Seller Information

GET A LICENSED REAL ESTATE AGENT TO ASSIST YOU!!  

In today’s environment, it is necessary that all parties involved in the transaction know their rights and be legally covered.  Your Mathews Real Estate realtor is a professional and knows the “ins and outs” of selling and how to ensure your needs are best met and will look out for your best interest during the entire process. 

DISASSOCIATE YOURSELF WITH YOUR HOME – Your goal is to get others to see your house as their potential home, not yours, so disconnect you emotions; otherwise it could take longer to sell your property. 

  • Say to yourself “this is not my home; it is a house – a product to be sold much like a box of cereal.
  • Make the mental decision to “let go” and focus on your purpose to sell.
  • Say goodbye to every room.
  • Don’t look backwards - - look toward the future.

DE-PERSONALIZE – This is the first step in getting your home ready to sell. 

  • Pick up those personal photos and family heirlooms; Buyers can’t see past personal artifacts  -- you want them to see themselves in the house, not you.  You want buyers to say, “I can see myself living here”.

DE-CLUTTER – This is the hardest thing for most people to do because of emotional attachment and after a few years of living in the home, clutter collects in ways that may not be evident to a homeowner.  However, it does affect the way buyers see the home, even if you do not realize it.

  • If you don’t need it, now is the perfect time to donate it or throw it away.
  • Remove all books from bookcases.
  • Pack up those knickknacks.
  • Clean off everything on the kitchen counters.
  • Put essential items used daily in a small box that can be stored in a closet when not in use.

REARRANGE BEDROOM CLOSETS AND KITCHEN CABINETS  (It can be the little things that matter)

  • Buyers love to snoop and will open closets and cabinets.  If they see things organized, it says you probably take good care of the rest of the house as well.
  • Neatly stack dishes.
  • Hang shirts together facing the same direction
  • Line up shoes, etc.

IF POSSIBLE, RENT A STORAGE UNIT

  • Almost every home shows better with less furniture.  
  • Remove pieces of furniture that block or hamper paths. 
  • Since your bookcases are now empty, store them. 
  • Remove extra leaves from your dining room table, etc. 
  • Leave just enough furniture in each room to showcase the room’s purpose and lots of moving around room. 

REMOVE/REPLACE FAVORITE ITEMS

  • If you want to take window coverings or if the chandelier was your great grandmother’s, then remove it now.  If a buyer never sees it, she won’t want it. 
  • Replace any light fixtures, etc. that you remove.

MAKE MINOR REPAIRS

  • Replace cracked floor or counter tiles.
  • Patch holes in walls.
  • Fix leaky faucets.
  • Fix doors that don’t properly close and kitchen drawers that jam.
  • Consider painting your walls neutral colors.
  • Replace burned-out light bulbs.
  • If you’ve considered replacing a worn bedspread, do so now!

MAKE THE HOUSE SPARKLE!

  • Odors are a no-no!
  • For those who smoke, you might want to minimize smoking indoors while trying to sell your home.  Actually, it is best to move smoking outside.
  • If you have pets, it is very important that a potential buyer not even realize that when they enter your home.  Empty litter boxes often, keep the dogs outdoors as much as possible, try sprinkling carpet freshener on the carpet on a periodic basis. 
  • Keep the kitchen clean & sparkling.
  • Wash windows inside and out.
  • Rent a pressure washer and spray down sidewalks and exterior.
  • Clean out cobwebs.
  • Re-caulk tubs, showers and d sinks.
  • Polish chrome faucets and mirrors.
  • Clean out the refrigerator.
  • Vacuum daily.
  • Dust furniture, ceiling fan blades and light fixtures.
  • Bleach dingy grout.
  • Hang up fresh towels.
  • Clean and air out any musty smelling areas.

SCRUTINIZE

  • Go Outside and open your front door.  Stand there.  Do you feel the house welcomes you?
  • Examine carefully how furniture is arranged and move pieces around until it makes sense.
  • Make sure window coverings hang level.

CHECK CURB APPEAL

  • Keep the sidewalks cleared.
  • Mow the lawn.
  • Paint faded window trim.
  • Plant yellow flowers or group flowerpots together.  Yellow evokes a buying emotion. Marigolds are excellent.
  • Trim your hedges, shrubs.
  • Make sure visitors can clearly read your house number.

 

 

TIPS FOR SELLING YOUR HOME

 

SET YOUR PRICE CAREFULLY

  • Too high and buyers may not consider it; too low and you’re selling yourself short.  
  • Your Mathews Real Estate Realtor will give you a free home market analysis if you ask. 
  • This gives you an idea of how your home compares financially with similar, recently sold homes in your area. 
  • The analysis will also include how much you might expect to clear after closing.

 

DON’T DO MAJOR REMODELING

  • Don’t break the bank preparing your home for sale.  Pricey items such as a new roof may be big hits with buyers, but rarely does the buying price end up covering the payout for such costly home improvements. 
  • When possible, stick with the simpler  (and less expensive) options rather than major remodeling.

 

MAKE A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION

Curb appeal is important.

  • Keep your lawn and other landscaping neatly trimmed, weeded and watered. 
  • Check the exterior of your home for signs of wear and damage such as peeling paint, foundation cracks or loose shingles.