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As a homeowner, you can play an important part in the timely sale of your property. When you
take the following steps, you’ll help your RE/MAX Sales Associate sell your home faster, at the
best possible price.
The easiest and most reliable way to improve the appeal of your home is to enlist a quality home
service professional. The right professional can help you get everything in order - from repainting
the kitchen to providing a thorough cleaning - so you can stay focused on more important things.
1. Make the Most of that First Impression
A well-manicured lawn, neatly trimmed shrubs and a clutter-free porch welcome prospects. So
does a freshly painted – or at least freshly scrubbed – front door. If it’s autumn, rake the leaves.
If it’s winter, shovel the walkways. The fewer obstacles between prospects and the true appeal
of your home, the better.
2. Invest a Few Hours for Future Dividends
Here’s your chance to clean up in real estate. Clean up the living room, the bathroom, the kitchen.
If your woodwork is scuffed or the paint is fading, consider some minor redecoration. Fresh
wallpaper adds charm and value to your property. If you’re worried about time, hire professional
cleaners or painters to get your house ready. Remember, prospects would rather see how great
your home really looks than hear how great it could look "with a little work."
3. Check Faucets and Bulbs
Dripping water rattles the nerves, discolors sinks, and suggests faulty or worn-out plumbing.
Burned out bulbs or faulty wiring leave prospects in the dark. Don’t let little problems detract
from what’s right with your home.
4. Don’t Shut Out a Sale
If cabinets or closet doors stick in your home, you can be sure they will also stick in a prospect’s
mind. Don’t try to explain away sticky situations when you can easily plane them away. A little
effort on your part can smooth the way toward a closing.
5. Think Safety
Homeowners learn to live with all kinds of self-set booby traps: roller skates on the stairs,
festooned extension cords, slippery throw rugs and low hanging overhead lights. Make your
residence as non-perilous as possible for uninitiated visitors.
6. Make Room for Space
Remember, potential buyers are looking for more than just comfortable living space. They’re
looking for storage space, too. Make sure your attic and basement are clean and free of
unnecessary items.
7. Consider Your Closets
The better organized a closet, the larger it appears. Now’s the time to box up those unwanted
clothes and donate them to charity.
8. Make Your Bathroom Sparkle
Bathrooms sell homes, so let them shine. Check and repair damaged or unsightly caulking in the
tubs and showers. For added allure, display your best towels, mats, and shower curtains.
9. Create Dream Bedrooms
Wake up prospects to the cozy comforts of your bedrooms. For a spacious look, get rid of
excess furniture. Colorful bedspreads and fresh curtains are a must.
10. Open up in the Daytime
Let the sun shine in! Pull back your curtains and drapes so prospects can see how bright and
cheery your home is.
11. Lighten up at Night
Turn on the excitement by turning on all your lights - both inside and outside - when showing your
home in the evening. Lights add color and warmth, and make prospects feel welcome.
12. Avoid Crowd Scenes
Potential buyers often feel like intruders when they enter a home filled with people. Rather than
giving your house the attention it deserves, they're likely to hurry through. Keep the company
present to a minimum.
13. Watch Your Pets
Dogs and cats are great companions, but not when you're showing your home. Pets have a talent
for getting underfoot. So do everybody a favor: Keep Kitty and Spot outside, or at least out of the
way.
14. Think Volume
Rock-and-roll will never die. But it might kill a real estate transaction. When it's time to show your
home, it's time to turn down the stereo or TV.
15. Relax
Be friendly, but don't try to force conversation. Prospects want to view your home with a
minimum of distraction.
16. Don't Apologize
No matter how humble your abode, never apologize for its shortcomings. If a prospect volunteers
a derogatory comment about your home's appearance, let your experienced RE/MAX Associate
handle the situation.
17. Keep a Low Profile
Nobody knows your home as well as you do. But RE/MAX Sales Associates know buyers - what
they need and what they want. Your RE/MAX Associate will have an easier time articulating the
virtues of your home if you stay in the background.
18. Don't Turn Your Home into a Second-Hand Store
When prospects come to view your home, don't distract them with offers to sell those
furnishings you no longer need. You may lose the biggest sale of all.
19. Defer to Experience - It's the Experience®
When prospects want to talk price, terms, or other real estate matters, let them speak to an
expert - your RE/MAX Sales Associate.
20. Help Your Agent
Your RE/MAX Associate will have an easier time selling your home if showings are scheduled
through his or her office. You'll appreciate the results!
