8 Secrets to Selling Your Home – Who Knew?

As another chapter of my life comes to a close, I am getting ready to put my home on the market and downsize. Here are some great tips I found in selling a home.

Although many of these are not "secrets" as one would think of the terminology, many people who get ready to sell a home don't take things into account that could be detrimental to selling your home.

While many of these things on my list were common sense to me, some weren't and are good advice I would never have thought of.

• Pricing - Many studies actually say to find out the real value of your home and then drop that price by 15%. While this may seem like a gutsy move, in today's market, it will most likely drive bidding up between potential home buyers.
• De-personalize - While many of us are quite proud of our families, other's really don't care to be quite honest. Many think it should be a personalized as possible but that just isn't the case because many times it makes it hard for a potential buyer to see their lives in the home. Some "stagers" suggest removing one-third of your personal belongings and putting them in storage which includes family photos etc.
• Lighting - After location, the single biggest concern is light. Take down the drapes, increase light bulb wattage and by all means, spare no expense in cleaning the windows.
• Closets - Let's be honest, each one of us who has bought a home has been a "snoop" so expect buyers to be nosey as well. One major concern is closet space and experts recommend boxing up half of your closet/s and making sure what's left is neat and tidy. This also goes for the kitchen. Make sure those cabinets are arranged and clean.
• Pets - This one surprised me a bit but it does make some sense. Buyers don't care if you have a cuddly dog or friendly cat. Many don't like animals and some have the perception that if you have pet hair all over, the rest of the house will be dirty to. They just don't get it but that anti-animal buyer may be your top buyer. So remove the pet food and water dishes and get rid of the pet hair the best you can. I know, it's next to impossible.
• Exterior - This one is a no-brainer for me. Curbside appeal is everything and you never get a second chance to make that first impression. If the outside of your home looks sloppy, more times than not, you have already lost the sale. I know this is not true in all cases but most will wonder if you care about the upkeep of your interior if you don't care about the exterior. Keep it picked up and clean and re-paint if you are way overdue.
• Kitchen - Let's face it. This is one of the most important rooms in the house so it needs to be ready to go. Minor things can be done that could save you a beating of thousands like fresh paint, maybe some new hardware on the cupboards and by all means, clean the cabinets and drawers. Buyers WILL look to see what kind of space there is so make it look like there is plenty of space.
• Show Ready - For those of us with jobs and families, this can be tedious and hard but it's critical your home is ready to show at a moments notice. Don't leave dishes in the sink or dishwasher, make sure the bathroom are spotless, dust more than you normally would and don't forget about all the pet hair. Things you may only do once a month, or once a year, need to be done daily or weekly.

There are no sure fire ways to sell your home quickly and/or see a profit but these tips sure can't help and I had already done about 90% of them but the other 10% are things that I think are critical and not a big deal, so why take a chance?