Showing Your Home To Sell in Today's Market

In today's real estate market it's more important than ever for your home to look sales ready!

Selling your home is like a job interview. You want to make a great impression!

I cannot begin to describe the number of instances, where I have gone to preview a seller's home or brought a buyer and even renter - only to find the home dirty, dishes in the sink, food left on the kitchen counter, toys ALL over the house beds unmade, etc.

Do not assume it doesn't matter. It does!!!!!

People are coming to inspect your home to see if they want to purchase it. By making a good impression, you increase the chances of getting your home sold or even rented,

The home for sale or rent should be clean, uncluttered, beds made and toys put away.

If you have pets, realize that many people are allergic to pets, and that shedding dog fur and cat dander are everywhere. When showing your home, pets should not be at home. That's what friends, relatives and kennels are for - to help you with those darling fluffy family members! Additionally, your home should be completely fur and dander cleansed. It should not be obvious to a potential buyer that you have pets living in your home.

If your home needs additional sprucing up, do consider a new coat of paint and staging! It works wonders.

Remember ... a clean and uncluttered home that is attractive and inviting, is a home ready to be sold!

Now that your home is clean, you need to think about how your home looks.

Do you have too much furniture? Is your furniture worn? You may need to stage your home!

Home staging is preparing a home prior to putting it on the market for sale.

Why stage your home? Staging a home can ensure a quick sale.

You may love the way your home looks, but potential buyers may not. When selling your home, staging it professionally can make your home more appealing and more attractive. It depersonalizes your home, reduces its flaws and very often, raises the value of your home. Very often it can bring a higher purchase price.

With shows like HGTV's ‘Designed To Sell', "Bought and Sold", "Get It Sold", "Buy Me" and TLC's "Flip This House" home owners looking to sell their home, can learn valuable staging information that could be the difference of one's home being sold quickly, or sitting on the market for a long time.

As a professional real estate agent, I have seen buyers cringe at red walls, pink bathrooms, clutter and other people's pictures and momentos. Although this is important to the seller, sellers should not take this personally. Buyers want to see neutral, clean and uncluttered living spaces that they can envision themselves living in.

You can find professional home stagers in most cities by searching the Internet or letting your fingers do the walking in the yellow pages. You can also find these stagers from an accredited home staging school. One of the best ways to find a good professional home stager is to ask your broker. Brokers know the best stagers in their area.

Let the stagers do their job ... regardless of whether you agree with their choices or not.

If you prefer to do the staging yourself:

- Get rid of clutter
- Put away photos and momentos
- If you have children, their toys should not be visible
- Clean and light fireplaces so they look inviting
- Clear kitchen and bathroom counters
- If it's outdated, it should go
- Walls and carpeting should be neutral
- If furniture is oversized, put some in storage

Make your home appealing. Keep it neat and clean and light scented candles when potential buyers are coming over to see your home. The seller should not be present. Only the brokers and potential buyers should be there.

Add value to your home so it sells!

If you feel overwhelmed, hire a stager. There are home staging companies all over the country. My favorite stager Caroline Greenberg owner of Design Solutions works wonders and is located in Manhattan.

It's worth the modest fee that will increase the value of your home!