Selling Your Home ? Be Sure It Shows Well

Whether you are selling a house, townhouse, condo or apartment, there are universal tips that will help it sell. Primary among those tips are making sure your home "shows well."

First impressions of a home go a long way to determining how quickly it will sell. Here are a few suggestions that will make your home show well.

1. Be sure the approach to your home is clean, tidy and well groomed. Any brass should be polished, paint on the door should be in good condition and the door should be washed clean of fingerprints and paw marks.

2. If your home is a single family house, be sure the grass is cut, leaves raked, plant beds mulched and weeded, etc.

3. If your home is in a multi-family building, be sure the approach and hall to your home is clean even if it is not your job!

4. Be sure your home is tidy and uncluttered. This includes closets, cabinets, garages, and other storage areas. When "stuffed," no amount of storage "shows" as adequate. When really messy, no room looks charming.

5. Make any repairs that are noticeably needed. Door handles and locks should fit well and firmly. Exterior doors should shut and lock solidly. Drains and downspouts should be firmly attached and clear of debris so water flows freely. Attached light fixtures should be firmly attached. All switches should turn on whatever they were designed to turn on -- light, fan, disposal, etc.

6. Conventional wisdom dictates your home should be "neutralized." You can't really go wrong following this advice. You know the drill -- beige or soft gray carpet, beige, gray, or taupe walls, white or off-white woodwork and ceilings. Sometimes a very soft gold or a soft sage green can also "read" as neutral.

7. If you have a sure sense of decorating (you probably do if family and friends frequently ask your advice and you enjoy making decorating decisions), and especially if you plan to leave color coordinated window treatments, you might leave more definite colors in place understanding that a potential buyer with no imagination might be put off by them and not think to request a "redecorating allowance" in a contract offer. Still, beautiful decorating which is not neutral undeniably attracts some buyers.

8. If your carpet is in poor condition, but you cannot afford to replace it, get several neutral samples in a mid-price range from a local carpet store, spread them on the floor, and add a note stating that you will be glad to provide a carpet allowance from the proceeds of settlement.

9. Dark homes show badly. Make sure lamps are on and lampshades are straight with the seams toward a wall. Make sure there is as much natural light as possible; have curtains, shades and blinds open.

Buyers are looking for a home they can see themselves living in. Follow the above tips and you will position your home to sell quickly.

Raynor James is with http://www.fsboamerica.org - providing homes for sale by owner, "FSBO", properties. Are you thinking, "Should I sell my home?" Visit http://www.fsboamerica.org/seller.cfm to sell your home sale for free for one month.

---

Transforming Doghouses into Dollhouses

Successful real estate investing depends largely on a correct assessment... Read More

Choosing a Realtor

Purchasing a property, either as an investor or as a... Read More

5 Simple Steps to Sell Your House Fast!

The decision to sell your house wasn't made on the... Read More

Home Owners: Disclose the Facts!

One of the most common causes for disputes occurring after... Read More

European Second Home Prices Wilt in Drought

Spain and Portugal have suffered one of their worst droughts... Read More

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

Should you Sell your Home yourself?

Should you sell your home yourself? Yes and no. Yes,... Read More

Buying a House in Scotland

Buying a house in Scotland is slightly different from buying... Read More

Invest In Real Estate - But Where?

Where should you invest in real estate? If you know... Read More

Real Estate Investing By The Numbers

Just like most things real estate investing can be broken... Read More

Why Real Estate?

Five months ago I was faced with a decision to... Read More

Real Estate Remains A Strong Investment

Opportunities to make big, quick profits in residential real estate... Read More

Santa Visits a Just-Moved Newcomer in South Florida

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house... Read More

How to Get Started in the Real Estate Game Fixing and Flipping Houses

If you're looking to get started investing in real estate... Read More

A $100,000+ Discount On Miami Condos

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

Title Insurance ? Examples of Problems and Advice

What is title insurance and why should any buyer get... Read More

Juggling The Day With A Deal

Doing deals with sellers is why you went into lease... Read More

Get To Know About Building Codes & Town Planning Applications, If You Want To Build A House

These are real building questions that I received from readers... Read More

Late Mortgage Payments Sabotage PMI Cancellation

There's something you should know about PMI!Private mortgage insurance is... Read More

Investing in the Baltic Tiger: What Has Estonia Got to Offer?

Estonia's reputation is growing within the property investment market. Rising... Read More

Why Commercial Real Estate is the Hottest Retirement Asset

For small business owners, commercial real estate investment is the... Read More

Finance Your Real Estate Investment Properties

Unlike traditional residential real estate mortgages, real estate investment financing... Read More

How To Increase Your Homes Selling Price by $3,306.75 In The Next 33 Days

According to the Federal Housing Finance Board:... "As of October... Read More

Las Vegas Real Estate - Luxury Properties

Las Vegas is known for it's over the top hotels... Read More

Renting Versus Buying A Home

Renters are often in a quandary as to whether it... Read More

Property Investment: Spoiled for Choice in Europes Emerging Markets

You could be forgiven for thinking that property is the... Read More

Real Estate, Real Property and Leased Land; Definitions, Discussion and Explanations

Delaware, and the rest of the original British Colonies, has... Read More

Do Bankers, Bubble, Discounters, & Justice Department Cloud Real Estate Industry?

Once relegated to the classified advertising section of the local... Read More

Jacksonville Real Estate Listings

With over 30,000 residents, Jacksonville in central Arkansas is a... Read More

Building Your Dream Home - Part 1

For most of my adult life I had thought about... Read More

The Many Ways To Profit From O.P.P.s Multiple Cash Streams

In a previous article we introduced you to the concept... Read More

How to Sell Your House For Full Price

Many people believe that a real estate broker is needed... Read More

Make Money As A Slumlord

Be a slumlord? Okay, I got your attention, now the... Read More