Calgary Market Update

Where the Eyes Rest, the Sale Begins

Everywhere the eye rests, the sale begins. So that means everything counts. Floors, paint colors, lights, countertops, windows...the stuff outside, the stuff inside.

The biggest mistake sellers make is thinking that good enough is good enough. It usually isn't -- not anymore. I hear this all the time - "I can't be bothered to do all of this stuff." You know what?   The buyer can't be bothered either. So if the seller can't be bothered to do all of these things, why should buyers trade their houses for your house? There are lots of other houses out there. It's a very competitive marketplace. Buyers are expecting something great and if you've got anything less than a great-looking property, you're not likely to get the offer you're looking for.

Think Like the Buyer

When most sellers list their home for sale the first thing they think about is how much money they will get and how soon will they get it. It's certainly understandable that those two concerns are at the top of most sellers' minds.

But, if you can get into the buyer's mindset, the sale of your home can come faster and for more money.

Understanding the way buyers think involves seeing things not from the seller's perspective but from the potential buyer's mindset.   It may sound easy but actually it's often harder to do than most sellers think. The psychology of buying is driven by emotional experiences, money and timing. This said, expertly staging the home for sale creates circumstances that literally walk the buyer through the process, inciting a good offer.

It starts with a feeling. When you meet someone for the first time, you form a first impression based on a feeling. That's exactly what happens when buyers set foot into your home.

It starts on the Internet so it's very important to make the pictures of your home attractive. You have two drive-bys: one via the web and one actual, if they get that far. If the Internet pictures are not appealing, you might not ever get the buyers to get in their car and come inside for a viewing.

Once you entice buyers with eye-catching pictures and then through your front door (and hopefully not ducking through overgrown trees and shrubs) you still have to keep up the good work.

1. Take away anything that's too personal. Just as you wouldn't show pictures of your ex on a first date; put personal things away. You want to engage the buyer emotionally. Leaving family pictures and your children's artwork out is distracting and just reminds them that the house belongs to someone else.

2. Set the mood. Really think romance here. If you want them to fall in love with your home have soft lighting, light the fireplace if it's safe to leave it on, play instrumental music in the background, put out flowers. The longer you keep them interested in the house, the more likely they'll make an offer.

3.   Make sure it's not overfilled and cluttered. Pick up all the loose clutter that's floating around. People like to see houses that are streamlined, clean and fresh looking. There's nothing worse than walking into a home for sale and seeing stacks of magazines, toys and clothes strewn on the floors, laundry stacked up and unmade beds. Not a good way to impress on your first date.

4.   Cleaning items that might have been overlooked for some time. i.e. carpets, upholstery, furniture, windows, light fixtures. Even wipe down the furnace and inside cabinets and closets for a leg up on the competition.

5.   Go back to basics and neutralize.   Say goodbye to the rose, hunter green or peach carpet that was the rage when you bought in the '80's. You may still love your yellow sink and toilet, but how many buyers will? As soon as buyers see a really loud or dated color, they automatically think about renovating. That, of course, means the buyers are already beginning to calculate the amount of money they need to take off of the sale price in order to get the home in the condition they would like it.   If you stick with warm neutral colors, you have a better chance of receiving a good offer.

7. Repair anything that is torn, worn or broken. If you walked into a retail store and saw a garment that you liked, but it was torn or missing buttons, chances are you'd search for another one or ask for a discount if that were the only one of its kind. That's what buyers will do with your home when they spot torn screens, stained sinks, tarnished taps or broken light fixtures. Items that are not repaired are also red flags to buyers who may begin to wonder if there is more damage to the home than what is immediately apparent. They then start to calculate the cost of repairing damages and often exaggerate the amount of money needed for repairs, thus lowering their offer. If sellers don't take the time to fix up their homes before putting them on the market, then you can expect to see offers anywhere from $10,000 to $30,000 lower than the asking price just because of these cosmetic issues. And by the way, replace all those burned out light bulbs.

The bottom line here is to put in some effort, creativity and thought or hire a talented home stager to help you through this process, prior to opening your door to buyers. And hopefully the first date will lead to a quick "I do".

Karyn

by Karyn Elliott

403.287.1774
www.homestagers.ca