Getting Top Dollar

A few simple and often-overlooked characteristics can make a great impact on how valuable a buyer will find your home:

Keep it neat

The elimination of clutter is very important and gives your home the atmosphere that a buyer is looking for. Many buyers subliminally associate a messy house with house problems.

Emphasis on the kitchen

For today’s home buyer, the kitchen is typically the house’s most important room. It’s an area where form and function are equally important. The kitchen is the center of the house, even if it’s not the center of the floor plan – we prepare food, share meals, sort mail, pay bills, and generally hang out there. While a major kitchen overhaul does not make sense when you are just ready to sell, you will want to do all you can to make sure your kitchen looks its best.

Get rid of odors

Even if you have grown used to certain smells, they can make a sale plummet. When a prospect walks through the door and smells a non-pleasing odor, even if they can’t identify it, they will definitely be turned off.

Repairs and improvements

Neatness, having everything in good working order, and having a modern home are keys to top sales appeal.

The pre-sale inspection

If an inspector seconds your opinion that your home is in good condition, then you have an excellent marketing tool that will help your Realtor sell your home more quickly and for the highest price possible. Your pre-inspection report is your negotiating tool that gives validity and backing power to your asking price. It also instills prospective buyers with a sense of confidence since they are not jumping into uncertain territory.

Have a home warranty in place

Your home will be more marketable and it will discourage downward price negotiation. In addition, you will have protection against costly repair bills at a time when they are least affordable and most inconvenient.