Sell Houses Fast & Top Dollar: Design Psychology

How would you like to start a bidding war for your home, ending with a sales price greater than the asking price -- all within your home's first three hours on the market? That's the kind of results you can expect when you prepare your home for marketing, using Design Psychology methods!

Design Psychology's innovative interior design strategies go well beyond normal cleaning, painting, and repairs, and have been proven to increase homeowner profit while shortening a home's market time. And best of all, you don't have to spend a lot of money to enjoy the benefits Design Psychology can provide!

Here are a few tips for maximizing your sales price, while minimizing the out-of-pocket cost of selling your home:

First, you must emotionally detach yourself from your home and begin to think of it as simply a piece of property that needs to be sold. In the end, your goal is to make your home feel like a well-appointed vacation property and to spur buyers' imaginations with dreams of enjoying a new life in your luxurious home -- soon, and at top dollar!

Imagine your home as a five-star hotel room with a kitchen. Set out your best china, crystal, and finest linens, and then start packing everything you won't need, including all personal items, such as family photos, memorabilia, and other clutter. Your aim is to create a luxurious feeling for prospective buyers -- because buyers will pay more for a home that makes them feel pampered and comfortable.

Once you've got the interior of the house feeling warm and inviting, it's time to take inventory around the rest of your property. Take a notebook, and make three columns on your notepad: "No Cost Changes," "Small Cost Changes," and "Dream List Changes." Then start at the street, pretending you're a home buyer, seeing the property for the first time. It may help to have a friend with you during this process, in order to be more objective.

Walk around the property, just as a potential buyer would, making notes about everything that could use improvement, such as landscaping and exterior paint, listing each change in the proper column. Then walk to the front door, enter the house, and then walk through, letting the natural flow of the layout guide you all the way to the backyard.

Keep a constant eye out for things that need attention, jotting them down on your notepad as you walk around the property. Notate everything you find that detracts from the serene, inviting feeling you're trying to create.

Once you've compiled your list, begin with tackling the items in the "No Cost Changes" column. They could be things like pulling weeds, moving plants from crowded garden areas and transplanting them elsewhere, or rearranging furniture, to show off your home's architectural features or to make rooms seem more spacious.

Always try to see your home as a prospective buyer would see it. Set up enticing vignettes throughout the house, such as an intimate breakfast table for two in the master bedroom or a book sitting on an end table in the reading nook.

Since under-furnished rooms allow buyers to imagine their own furnishings in a home, it'll be worthwhile to sell or place unnecessary furniture in storage. If you find that hard to do, compare the cost of moving a piece of furniture to the cost of replacing it, and then ask yourself if the piece is worth keeping.

For tackling the items on your list that will cost money to address, always make sure the expense will be worth the benefit.

Using new interior design ideas to prepare your home for sale can speed your sale and get you a bigger check at closing.

Copyright c.2004 Jeanette Fisher All rights reserved.

Professor Jeanette Fisher, author of Doghouse to Dollhouse for Dollars, Joy to the Home, and other books teaches Real Estate Investing and Design Psychology. For more articles, tips, reports, newsletters, and sales flyer template, see http://www.doghousetodollhouse fordollars.com/pages/5/index.htm

In The News:


pen paper and inkwell


cat break through


Is 100% Annual Return On Investments Possible With Low Risk Land Investments?

In last week's article, we discussed how substantial profits could... Read More

Boston Real Estate ? You Still Have Considerable Control Over the Sale of Your Boston Home

Boston real estate is a hot topic. Daily newspaper articles... Read More

Property Investors, Scrub Your Thoughts and Start Again - Brazil, Brazil, Brazil!

Brazil Property - FortalezaThe PlaceWhat to do in a place... Read More

The Benefits of A Real Estate Agent 101

Buying and selling property is not as easy as you... Read More

Home Inspections or Home Warranty?

Homebuyers are a curious lot. They routinely ask thought-provoking questions.... Read More

Boston Real Estate ? Choosing the Right Boston Real Estate Agent

As a successful Boston real estate agent, it always puzzled... Read More

Florida Real Estate Exploding For 15+ More Years?

YEEHAW!!!!!! The south will rise again!! Can't you just imagine... Read More

18 Easy Steps to Buy a Bargain House

What is a "distressed" property? What is "bargain" real estate?A... Read More

A Few Easy Ways To Take The Headache Out Of Moving

Moving from one house to another is always a challenge,... Read More

When Showing Your Home

Here below are some of the reasons why buyers may... Read More

Real Estate Investing - Books,TV Infomercials, and Seminars

Real estate investing has become popularized today because of real... Read More

A $100,000+ Discount On Miami Condos

By this point and time, many people have heard about... Read More

Best Time to Buy? Best Time to Sell?

When is the best time to buy? When is the... Read More

3 Strategies For Buying Property With No Money Down

Everyone has heard a story or read about someone who... Read More

Want To Be Profitable In This Real Estate Bubble? I?ll Show You How In Just Three Easy Steps

STEP#1. First you have to recognize that in order to... Read More

10 Tips to Sell Your House Faster!

Here are some Handy wee Tips to help you Sell... Read More

Should I Invest in Real Estate While Running an Internet Business?

Of course you should. I practice this for quite a... Read More

Part 1: FAQ?s From Media Interviews With Real Estate Author

Do you feel there is going to be a real... Read More

Real Estate Investing - House Problems

Houses can have lots of problemsReal estate investing requires expertise... Read More

Be A Realtor With Curb Appeal

Are you a realtor with curb appeal or are you... Read More

How to Prequalify a Buyer When You Sell Your Home By Owner

One questions many "for sale by owner" sellers... Read More

Find the Right Apartment Quickly and Easily Using an Apartment Locator Service

You've probably seen the ads or heard about apartment locators.... Read More

Finding The Perfect Maui Home For Sale

If you are thinking of relocating to Maui, this article... Read More

Guide To Finding The Perfect Central Illinois House

Central Illinois is an area rich in cultural activities and... Read More

Choosing a Reputable Real Estate Appraiser

When you are considering purchasing a property; either for investment... Read More

Foreclosure Home Deals

Did you know that you can save tens of thousands... Read More

FSBO - Selling Your Home FSBO (for sale by owner) ? Is It Worth It?

FSBO, what is it? FSBO means For Sale by Owner,... Read More

Buying A Home ? Rain, Sun, and Weather Issues

When buying a home, it can be easy to overlook... Read More

Should You Sell Your Home Yourself?

Are you thinking about selling your home? Would you like... Read More

Your Home Equity Can Work for You

"Use your home's equity to pay off your debt. It's... Read More

Finding a Great Listing Agent for Your Home: 8 Tips

If you've decided to list your home, you'll be paying... Read More

Buying Overseas Property

Fourteen Top Tips for Overseas Property Investment:1. Buy what you... Read More

FSBO: For Sale By Owners Chapter IV [part 1]

Like a monarch, Red Haring reigned in the deep leather... Read More