Extra Marketing Ideas

Is Your House Ready For Sale?

Here is a list of things to do now and in during the process of your home being for sale. This list came from John Adams and was originally in the AJC Homefinder Edition.

* You only get one chance at a first impression. So make your home inviting from the street. Green up the lawn, trim back all the hedges below the windows, get all leaves and tiny trees out of your gutters, and patch or repair drives and sidewalks.

* Pay special attention to the area surrounding your front door. Paint the railings and trim and the door itself so it is bright and cheerful. Add a brass kickplate and brass numbers to the front door to attract the eye. Buy some potted flowers to add a splash of contrasting color to your entry way.

* Create a package of information about your house that you can hand out to prospective purchasers. For example, your package should include a copy of the survey, the tax data page from the county, the listing information as furnished by your agent, a recent home inspection, a recent appraisal, and information about the utilities consumption for the prior twelve months. I would also put in a lenders "pro forma" showing the cost to buy this home under several financing options.

* Another nice touch in your information package is to include some things emphasizing why your home and community are special. Include a copy of the neighborhood news talking about the recent cook-out. Add photos of your kids at the community pool or tennis court. Show that your home has meant a lot to you, and that you will miss it.

* As to the house itself, everything needs to be perfect. Know that today’s buyer has no imagination whatsoever, and that if your home represents a renovation project, the only offers you will receive will come from renovators, not from owner-occupants.

* Fresh paint is the least expensive way to make a house smell fresh and clean, and I recommend that you paint something, even if you don’t need to do so. When in doubt, paint.

* Carpets must smell clean and fresh and not look worn out. Anything less hurts your overall marketing effort, and will detract from your sale. You are, in my opinion, better off replacing the carpets now than paying for it during negotiations later.

* Baths must sparkle and have a faint odor of chlorine bleach. That combination of olfactory and visual stimuli screams CLEAN to the brain in a way nothing else can. And if you can’t get it perfectly clean, then it’s time to replace it. By the way, I have seen some amazing things done with tub and tile refinishers. They can create a durable surface that looks almost exactly like new porcelain, and at a fraction of the cost.

* Kitchens today simply must have granite countertops. If your house is in any price range above $150,000, then the buyers will be expecting granite. And if you are in a price range below $150,000, you can score big points by splurging and upgrading to granite. Know that there are wide price disparities in the world of granite countertops, and that you usually get what you pay for. But also know that there is a perception of value in the buyers mind that is somehow reinforced by seeing granite countertops. Just do it.

* While we are in the kitchen, please upgrade your faucet and your lighting. Each of these can be made top notch for just a couple of hundred dollars, and each carries an outsized weight of attention in a house that is "for sale."

* Last but not least, clean out everything from your basement or crawl space, and cover bare earth with black plastic sheeting. It presents a clean uniform surface and prevents the absorption of ground moisture into the air. If necessary, provide needed ventilation to avoid any dampness or musty odors.

These tips can help your home stand out from the crowd, and hopefully bring you a better offering price sooner than other sellers in your neighborhood.