Here are some tips for making your home more attractive to buyers.
Make cosmetic improvements to get the house looking as good as possible.
For instance, patch damaged plaster and drywall, repaint, and re-wallpaper. Spruce up the exterior by replacing broken shingles or shutters or doing some minor landscaping to give your home more “curb appeal.”
Increase your home’s appeal to a wider range of potential buyers.
Repair or replace any part of your home that’s been modified that might not appeal to the general population.
Make your home cozy and inviting when potentials buyers come by.
Make sure the interior and exterior are clean, neat, and well maintained. Have a fire burning in the fireplace, bake some cookies or an apple pie, or have a pot of coffee brewing. Put away toys and tools. Keep pets out of sight. Not everyone is as enamored of Fido as your family is. Try not to cook foods like fish with lingering odors.
Here are some ideas for working with your broker to speed up the sale of your home.
Offer a warranty.
Sometimes offering a warranty on the roof, electrical system, or appliances can speed up a sale or smooth the negotiating process, particularly if it’s causing buyers to balk at the asking price.
Create a home sale kit with your broker.
A home sale kit consists of flyers that are distributed to potential home buyers and contain photos of your home’s exterior, interior, and surroundings. The flyer should also list major selling points and include information about utility costs, taxes, and a floor plan.
Do not help the broker show the home.
Allow the broker to do his or her job. Make yourself available for questions, but do not try to help sell to potential buyers who are looking at your home.
Offer a bonus to your broker.
A bonus shouldn’t be obvious to the buyer because the buyer will wonder if the house price has been bumped up to accommodate the real estate broker’s bonus. Instead, offer the bonus in the form of an increased commission, say 3 1/2 percent instead of 3 percent.
Take it off the market and re-list it later.
If your house has been on the market for a long time, it may be perceived as undesirable. Taking it off the market and re-listing it at a later time sometimes helps.