The ABC "D's" of Selling or How to Sell a House!

If you are thinking about selling a home but don't quite know where to start then this Blog Post is for you.  Hopefully, you have a bit of time before you actually need to get put your home on the market, but if not, a lot of these basic ideas can be done fairly quickly.  Here are the basic "D's" of selling a house in Pittsburgh, or anywhere for that matter.

• De-Clutter:  You probably already know that less is more when it comes to selling a house.  The home will appear larger, cleaner and more well kept if there are only a  few tasteful decorations on horizontal surfaces and  no excess furniture, baskets, toys etc.  Too much furniture closes in a room and makes it appear smaller than it really is.  You get the picture.  Walk through model homes near your neighborhood to see how beautiful and inviting a home can look. And don't forget the closets.  If things fall out when the door is opened, buyers will questions the amount of storage and closet sizes in the home.   I can hear you now, "but where will I put all my things"?  Pack up some items and store them in your garage or basement.  If there is just too much, you may want to consider renting a storage unit or a PODS (Portable On-Demand Storage).  You'll have to pack anyway, so why not get started now and sell your home quicker and for top dollar. 
• De-Personalize:  The idea here is to remove personal items that make the home yours.  This includes family pictures and portraits, the deer head mounted on the family room wall and your framed, dried wedding bouquet.  Not that they are not meaningful or even nice looking, but we want the buyers to see themselves living in your home and that is more difficult to do if YOUR stuff is everywhere!  Don't forget to de-personalize paint colors too.  Your daughter's tie-dyed room walls might fit her to a "T" but all a potential buyer will think about is the time and effort it will take to repaint the room.  Loud, bright colors should  be repainted a neutral shade so the walls just blend in and not shout "look at me".   The same goes for carpeting, especially if worn.  Buyers LOVE hardwood floors, so if you have them under your royal blue carpeting, by all means pull it up and leave the hardwoods exposed. 
• De-Wallpaper:  Home interior fashion goes in and out of style just like clothing fashion and right now wallpaper is OUT.  A small bathroom or a limited application shouldn't be a problem but if it covers most of the walls in your home, consider hiring someone to take it down and paint.  Most buyers hate wallpaper and will walk away from a home for sale if it has too much.  Money spent on preparing your home for sale will be recovered in terms of sales price and less time sitting on the market.  This is part of the  de-personalization process since wallpaper color and design is very personal!
• Dirt-Free:  A clean house is perceived by a potential home buyer as a home that is well cared for and maintained by the owner.  This is the type of home many buyers want to buy--a well kept home.  Dust, sweep, clean your oven, wash or hire someone to wash your windows.  Dirt is a turn-off!  The same goes for bad smells.  If Rover has the place smelling like a kennel, consider having  your carpets professionally cleaned (along with Fido). When selling a home, there is no room for TURN-OFFS.
• Design:    Rooms in your house should be designed or staged to reflect the room's function whenever possible.  A dining room that is used as a craft room will not show as well as one with a table and chairs.  A family room that is used as a play room with toys strewn all about will not be inviting nor will it help the buyer imagine living there.  A few well placed pictures on the walls, updated lighting and accessories and other inexpensive touches will add a design flair and will be worth the effort. 

But what about selling a house AS-IS?   Can you just stick a sign in the yard and hope for the best?  The answer is ABSOLUTELY.  The variable in this scenario is price.  For the right price (which will be significantly lower than if you prepared for the sale of your home), you can sell any house.  It depends on your goals, timing and the perceived price/value ratio.

An experienced Realtor can help you through the entire home selling process, from preparation & marketing to offer negotiation and finally to closing.  Make sure to hire an experienced agent who is well versed in the area, home preparation, staging, internet marketing and negotiaions.  Ask for their days on market statistics and sales price to list price ratio. Call references and make sure your hire the right agent for the job. (Did I mention my name starts with the letter "D")!  Good luck and happy selling!