By Amanda Pilley
Shopping for houses is like going to an interview. First impressions count. Did you know that many home buyers will make a decision about a house within the first 90 seconds of entering the property? Ninety seconds. This doesn’t leave much leeway for error. Here are some ways you can help maximize your interview time:
1. Boost your curb appeal. Most serious home buyers will try to drive by a property without a Realtor so they can decide if they even want to step foot in the place. If something about the exterior of the house turns a buyer off, they won’t bother to take that next step to make an appointment with their Realtor so they can actually go in and look around. If you’ve got a messy yard, now is the time to clean it up and make it look manicured. Get the toys off the lawn. Rake the leaves and mow the grass. Pressure wash your deck. Consider a coat of paint to freshen up the home, even if it’s only applied to one side of the house. Think about what you can do now to make your property look its best from the outside so that buyers will be intrigued enough to want to go inside.
2. Cut the clutter. This is important. Buyers want to imagine themselves living there, not you. If you want to really show off your house, then you need to minimize the stuff inside it. Rent a storage unit if you need to, but please take this step seriously. You’re moving anyway, right? It doesn’t hurt to start putting some stuff in boxes. Start by removing any unnecessary furniture that would otherwise make the space look smaller than it is. Leave a few tasteful and appropriate pieces. Boxes in the closet? Storage space sells, so maybe now is a good time for a yard sale. Walls and mantle covered in family pictures? Take ‘em down. You need to de-personalize as much as possible. Buyers are there to see your house, not you.
3. Clean and repair. Your house should look and smell fresh every time a potential buyer comes by to see it, so make sure your house is sparkling. Check all your light bulbs to make sure none are burnt out and replace any that are. Make sure all your curtains and blinds are open to let in the natural light. No one is going to get a good look at a room that‘s dimly lit. Clean those places you might otherwise skip in your general routine, like the baseboards, or pay a professional to clean your house for you. Pay particular attention to the kitchen. Consider a fresh coat of neutrally colored paint to liven up a room or hallway. If you have pets make sure that your house doesn’t smell like them. In fact, if you know the house is being shown, throw some cookies in the oven beforehand. It’s hard to resist the smell of fresh cookies.
Although there is not much you can do about the surrounding neighborhood, there is plenty you can do to boost the appeal of your home. Take a good, serious look at your house and the surrounding property. You might even consider recruiting a friend for an outside, unbiased opinion. If your house is getting plenty of showings but no offers, ask your Realtor for some feedback from the showings, and make improvements. If you do everything you can to help create that perfect first impression, it’ll only be a matter of time before a drive-by will turn into an offer.
Amanda has lived in Southeast Alaska for most of her adult life and recently moved back to Juneau for the third time. She is a graduate of Albertson College of Idaho with a degree in Creative Writing. To reach Amanda, please feel free to email her at amanda_pilley@hotmail.com.