Where to Begin when Selling your Home
So you’re ready to sell? Maybe the house is too small, large or just not what you want. The problem is not with your home, but it just doesn’t fit your family anymore. Something attracted you to it initially, and that something could be just what another family is looking for. But you need to look at your home new as if you were buying it all over again.
Sprucing up the house will leave a great impression on potential buyers. You need to grab attention and create excitement about finding a house that looks and feels well-cared for. Buyers know they’ll encounter fewer problems if they buy a cared for home, which will make it more appealing and stand out from the rest of the market. Preparing your home correctly will save you time on the market!
Looks are not the only thing that will draw potential buyers, but a good first impression makes an impact on a number of levels. A buyer considers how a home feels and smells, how their friends and family will react and how they imagine it would be to live there.
Simple improvements through your house can grab the attention of potential buyers. We’ll help you show them why your house is right for them.
Preparing your Home for Sale
First impressions make all the difference on a buyer’s decision-making process!
Home Styling or Staging is not about decorating, but turning your home into a model to de-emphasize its flaws and appeal to the broadest range of prospective buyers. When your home is on the market it becomes a product. You need to highlight the positives and make people feel like they could live there. The best way is to “neutralize” the surroundings.
REALTOR® Magazine Online has provided these helpful styling tips in their article “Setting the Stage” comprised of the best kept secrets from real estate pros and stagers for things you can do at little to no expense to put a home in prime showing shape.
- Clear out closets and clutter—sellers can give away or pack up toys, linens, and small kitchen appliances to store offsite. Buyers are also forgiving of storage boxes neatly tucked away in a garage or basement.
- Focus most on the most visible areas—the foyer, kitchen, living room, master bedroom, and family room.
- De-personalize the home by removing photos, mementos, and dated items.
- Use plants in colorful pots or inexpensive wicker baskets to fill in empty spaces.
- Look to home catalogs for little details on beautifying the home. For instance, group books, pictures, and objects d’art appealingly on bookcases.
- Try angling one or two pieces of furniture slightly and move furniture 4 inches to 6 inches from the wall to create more interesting room spaces.
- Put away large collections— porcelains, plates, and so on.
- Remove valuables, prescription medicine, collectibles, and breakables.
- Trim trees, prune shrubs, and make sure the lawn is mowed and watered regularly.
- In summer, turn on the sprinklers for five minutes, 30 minutes before the open house. It makes the lawn and driveway sparkle.
- Refrain from cooking anything that leaves a distinctive odor, such as fish, garlic, or cabbage.
- Hire a professional service to clean the home, including the carpets and the windows.
- Set the dining room table with attractive linens, dishes, and stemware.
- Arrange fresh or silk flowers throughout the home.
- Light a fire in the fireplace in fall and winter.
- A mirror in a pretty frame can make a small room feel more open.
- Use as much natural light as possible. Add extra lamps in dark rooms or corners.
- Make functional repairs—fix dripping faucets, sticking doors, and broken fences.
- Bring in another pair of eyes—even if it’s not a professional stylist. The person may see problems you and have missed.
To talk about your real estate goals, call or email us today!
helen@helenoliveri.com
847.967.0022
Testimonials
Helen is very personable and gives you the straight answers that are needed in order to sell your house. She has a plan, and follows through with what she says. Her team is made up of wonderful people who are always pleasant and gets the answers to any questions or concerns that I have had. My husband and I are so impressed with Helen and her way of doing business. She listens to her clients, is honest, and addresses all concerns. It has been a pleasure working with her and her team! The word…
My experience in working with Helen Oliveri was good. She provided very thorough marketing and good advise. It was great on how I was made aware of the process of my home sale. Also, my property was marketed excellently! My overall experience with Helen and her team was excellent. My house was difficult to sell and Helen helped it happen quickly.
My experience working with Helen was excellent. She is the pit bull of real estate! Not only knowledgeable and professional but very aggressive when it comes to selling your home. I would highly recommend them if you need to sell your home fast! Despite having so many listings she was always easy to get a hold of. Her knowledge of our local market was exceptional! I would highly recommend using Helen for all your real estate needs.
Dear HELEN, I just want to thank HELEN OLIVERI, your company is #1. I trust you, HELEN you are the BEST. Thank you again for everything.
Responsive, caring…just a great team! Helen was there for us every step of the way. With the market and appraised value, our home was priced accordingly and sold. We put our entire trust in your team and we were impressed with the entire process. The entire team was warm, compassionate to our needs, and always available for us. May the entire team continue to have great success and blessings. Much love, Nick and Irene Makropoulos and family.
Helen and her team operates in a very professional and courteous manner. Everything was handled well from the beginning through the closing process. Would gladly recommend her services to anyone.
Helen Oliveri and her team represent the highest professional level of expertise and customer service skills. Helen’s knowledge of the current market helped us sell our house in a very short period of time. She not only knew the specific requirements of the market, but also handled the transaction with attention to detail to fulfill the needs of her clients. We will recommend Helen and her team to anyone looking for a qualified agent to sell their home.
We had our house up for sale six months with a limited service realtor, only to be constantly disappointed. You turned things around for us in six weeks! And for a selling price we were happy with. Our only regret is that we didn’t sign up with you in the first place. You people are serious – and it’s so obvious that you love what you do. Bottom line, we’ll recommend you to anyone who wants to experience real professionalism and real action! You’re the best Helen!
Helen and the team are a selling machine!! If you looking for someone with a high level of integrity, who provides an honest assessment of how to get your house sold then look no further. High energy coupled with superior professionalism and great service. What more could you ask for? We went with a different realtor to start. After 90 days of little or no activity we switched to Helen. Our house sold in a couple days!! Thanks very much to Helen and her team!
Helen and her team are simply the best real estate team I have ever known. Helen is always personally available and made me feel like her closest friend and confidant and she fought for me unlike anyone I know. I am so confident in Helen and her team and I would recommend them without hesitation. I will always use Helen for any and all future real estate transactions. Thank you for selling my home in such a tough market. Helen you are the BEST!!