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If you're lawn is a jungle, you should mow it! This is something you probably should do anyway, whether you're selling or not. It's absolutely crucial to do it when you're selling. The lawn will be one of the first things a potential buyer will see. If your lawn is overgrown, it gives people a message that the rest of the home may be unkempt. That's not what you want. It's really simple to mow you're lawn, so just do it.
If there are any weird or unpleasant smells in your home, make them disappear fast! Think about it; you live in your home, so you are somewhat immune to the daily smells that pop up. These could be anything from cigarette smoke to a dirty cat box. If you can smell them, the people coming into your home will most definitely smell them. Again, this is something you probably should be doing anyway, so just clean that cat box, take out the garbage and smoke outside for a while. It could mean the difference between selling your home in a month or in a year.
People like style, that's for sure. Nothing can say blah more than a boring looking house. If you need to add a little style to your home, do it. If you know nothing about style (I am in this category, I admit!) than ask someone who knows. Style and flair can be taken too far as well so be careful. It's great if you enjoy your hot pink paint job in the kitchen, but remember that it's not really about what you like anymore. The majority of the public may not like that color, so try to go with a more neutral color. After all, you want to sell your home as fast as possible right?
If you're a bachelor and you have some explicit magazines or posters, make them scarce. Even things like a risqu© sports magazine cover should be hidden. You may be asking what the reason is for this. Well many of the people coming into your home could be families. A mother (or father) that sees a dirty magazine on your coffee table or a poster of a woman in a bikini may not approve. They will see the picture or magazine and will have a tough time thinking about their children living there. I know it may sound silly, they aren't buying you're magazines right? This is a powerful psychological effect however and should not be taken lightly.
If you're like me, you're an animal lover! I love dogs so much, and could never imagine my life without one. This can be a problem when you're trying to sell your home however. I love dogs, but I would be annoyed if a dog was jumping up on me during an open house or showing. No matter how much you love your dog, you need to remember that the public won't have the same feelings for him. They may find him annoying or even worse threatening. The best thing to do if you have a pet is to have them be somewhere else during a showing. Outside is good, but having a neighbor or friend watch them is even better. This can be a tough one due to the emotional bond we all have with our pets.
Do you watch baseball or football? Are you a sports nut? It's great if you are, but there are some things you need to remember when your house is for sale. Not everyone that's going into your home is a sports fan. They may not like sports at all, or worse, they may not like you're favorite team. Let's face it if your house is for sale and you're a Red Sox fan, you're probably not going to care if a Yankees fan moves in. You just want to sell your home and move out, especially if it's been on the market for a year! Team loyalties are great, but what's more important to you? The best thing to do is to take down your team posters and any other indications of your team loyalties for the showings. Remember, every little bit of an advantage counts.
I really don't like to do the dishes. I know I'm not alone in this dislike too. This being said, I would always make sure that they were done when a guest came over to visit. This is because it makes me feel like a slob if people see my sink filled with dishes covered with last night's dinner. I would do this for a guest; I would absolutely do this for a showing! Doing the dishes cost no money and it can make a small difference to people seeing your home. I really can't see why anyone wouldn't do this.
This next topic can cost you some money but it can make a difference. Small repair jobs (like ones that are under $50 bucks) should be made. When people see things in a broken state, they project that on the rest of the home. Even if these are small things, they stick in a person's head and can overshadow the good things about a home.
The last bit of advice is to get rid of the clutter and junk. Of course you probably have heard this before, but I'll say it again. Get rid of the junk!!! No one wants to see a home filled to the gills with your old stuff. I'm sorry if this hurts but I have to say it. If you haven't used something in a month, pack it up and store it somewhere other than your home. The real goal here is selling your home, and it's hard to do if people have to step over stuff as they are going from room to room. I apologize if that's not the most tactful way to say it, but messy homes are a real sale killer.
I'm confident that if you apply these simple low or no cost techniques, you can reduce the time your home is waiting to be sold. As I said before, it's a tough process, don't make it worse by not taking these simple steps.
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