Detailing is NOT just for your Car!

The buyer’s mind is a complex one. He or she is always looking for a reason to turn to their agent and say those dreaded words: “lets move on”.   It gets to be a shock for an agent when their client says anything positive at times. They jump to conclusions quickly about the inhabitants and are just itching to say NO.

My goal is to not only have a faster sale of your home(s), but a sale that coups the greatest profit for the homeowner. Anything that looks like a problem, is not working properly, or seems to be broken will elicit one of these two responses: 1) not maintained, too much trouble, and not interested, or 2) they start counting every little thing and make an offer that even a homeless person would be upset with.

As the book, Dress your House for Success, states, “warning signals trigger a fear response—fear that larger problems are lurking beneath the surface”.  When this happens, a buyer usually turns right around and sprints for the nearest exit. I’ve seen some people on walkers move close to the speed of light!  Not a good thing if attempting to sell your pride and joy.

Cracked switch plate?  Fix it! Light bulb out in the kitchen? Change it! Leaky faucet in the basement? Take care of it!  One kitchen cabinet door doesn’t shut completely? Handle it!

Anything is fair game for the potential buyer. You’d be surprised, shocked, and probably angry of what some of my buyers became fixated on, and FIXATED is a good word for you to repeat after me ten times. Now of course, if I walked into their present adobe, many of these items would jump out, but they expect and demand particular things when looking.  “How dare you show your home like this when I make an appointment!!” Even when their present home looks like Hurricane Donna hit it.  Harsh, but true.

Never forget, a buyer, at any price range, is looking for newer and move-in condition. They don’t want to hear excuses. They want to be respected.  They want their fantasy world to come to life, and the further you don’t deliver to this imaginary idea in their heads the less chance they will even consider your home.

Fair? Maybe not, but you can do something about it by making sure everything in your home works correctly and there is no signs of possible problems. You are stirring up a “hornet’s nest” by not taking the time to stop negative reactions before they happen.

Keep remembering that the effort you put in now will eventually come back to you ten-fold by reducing the amount of time your home is on the market and quite possibly put more dollars in your pocket. It will also make sure your home inspection goes much better (a very positive extra benefit).  So make sure you handle things that will be brought up now and not later. Fix that crack in the sidewalk, change that old mailbox, get the stain off your roof shingles, repair that wood rot on the porch, paint that fence in the backyard that has been pealing for the last 5 years, get rid of those cobwebs from the front door lanterns, etc.

You must think of getting ready to sell your home as a 2nd job you took on to insure you and your family’s future. Too many folks put their home on the market with an attitude that the buyer will have to see the potential or they will have to understand we live here or it was good enough for us so it will have to be good enough for them!  Reality check……NO THEY DON’T!!!

If you do your job well, your home WILL stand out when compared to the other houses they see.  If you do your job, they will put your home on their short list. If you do your job, they will probably be back for a second look. Hurray!!

Be like Sherlock Holmes and get out a magnifying glass. Walk your home with a very critical eye. Everything is going to be scrutinized. Everything. Show no problems!