Tips on selling your home

[LostnFound]

Well my husband and I have decided to try and sale our home. We are needing more space and we knew this wasn't going to be a permanent home. We want to build a home with a little more space and land.

I have never sold a home before. I wanted to find out if anyone on the forum has sold a home and if they have any good tips when showing your home to others. I'm really dreading the thought of keeping my house clean for the next few months. It's going to take a lot of energy.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

[natickgirl]

Ive heard that one of the best things to do to sell a home is to depersonalize it. Do things like take down family pictures & your children's artwork. Also, pack up as much as you don't need now & put it in storage so your home looks bigger & less cluttered. Keep it smelling nice (scents provide powerful 1st impressions). And, putting effort into the yard will greatly increase curb appeal--often a little weeding, some flowers, and a few bags of bark mulch make a big difference.

Set a fair price & be truthful in your advertising. Be prepared to provide such information as how much you pay for utilities (people like a general idea of how much it costs to cool & heat the home & what water bills are like) and how close you are--in mileage--to schools, freeways, and shopping.

Hope that helps. Good luck!

[bookworm]

This book is an EXCELLENT resource. I would highly recommend using it. Good luck!!

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

[Erudite]

It's yucky time to try and sell a home, but I have to echo NG. Declutter to the point of Asian...that means super clean, no knick knacks, lots of surface space. Store it all AWAY from the home. If you don't have enough space, you don't want potential buyers to think they won't have enough space.

When the house is showing...turn on EVERY light. All the lamps, all the overheads. Light makes the space look bigger and brighter. It's an illusion thing. Of course, if it is cluttered in any way, that'll highlight that, so declutter completely.

We had our last house on the market for nearly a year. And it wasn't until my Mom came and did the super declutter, all the personal stuff, no extra stuff anywhere, that our house sold. Coincidence? Maybe, but I think it helped. Take down pictures that aren't really needed and everything. NOTHING that is not essential to making the space look just right. My Mom had take down the pictures I had between the countertop and the upper cupboards even.

Anyway, there's my two cents.

[LostnFound]

Thanks for all of the great tips to each of you. I have spent the week de-cluttering. I know it is a really bad time to try to sell a home right now. Luckily we are in no hurry, and if we don't sell it than that's fine too. Our kids are just getting bigger. I will have three teenagers this year. (Ouch that was hard to say) We just really need more space. I appreciate all of the tips.

[5ft Diva]

I so know what you mean, LnF. Good luck w/ your efforts to sell. Do you already have a place where you'll build picked out?

[LostnFound]

No, we have been looking throughout Tooele, and Stockton. Nothing set in stone yet. It's such a big decision that I have a hard time commiting to anything.

[Big_Sissy]

I hear that.

[5ft Diva]

Hey, LnF, how are you coming along w/ selling your home? Have you started or are you still getting it ready to sell?

[Big_Sissy]

I can tell from looking that you guys have done a lot of work on it. The front yard is looking really good.

[LostnFound]

We need to do a few other things before the house is ready. I need to get the carpets cleaned and we have a few more walls that need to be painted. We also are waiting on For Sale signs we bought on ebay. So hopefully in the next week we will have our home for sale.

Everyone cross your fingers for us!!!

[5ft Diva]