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
I really did not know Helen and her team too well, because Helen sold my house in a week! The first thing that Helen impressed me is her punctuality. Before I selected Helen as my realtor, I interviewed several others. One of them was 30 minutes late and did not even bother to call me. Helen’s follow-up is excellent. She kept me informed during the whole process and always returned my calls promptly. I would absolutely refer anyone to Helen for her real estate service.
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!!
Helen has great knowledge of the local market, great advice on every aspect of the transaction and great service. Our experience was terrific and I’ll recommend her to every buyer or seller I know. We were very pleased with the whole process. We both work a lot of hours and Helen and her team took care of everything. She’s pulled together a great group of professionals and I will definitely work with her again if we decide to buy or sell another property.
From the moment we met Helen we knew that buying our new condo was going to be a wonderful experience. Helen Oliveri and her team rendered the usually painful process of home buying as stress free as possible. Working with Helen wound up being what she and her entire team always says, “My pleasure!” At the end of the day we give Helen and her team a qualified and enthusiastic “rave” review.
I feel the weight off my shoulders since this afternoon.It obviously was the right time to leave our home as we have no regrets, only fond memories. You and your team were fabulous and helped me through a challenging time. I would be more than happy to give a referral by phone to prospective clients. Thank you for everything and I wish you continued success as you certainly deserve it.
Everyone on Helen’s team works well together and with the client to accomplish the objective – sell houses! I feel my home was marketed excellent and the property sold so quickly. I rate my experience with Helen Oliveri and The Helen Oliveri Team just outstanding. At the end of the day, our house had been on the market for a year with a different agent and had not been sold. The house sold in 28 days after I listed it with Helen and that is what it is all about.
Bottom line is she sold our home when I don’t think many others would of as evidence by the other homes for sale in our neighborhood. Bottom line again, Helen and her team are top notch and if your looking to sell or buy I don’t see how you could go wrong choosing her.
We were so very pleased to have Helen as our selling agent. We were especially impressed by her personal touch and concern for our interest, market in-puts and follow-up, quick turnaround time, and knowledge of the field. You should be proud of what you do as you definitely stand out as a highly qualified real estate agent. We never felt you ever let us down and were always looking out for our best interest.
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.