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One
of the best things you can do to hasten the sale of your
home is to think like a buyer. Get in touch with what
buyers want, and package your home accordingly. To get the
buyer's attention, you must be objective and realistic.
Understand that the way you actually live in your house is
not the way you want it to look and feel to prospective
buyers. This means that you'll have to expand your
perspective and develop an unemotional view of your
property.
A
home is a refuge. As soon as we move into a house, we
become less objective about it. The longer we live in the
house, the more emotional we become about it. We celebrate
milestones and holidays, share with friends, bring babies
home, raise them, and perhaps have them then bring their
babies for a visit. The memories become one with the
house. In the meantime, we're so busy enjoying the house
that we get used to the kitchen drawer that sticks, and
the closet door that needs to be kicked at the bottom in
order to open. We arrange the living room furniture to
hide the cigarette burn in the carpet, and we gave up
years ago worrying about getting the doorbell
fixed.
These
things make the house ours alone. Understanding all the
quirks and idiosyncrasies of a home is like understanding
all the quirks and idiosyncrasies of an elderly
grandparent: we keep the fond memories foremost in our
minds, and forgive all the little stuff. A house that's
been home to you and your family, if only for a few years,
has probably loved you well and you’ve loved it back.
When
you take on a buyer's perspective, you will quickly
realize that which the owner sees as quirky charm does
indeed have the potential to drive a buyer right back out
the door.
The
first thing you can do to distance yourself from your home
emotionally is to refer to it as a 'house.' Stop calling
it a 'home.' 'Home' is rife with sentiment and emotion.
'House' is the structure where you live and from which you
hope to get the best selling price. The next thing you'll
want to do is get out of your house, and into some other
people's houses, and watch how buyers operate.
Go
to Open Houses in your area, and notice how buyers look
around. Listen to what they say. Pay particular attention
to emotional statements like 'Oh! This is so charming!'
and 'Oh, my word, WHAT were they thinking?' Listen for
comments like 'We'll have to paint' or 'New carpet would
do wonders for the place.' Make notes about how you feel
about the house.
When
you view these houses, imagine living there? Do you see
yourself and your family in these surroundings? If so,
make notes of the positive features that appeal to you. Is
the interior sunny and fresh? Are things uncluttered and
orderly? Is the neutral décor pleasant? If the house is a
definite 'no,' make a list of what it is that turns you
off? A dreary interior? Ugly carpet? Dirty windows?
Visit
model homes and note the professional staging that's been
done to appeal to buyers. Model homes are perfect,
sparkling, and uncluttered. No one lives in a model home,
but the house is arranged to create the impression that
someone does live there. The illusion is so refined that
you easily imagine yourself living there. That's the
point: you want to create the same feel in your home that
will make the buyer want to move right in. This is best
accomplished if you are objective about your house, and
distance yourself emotionally.
In
addition to Open Houses and model homes, you can get ideas
from magazines. Examine the photos carefully and determine
exactly what is so appealing. You can use many of the
ideas and suggestions in your house. Just a few pleasing
touches can have a major impact on the look and feel you
present to buyers. When you are preparing your home for
sale, use the ideas that appealed to you most. The chances
are that the person who buys your home will have tastes
that are very similar to yours.
Copyright 2001
PropertySource Network |
