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
My house had been on the market off and on for over two years with two different agents of one of the big area firms. I finally fired them and hired Helen.So, I was surprised that my house sold so quickly. I had to scramble a bit to find a new place. No problem; Helen’s team found me a great place in a great neighborhood for a great price. I moved out of my old place on a Thursday and into my new place on Friday. Thanks to Helen and her team.
Helen was very helpful and honest when listing our house, telling us not what we wanted to hear but she knew would sell our house. She was informative and great with helping us stage our house and get the best from selling it. We were very pleased with Helen Oliveri and her real estate team. They helped sell our house in a matter of months and were always on top of things and were there to answer any questions we had. We would refer anyone to Helen and her team.
Thank you so much for all your help with my new condo! It has been a wonderful pleasure working with both of you. My new home is beautiful! Thank you also for the gift basket! The items will certainly come in handy and they were all on my shopping list! In addition, the closing was painless! I will miss working with all of you. I certainly will recommend your team to friends and family every time the opportunity arises! You make a great team!
Our experience with Helen was excellent. She was always available to answer questions and provide assistance and her marketing approach is by far the best. Helen and her team are amazing. We were in constant communication regarding showings, feedback, and open house preparation. We were motivated sellers and we certainly had a motivated realtor. Simply stated, Helen showed she cared and helped us to achieve a great outcome.
I must tell you, your staff is the kindest, most courtesy, helpful people I have ever run across. It is a pleasure to work with them. Thank you again for your prompt assistance.
Helen is very professional, and has a warm personality. I feel Helen did a great professional job selling our home and keeping the deal together. Helen became a friend of ours during this sales process. She always puts the customer first and understands relationship building. Helen follows the market closely and provides current honest market evaluation and comparison data. She works well with other brokers and attorneys. I would highly recommend her for future real estate business.
Helen was great during the whole sale process. Every time I would call she would pick up ready to talk about anything. I have never experienced this level of service from a real estate agent. Helen is also very honest, she knows what needs to get done to sell a home. Our home was sold after 8 days of being on the market, even with being an interior town home unit which are not in high demand right now. Want your home SOLD? Talk to Helen. Thanks Helen!
Helen was very knowledgeable, professional and a joy to work with on my home sale. They were available to answer questions and I was never asked to wait on hold. Great response time. Furthermore, they marketed my property immediately and we had showings immediately. I was sent the links to the online marketing. Very strong marketing skills on behalf of Helen and her team. We are very happy with the results we received. We will use Helen Oliveri next time!
Our entire experience with Helen was amazing. She knows themarket better than anyone and this is one of the many reasons she is #1 in sales. Helen did not just take our “listing”. She made sure we knew all the expectations of this emotional decision. Moving is stressful and we had complete comfort in knowing all along we had the BEST and most professional person to handle our real estate process. We are talking your HOME here, why on earth would you settle for 2nd best?
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!!