10 Tips for Selling Your Charlotte Area Home NOW!
1. Keep it cozy: To show a home to its best advantage during the winter, think warm, cozy, and homey. Keep your thermostat at 70 degrees during home showing hours. If your home is vacant, use a programmable thermostat and set it to have the home at 70 during the day.
2. Scents are appealing: I always have my clients have a pot of apple and cinnamon or vanilla on the stove–some may say, “But, what if the Buyers are allergic?” The chances of that are very slim and the warm scent appeals to the Buyers senses, making them feel ‘at home.’ Other popular scents: cinnamon rolls, freshly baked bread, apple cider, molasses cookies, chocolate chip cookies and good old American apple pie!
3. Take advantage of natural light: Be sure to allow all showing during the high-daylight hours. Make the most of the light you do have. Have the curtains and blinds cleaned and open them as wide as possible during daytime showings. Clean all the lamps and built-in fixtures, and replace the bulbs with the highest intensity that they will safely accommodate. Before you show the house, turn on all the lights.
4. Get your windows washed and your front door painted: You have 90 seconds to get a buyers attention when they walk into your home. Windows and doors are items that many Sellers may not even consider. Many buyers pay particular attention to the quality of your homes windows and doors. In the winter, the strong southern light can reveal window grime and make it look like your home has not been well maintained. And, remember that the front door is the first thing that they see when they walk up to the home.
5. Play soft background music: To create a little atmosphere, tune the radio to the local Classical or Jazz station. Adjust the volume so that the music is playing quietly in the background. You have to appeal to all the buyer’s senses.
6. Make the home comfortable and cozy: Set the scene: help the buyers see themselves living comfortably in your (aka ‘their new home’). Consider things such as putting a warm throw on the sofa or folding back the thick comforter on the bed. A home staging professional is a worthwhile investment as they are specially trained to help catch the Buyer’s eye!
7. Set up lighting timers: You want your home to look warm and welcoming whenever prospective Buyers drive past. Set the mood for a sale.
8. Make your home festive: Even though you’re not going to be there for the showing, greet your Buyers as if they were going to be guests at your party. Set the dinner table with the good china and silver. Have a plate of cookies for your guests, some warm cider, or other non-alcoholic beverage helps to make the Buyer more comfortable in ‘their new home’. Remember, first impressions are extremely powerful. Make your home look like you’re expecting and greeting your Buyers as welcomed company. You could even decorate the For Sale sign in your yard.
9. Make your home look LARGER than it is! CLEAN OUT THE CLUTTER! One of the main criteria that Buyers use when shopping for a home is the total heated square footage. If they’re looking to buy a 3,000 square foot home and yours is FULL of furniture and clutter, it will appear that the home is 2,000 square feet instead! Accomplish this by using your attic space and/or renting a temporary storage building. (NOTE: Closet space is a high priority for Buyers as well–make certain that your closets are clean and organized).
10. Use the holiday season to your advantage. Thanksgiving, through January are traditional holiday seasons for most families. Now is the time to show off your home’s best features with simple decorations in each room (Take care not to over-do). If you don’t decorate anywhere else, make sure you decorate around your front door, making your home ‘inviting’. When the holidays are over (and the Christmas and Hanukkah decorations come down), you can still use winter wreaths and dried arrangements around the door. Anything seasonally appropriate but, not too elaborate; you want the Buyer’s to purchase your home, not your decorations.
Debe in Charlotte, NC