AIR OUT YOUR HOME HALF AN HOUR BEFORE SHOWING.
Any home will smell better if you can open the
windows in each room and let in some fresh air. Stale air
isn't appealing, particularly in a home with smokers or
pets.
61. SET YOUR THERMOSTAT AT A COMFORTABLE TEMPERATURE.
Yes, we all want to save on our heating costs,
but a chilly house can make buyers nervous and set them
to wondering if you home is poorly insulated or your furnace
is on its last leg.
62. TURN ON LIGHTS IN EACH AND EVERY ROOM.
You can make home showings smoother for your
agent if you turn on lights in every room before prospective
buyers arrive. This also gives you an opportunity to select
the lighting effects you want for each room. Be sure not
to overlook areas like your attic and basement where light
switches are often difficult to locate. No area of your
home should be dark.
63. TURN ON PLEASANT BACKGROUND MUSIC.
Music has a subliminal power. Why else would
stores bother to pipe in soft background music if not to
put customers in a comfortable, relaxed mood for what else
- buying. Speaking of sound, every seller should know better
than to leave a television blaring away when the home is
being shown. This is rude and distracting.
64. PUT PETS AND SEND CHILDREN TO PLAY AT THE NEIGHBORS.
Perhaps it's unfair to lump children with pets,
but that precious toddler can cause just as much inconvenience
when you're trying to sell a home. Keep pets away from buyers.
65. KEEP OUT OF SIGHT WHEN THE SALESPERSON IS SHOWING
YOUR HOME.
Once you've answered the door and welcomed the
real estate agent and potential buyers, you should take
a walk or visit your neighbors or go grocery shopping. The
shrewd seller sets the scene so that buyers can walk onto
the stage and immediately begin play-acting, pretend the
home is already theirs.
66. NEVER VOLUNTEER INFORMATION.
If you've followed the previous tip, you won't
be around to chat with the buyers, but if you are at home,
resist the urge to volunteer information about what you
consider to be important sales features. It's all too easy
to develop seller's foot-in-mouth disease.
67. ASSEMBLE HOUSE RECORDS FOR BUYER PERUSAL.
In these times of rising energy costs, buyers
will most certainly ask what your home heating and electrical
costs are. If you are including any appliances in the sale
price of your home, you should keep warranties and instruction
booklets in this same file.
68. TELL EVERYONE YOU MEET THAT YOUR HOUSE IS FOR SALE.
Why keep it a secret? Your neighbors across
the street may have a friend who has been waiting to move
into the neighborhood. Word of mouth is a strong selling
aid. If each person you tell that your house is for sale
tell two more people, and those people each tell two more
people, word can spread quite rapidly.
69. REMAIN OPTIMISTIC.
The buyer for your home will be knocking soon! |
