There is truly an art to selling a home. This art goes far beyond pricing and holding an open house. The system that we have developed can be likened to dating or landing that perfect job. It is simply about being the best of show, and knowing your direct competition. Just as we take the time to nurture ourselves inside and out to be the best we can be, it is necessary to do the same with your home in preparing it for sale. My last five listings at Tenhulzen Real Estate have sold in an average of 10 days, most of which have had multiple offers. One even sold at 5% over asking price right after the market fell in just one day!
The first step I use is to introduce my sellers to comparable homes in the area- the same properties that a buyer who will look at the subject home will be seeing. Then we see what, if any, improvements need to completed on their home to be the best home at that price point and in that area. Sometimes it is as simple as paint, staging, and making sure the crawlspace and attic are in good shape. Other times reconfiguring the space, and updating the kitchen and baths will actually double the money put in, and sell within a week instead of the year it might take otherwise.
Each type of home and neighborhood require different preparation for the market, just as the requirements to be hired as CEO differ from those to be hired as a receptionist. It is crucial that your real estate professional be able to pinpoint these details in order to sell your home for the highest possible price in the shortest amount of time. He or she should be willing to do whatever it takes to make sure your home shines.
Remember, buying a home is an emotional decision. Most buyers really have to visualize how they would function well in each space of the home, and will turn away from a property without really knowing why. It just didn’t feel right, or they just did not “love” it. Something as simple as damaged furniture, old paint, or mismatched interior doors can lose a buyer even without their ability to express why. Take the same home and spruce it up by changing out a few doors, replacing the oversized or damaged furniture, and freshening up the paint, and that same buyer might write an offer immediately. For those of you that can easily see past the superficial things in a home, you are the exception! Just like the prettiest girl in school was asked out on the most dates, the most attractive home always receives the most offers.
Once your home is ready for the market, it is important for your real estate agent to hire a professional photographer. I am always shocked when an agent posts their own pictures on the MLS, or uses them in marketing pieces. The most important thing in real estate sales is to get the buyers there. If the photographs do not do the home justice, chances are the buyer and the agent will not view the home. The next step is to get the buyers through the door. Curb appeal is so important! Make sure to keep up the landscaping (or add some) a few weeks prior to coming on the market.
Feel free to contact me at Tenhulzen Real Estate for more specific details in the art of preparing your home for sale. I offer free design consultations and project management at cost for my listings, and minimal fee design services to clients working with another brokerage. We would simply love to help you buy or sell a home.
cell 206.409.0771 office 425.885.9871 Kimberly@Tenhulzen.com
Kimberly Tenhulzen
Real Estate Professional
Tenhulzen Real Estate
Tenhulzen Real Estate was awarded the Puget Sound Business Journal’s top 20 Real Estate Brokerages in 2009. Tenhulzen Real Estate is a boutique brokerage that offers unprecedented skill, service, and results.
