TIPS ON "DRESSING" YOUR HOME FOR SUCCESS

A Good Showing: Dressing Your House for Sales   Success

Have you ever heard the expression " Sometimes your first impression is your last"? Well its TRUE.... and most definitely true when you are trying to sell your house.

First consider "curb appeal" – the feeling customers get from the upkeep of the house and grounds, and how comfortable this makes them imagining themselves as a resident. You want to do everything you can to make them see your house as their house, both outside and in.

A new paint job is an investment that will more than pay for itself, and neat landscaping – trimmed shrubs, new flowers – puts your prospective buyers in just the right frame of mind. Inside, kitchens and bathrooms should be in sparkling condition – these rooms are known to be what makes up many home-seekers' minds. Removal of odors like pet smells and smoke will lessen distractions for customers you want focusing on your home's possibilities, and clearing of clutter is crucial.
The less belongings you have crowding your rooms and closets, the bigger the home will appear, and the easier it will be for potential buyers to envision placing their own possessions there. Put some things in storage if you need to, or hold a garage sale to help cut down on some of the build-up you were going to clear out for moving anyway.  Something that I know a lot of sellers have a hard time doing is taking down photos of their children.  But think of it this way: you are going to be packing them up anyway... just go ahead and get a jump start on bubble wrapping them up for their new home :)  Speaking from experience, I have shown multiple houses that sellers have a wide display of photos up in the living room, bedroom, etc.  It NEVER fails that as soon as a potential buyer walks into that room they go straight to look at those photos! And on their way they forgot to look at the new trim work you did or the new molding you installed.  Are you following what I am saying? When your house is on the market you need to showcase the HOUSE.. NOT your PERSONAL ITEMS.
 
Clean windows, fresh flowers, and other small details with big impact – they're what you want to remember. From major improvements which guarantee a return on your investment, to subtle touches that tip the scales in your favor, the features of a house that we often take for granted can be the ones that determine your homeselling success. (** information from ERA.com and personal experience**)


According to the National Association of Realtors®, curb appeal alone accounts for half of all home sales.

 Now, I know we cant all go and do THIS to our lawns.... but find pictures of GREAT lawns that inspire you and use that as your blueprints! You never know what you may come up with :)
Hope some of this information was useful!