Full House Real Estate

With the slightly changing market, we are seeing more seller concessions and more negotiating on the buyers behalf for inspections paid for by the seller. You can eliminate this by doing a preinspection before you list your home for sale. Choose to fix what you want, then factor the rest into your asking price and expectations. Well and septic inspections have a tendency to be booked out 2 to 3 weeks. It's always good to get those schedule. No one wants to pay for someone else's poo to be hauled away. Providing a cleaned out septic and a water quality test to your prospective buyers, just reaffirms to them that you are a home owner who has had regular maintenance done and who is serious about selling.

After a few weeks vacation, that first step into my home, it never smells normal. It's like I am no longer used to the same daily smell of our family and pets. This is not a bad thing by any means but it is like that for any buyer entering your home for the first time. They do not smell the same things as you. This could be bad or good, depending on what that first wiff is like for the buyer. If you are a pet owner, you know they provide their own smell to your home. It's time to wash all the things your pet lays on, beds, couch, their bed. Tuck the litter box away and clean that sucker 2x a day while your home is actively on the market. Use some lightly scented seasonal candles or light air freshners to provide a hint of something different. To strong of scents will be off putting to buyers, especially those with allergies or sensitivities.

Often when people think of staging, they think all their belongings go to storage and all new items are brought in. This really only applies if the home is vacant. When staging a home that is occupied, a professional stager will come in, rearrange your furniture and decor and then maybe add or take away a few items here and there. This way your home is still very livable while you are actively selling it but it also helps to present your home in the absolute best light it can be. Staging has proven to open the minds of buyers to imagine there own items inside the home but in such a way that they aren't getting to know who you are as a person. Just what your home could be for them.

It's time to make plans for the kids, dog, cat and any other pets you have, especially dogs. I love my dogs and cats too but no buyer will appreciate the barking/jumping/submissive peeing that your dog may do. Remember the depersonalize your home from day 14? Be sure to tuck away all the toys, finger paintings and dirty diapers and keep them concealed while your home is actively for sale.

Just straight swiffering or mopping is a great way to clean the mass areas of any floor surface. But what about those corners and along the edge of the moulding? It takes more than a quick sweep or mop to get the nooks and crannies of any room. Today is the day to tackle those corners.