Contact MargaretFive Things Crofton Home Sellers Must Do
April 21st, 2008 Categories: Crofton Real Estate
It’s highly unlikely anyone will want to buy your Crofton home unless they can imagine themselves living there.
Property Condition
Trying to sell your Crofton home? Remember this: Except for price, nothing is more important to your home sale than the condition of your property – at least, no other factor that’s within your control.
Think of your home as a blank canvas on which any buyer can paint his or her own personal furnishings and color choices, and then easily insert a mental picture of his family enjoying their daily life and milestone celebrations.
A Checklist
To help you achieve that “blank canvas” and make your Crofton home as salable as possible, there are five things you simply must do.
Use this brief checklist as your guide to achieving them as you walk around the exterior of your home and through each room:
1. REMOVE CLUTTER
2. CLEAN
3. REPAIR
4. NEUTRALIZE
5. DYNAMIZE
Don’t Under-Estimate Any Step!
It’s important to methodically perform each step in each room, around the exterior and in every corner of your yard. I doubt that Steps 1–4 need any explanation, but let’s talk about that last one.
For your home to have a competitive edge, “dynamize” it with strategic furniture arrangement and accessories that “pop” on that blank canvas you created with Steps 1–4. If you don’t feel you have the talent or time to do this yourself, let me provide you with contact information for professional staging consultants. You’ve probably seen popular HGTV and TLC shows that demonstrate the huge impact this makes on any home. I can assure you that home buyers watch them, and they have high expectation. Anything less disappoints them.
Bottom Line
Your property condition will influence the emotional reaction of buyers to your home, perhaps as strongly as pricing affects buyers’ intellectual side. For many people, the condition of your property will mean the difference between SOLD and REDUCED AGAIN.
Thinking of selling your Crofton-area home? Let’s talk!
P.S. Required Notices and Disclosures
No discussion of property condition is complete without mentioning there are Maryland and Federal laws that require home owners to provide certain notices and disclosures regarding property condition. In fact, you risk costly legal liability for failing to provide the required information. We’re not talking about the five steps I outlined, however. These notices and disclosures address the issue of lead paint hazards in homes built before 1978 and other material facts.
Earlier posts in this series for Crofton home sellers:
1. A SOLD Sign in Your Crofton Front Yard
2. Factors That Impact the Sale of Real Estate
3. Pricing Your Crofton Home for Sale
Coming Monday, April 28: Access
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Hi Margaret,
Good discussion of an age-old matter.
Also, good luck with your your son’s situation in Bowie. I meant to chime in on that the other day.
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