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REAL
E S TAT E with CHRIS HINES F R O M U N R E A L E S T AT E
Your home may be a great place to raise a family or just live. The problem, of course, is a buyer does not know that and instead forms an immediate opinion on what they see first.
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ven in the present ‘Hot’ market, it is important to remember the basics of presenting your home at its best. Love at first sight is a cliché, but it has an underlying truth to it as do most clichés. The simple fact is we are an emotional species. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, we always form a first impression of everything we come in contact with. That impression may be conscious or subconscious. The undisputed fact, however, is our first impression determines any subsequent decisions a majority of the time. If you are selling a property, you must accept and focus on this fact. As a seller, it is vital that you understand a buyer’s first impression of your home is everything. If the first impression is not good, the buyer will move on. It is as simple as that. There are two areas where you are going to make a first impression, so let’s take a closer look at them. Obviously, one area is when a buyer first comes to see the property. The minute they drive up your street, they are evaluating. They are looking at all the homes, not just yours. As a result, it is important that you
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home looks as good as it can compared to Then make the beds. If you want to do those around you. This means you need to more, and really you should, take a hard have the landscaping in excellent shape. look around. Are your surfaces covered in Remove dead plants, edge the lawn, fertilise decorations? If so, are these here because everything, rake up leaves and so on. If they enhance the room, or because they you have a driveway, you should have it have sentimental value? If the answer is cleaned before showing the latter, get rid of it, at the property. Keep garage least for the time being. doors closed. The list is Start packing, even if People haven’t endless, so just make you don’t know where taken the time sure the first impression is you are going to move. to even tidy up a impeccable. You will be glad you did little before they or When I look through for at least a couple of their agent take the pictures of real estate reasons. First, potential photos that will be online, I see so many buyers won’t be any buyer’s first pictures of messy rooms. distracted by your clutter, impression. People haven’t taken and second, you’ll be the time to even tidy that much further along up a little before they or their agent take when it does come time to move. the photos that will be any buyer’s first Look around the home again. Is it impression. So often in these photos, the crowded? If you have more furniture tv’s are on and there are cans of drink on than you absolutely need, or than fits the coffee table. This looks so ugly! So I comfortably in the room, consider packing think the easiest way to make your home it up also. look better than most is to simply clean it But all this doesn’t mean emptying your up. home to achieve that un-lived-in feel. On First off, tidy the surfaces. Clearing away the contrary, you want your home to be dishes and your daily clutter is the bare cosy. There is a balance between cluttered minimum you can do to at least let a buyer and cosy, and you must find it. see the house that sits underneath it all.
