Selling Tips

You only get one chance to make a first impression. So does your house. And for most potential home buyers, that first impression often determines whether they will seriously consider a property.

Your home may have all sorts of wonderful features — after all, you bought it for a reason. But if your home doesn't make a good first impression, potential buyers may never see the most appealing aspects.

You have decided to sell your house. The first thing to do is to try to look at your house through new eyes. Remember, you live there, you are comfortable. You don't notice the stained siding anymore or the chips in the paint. You have learned to step over the crack in the sidewalk; you know just how to jiggle the latch so the gate opens.

Your first challenge is to step back and look at your house the way a potential buyer would look at it, seeing it for the first time. (Read our Tips For Buying A Home on this website to get an idea what potential buyers are looking for.)

Start right out at the street. What impression does your home make as you approach it? Is it neat and tidy with a well-kept lawn and gardens? Is the paint fresh? Is the siding clean? Does it look inviting or, does it look a little tired? Are the eaves sagging? Does the front porch need touching up? Do the shrubs and bushes need trimming? Are the flower beds sparse and weedy?

Using those same "first impression" eyes, take a tour of your home as though you were seeing it for the first time as a potential buyer. Go slowly, take notes as you go.

Look at your home at three levels: housekeeping, minor maintenance, and major maintenance.

Housekeeping issues are the easiest to fix. Minor maintenance — like painting, repairing marks on walls or replacing damage baseboard take a little more effort, but are relatively low-cost and can add significant first-impression value to your home. Major maintenance can take a lot more effort, and in some cases can be a lot more costly. You need to consider carefully whether the improvements will add enough value to your home to be a good investment. A basic rule is to do the cosmetic things which will improve your chances of selling, but avoid the major projects unless they add more value to the home than they cost.

Some things may be unavoidable such as repairs for structural soundness. Others, such as new flooring or a major bathroom renovation, might better be left to the new owner so they can do the work to their own taste.