Preparing For The Sale Of Your Home.

By Gina S Soldano Broker/Associate,
ABR®, AHWD®, e-PRO®, GREEN, MRP®,
PSA®, SFR®, SRES®, SRS®, REALTOR® ;SFR®, SRES®, SRS®, REALTOR®

One of the hardest things about selling a home for both the REALTOR® and the Seller is preparing it for sale.

For the Seller it is letting go of the emotional ties to the property:

1. The comfort of walking in everyday to familiar surroundings
2. Knowing every noise in the still of the night
3. A particular place to admire all of your collections
4. Family photos and mementos in every room
5. The beautiful painting over the fireplace mantel
6. The mark each of your children left on the house

For the Realtor® it is “How do I suggest to the Seller the things that have to be done to the property to obtain the best selling price?” like:

1. This is a throwback to the 70’s and needs at least a new coat of paint
2. That awful noise coming from the vents must be the furnace. Time to call a plumber
3. Wow! I didn’t know there where so many different kinds of peace pipes ( I think we better pack those away)
4. Oh brother how do they dust all of those - there is not an inch of space need to buy some photo albums
5. Do they actually still make velvet paintings of Elvis? Suggest a mirror.
6. It looks like John was 42 inches tall in 1968 and Jane 37 inches tall –add a carpenter to the list.

Although this is a bit of an exaggeration it is not far from reality. As a homeowner you become accustomed to your house and to the style you have chosen for it. If you have lived in it for a number of years you accumulate memories and the objects associated with them. You tend to put off fixing the squeaky door or loose floor board after all they add character right.

The best thing to do is to remember the first time you saw your house. I bet you have made a number of changes and added a lot of life to it since then to make it your own especially if you have lived in it for a while. My point is that a Buyer is most likely not going to see your home in the same way that you do. You want them to see it as their new home a canvas that they can use to create their own memories. In order for them to see your house that way you will have to do the same thing and look at your house objectively.

Here are some suggestions:

1. Grab a friend, one that can be objective and observant without being critical, and do a complete walk through of your house starting outside the front door (curb appeal). Take note of anything that needs repair or a touch of paint.
2. De-clutter de-clutter de-clutter. Clutter makes any room look smaller. It is a good time to start packing away things you don’t need every day. Be sure to store them off the property if at all possible.
3. Hire a staging professional. They will arrange your furniture in a way that shows your house in its best light.
4. Lastly, consider having an inspection prior to listing your house it will allow you to fix any problems beforehand preventing potential unwanted surprises during the sale process.

Remember selling your house is another adventure. Even though it is emotional the memories will go with you. Your REALTOR® is there to help you throughout the process beginning with advice on where to start in preparing you for the sale of your house.

Gina S Soldano is a REALTOR® with

ERA Millennium Everett, Massachusetts.