Expired – Condition

The most bang for your buck in having your home “show ready” is paint. It is very  important to use neutral colors. Even if you consider neutral “boring”, remember that  boring neutral will appeal to a wider audience then your school colors or your wild tastes. Consider “staging” your home.  Especially if the home is going to be vacant. Discuss ways you can “stage” the home with your agent so that the home can “show” as best as possible.   It may also be beneficial to hire a professional stager to come and make recommendations to have your home in its best possible showing condition.

Try to open windows prior to a showing. If you have pets, make sure they are removed for showings.  You may also consider getting all your carpets cleaned to try to rid the home of pet odors.  Put out fresh flowers for showings and turn on all the lights.

As much as you may love all your family portraits all over the house, consider packing them away. Your goal is to  have the perspective buyers imagining themselves in your home. Their ability to imagine is complicated if they are spending all their time looking at your photos trying to scrutinize why you are moving based on the people in the photos.

Got too much stuff?  Get a storage unit.  It probably won’t cost you more then $50.00 per month and that is a small price to pay if you are having to make recurring mortgage payments month after month because your home is too cluttered to be truly appreciated by perspective buyers.

Cut the grass, trim the trees and bushes, and paint the exterior if necessary. Paint your front door.  The front door makes a big first impression as buyers wait for the agent to get the door open.  Take a little metal polish to the kick plate and fixtures to get them shined up nicely.

Here’s a litmus test. Stand outside of your home with 5 neighbors and ask them about your home’s curb appeal. This will be hard to do but – won’t it be worth it if they come up with things that would be deal killers for perspective buyers?

So there you have it.  A summary of ways to ensure your home is in show condition for the next perspective buyer.

Next, make sure it is MARKETED correctly!