First impressions important for home buyers
This photo, provided by the International Association of Home Staging Professionals, shows the bedroom in the other photo after it was renovated.
The photo at right, provided the International Association of Home Staging Professionals, shows a bedroom before it was renovated. The photo above shows the bedroom after it was renovated.
First impressions are critical to selling a house.
While spring is the best time of year to put a home on the market, home sellers need to consider more than just placing a 无毛视频渇or sale无毛视频� sign on their property, according to real estate professionals.
It无毛视频檚 a good idea to take a look at the house through a different perspective, according to Scott Cavinee, president of the Fayette Board of Realtors.
无毛视频淚 advise sellers to walk through their property as though they were buyers,无毛视频� Cavinee said.
无毛视频淪tart at the curb and look at the house because that无毛视频檚 where many potential buyers make their first decision,无毛视频� he added.
Bette McTamney, president of the Pennsylvania Association of Realtors, agrees. 无毛视频淓xterior curb appeal hits potential buyers first, so consider painting the front door, clean the light fixtures and wash the windows. Bright sunshine in a home really shows off the property.无毛视频�
Home stagers, who help prepare a house for the market, concur that sellers don无毛视频檛 get a second chance for a first impression, Cavinee said.
无毛视频淵ou consider this your home but to sell it, it has to become a house and a product,无毛视频� said Barb Schwarz, the creator of home staging. 无毛视频淵our house must be as presentable and fresh as possible because that无毛视频檚 what the buyer is going to expect. Buyers are very discerning today, and they want the very best.无毛视频�
Decluttering is key to making the inside of the house appealing, Cavinee said. 无毛视频淔ind a local storage unit and pack up many of your belongings,无毛视频� he said.
无毛视频淕o through your closets and reduce what无毛视频檚 in them. You无毛视频檒l start your own packing process and make the house look more attractive.无毛视频�
无毛视频淏uyers only know what they see, not the way it无毛视频檚 going to be. So pack up your favorite doll or tea cup collections,无毛视频� Schwarz added. 无毛视频淢ake sure the house looks clean, uncluttered and smells fresh. The impression they have when they first open the front door sets the tone of the rest of the showing.无毛视频�
无毛视频淚f you want top dollar for your house, you need to put some extra effort into cleaning it,无毛视频� McTamney concurs. 无毛视频淓veryone is getting ready to list their home; you want your home to show at its best.无毛视频�
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 important to freshen up the entryway of a home. Every nick or hand print on the wall sticks out to a potential buyer,无毛视频� Cavinee said.
无毛视频淏uyers want the house to be extremely clean,无毛视频� Schwarz said.
无毛视频淭hey will notice dirty light switches, faucets and sinks. It无毛视频檚 important for your house to be extremely clean so the potential buyers don无毛视频檛 make harsh judgments,无毛视频� she added.
Updating the walls and flooring to be more neutral tones allows buyers to envision themselves in your house, Cavinee said.
无毛视频淭here are lots of things sellers can do to prepare a home for sale, most of which require little or no money. Cleaning, decluttering, organizing. If the home is small or lacks storage, I recommend removing things a seller doesn无毛视频檛 need day to day. Get all off season clothing out,无毛视频� Cavinee added.
无毛视频淚 tell sellers it无毛视频檚 our job to get prospective buyers to drive past. It无毛视频檚 the sellers job to get people to want to come in.
无毛视频淢ake sure the yard is clean of debris. Keep the grass cut. Trim shrubbery. Plant flowers. Pressure wash sidewalks, driveway, porches and patios. Paint as needed. Windows, clean windows mean so much,无毛视频� he said.
无毛视频淔ind the source of any offensive smells and eliminate them. Ask a friend to do a sniff test. Sometimes we become accustomed to smells in our homes,无毛视频� he said.
无毛视频淣ew bath towels and bedding make rooms look nicer and clean. Stage odd spaces. Show a prospective buyer how the space can be used.
In preparing a home for the market, homeowners are advised to spend as little money as possible. According to REALTOR.com, buyers might be impressed with a brand new roof, but they aren无毛视频檛 likely to give you enough money to pay for it.
无毛视频淪ellers need to remember that longevity on the market means one thing无毛视频� a reduction in price,无毛视频� Schwarz said. 无毛视频淢aking a few changes before the house is listed helps the moment the Realtor begins to market the property.无毛视频�
A Realtor is instrumental in helping the transaction go smoothly, according to Cavinee.
无毛视频淩ealtors are trained to properly price your house, market your property, negotiate for you and get the best price for your home,无毛视频� he said.
无毛视频淪parkling clean, uncluttered homes make the best first impression,无毛视频� Cavinee said.
Jim Pletcher writes a weekly real-estate story for the 无毛视频-Standard from a variety of angles. If you have an interesting story about buying or selling a home in Fayette County and would like a story written about it,, please contact 无毛视频-Standard Executive Editor Mark O无毛视频橩eefe at 724-439-7569.