Real Estate Sell

When it comes to real estate, most homeowners tend to focus on the technical aspects of selling their property. While details are important, it is vital to understand you are selling a dream.

Real Estate – Selling the Dream

One of the more infamous clichés is every scam is built on the idea of hope. Common sense tells you those Nigerians sending spam really don’t have 20 million dollars in an account, but you probably hesitate just a bit because a small part of you hopes it is true. While this cliché is undeniably cynical, there is a lesson to be learned from it when it comes to selling your property.

When selling your property, it is important to understand what buyers are purchasing. They are not purchasing a three bedroom, two level home with a two car garage. They are not purchasing a big backyard or a nice neighborhood. Okay, technically they are, but this represents only a small bit of their thinking. In truth, they are purchasing something much bigger and important.

When house hunting, it is important to understand that buyers are purchasing a dream. They are not really focusing on where they will sleep at night. When they see your property, they are creating a mental image of themselves living there. The image can include things ranging from how they would arrange furniture to envisioning kids playing in the yard to mention only a few things. In essence, they are purchasing the hope of a great living experience.

When getting ready to put your home on the market, it is vital that you understand what the buyers are looking for in a property. Yes, walls and accessories are important, but they are really buying a lifestyle. This means you need to accentuate the strong living points of your property.

Most people loosely refer to this as creating curb appeal. In truth, it goes beyond the mere appearance of the home. You want to make the home seem livable, not austere as many mistakenly do. For instance, you should always be baking something that smells delicious when showing the property. For many buyers, this will translate the home from a piece of construction to a livable space and make it easier for them to imagine living there.

One of the best tactics I ever saw in this regard was a seller who whipped up a meal on the grill. He then invited the potential buyers to sit with him, eat and ask any questions they had. He started reciting all of the things that had happened with his family while living in the home. The buyers became much more comfortable with him and the home. They subsequently made an offer and he accepted.

Obviously, you probably do not want to be barbequing each time someone comes to look at your property. That being said, you should focus on presenting your home as a clean, but livable place where the buyer can imagine themselves living for the foreseeable future.

No matter whether the real estate market is going up or down, there are some things you can do to almost guarantee that your home will sell faster, easier and for a little more money than compared to a similar house in the same street.

However there are some big real estate selling mistakes that many home owners overlook that could affect their ability to sell their properties. Let’s look at some of the biggest real estate selling mistakes home owners make.

1. Poor Condition

Selling real estate that is in poor condition will mean an instant reduction in the potential price you could have set for the sale. Trying to market a home that is in poor condition or a home that has obvious maintenance issues that have been ignored is a sure way to put off many potential buyers.

People will automatically assume that if a house has any minor maintenance issues showing, then there must be bigger maintenance issues beneath the surface. Take some time to complete any repairs or maintenance on the home.

2. Real Estate Staging

Selling real estate is about trying to attract potential new buyers into thinking a property is the right place for them to raise a family and build their own memories. Most people who sell their homes overlook the importance of real estate staging prior to a showing. Giving your house a quick wipe over with a cleaning cloth and putting the dishes away is not enough.

Buying a home is an emotional purchase for most people. Buyers want to walk into a home and feel good. They want to imagine how their own furniture will look in each room and how their own decorations will brighten up each room.

Taking some time to freshen up paint with a light, neutral color and then removing all your personal finishing touches, such as your family photos, kid’s toys and some ornaments will make each room in your home look more spacious and more open. If you have big bulky furniture, either re-arrange it so each room appears bigger or borrow smaller furniture from friends and family.

3. Street Appeal

People selling real estate often overlook the importance of street appeal. Many home owners spend a lot of time fixing smaller maintenance issues within the home, but only take a moment to run a lawn mower over the yards.

Potential buyers want to be able to drive up to the front of a house and immediately feel that the home is appealing and attractive. Overgrown trees and shrubs obscure the house from the street. Prune them back or cut them down. Open up the yard with border plantings to make the land plot seem bigger than it really is from the street.

Selling real estate is all about appealing to buyers in such a way that they feel comfortable paying money for your property even when other properties might not be selling. An inexperienced agent may tell you to reduce your price, but the reality is people who sell real estate can actually increase their price if they’re willing to put in some work to appeal to potential buyer’s emotions.