5 Essential Tips for Selling Your Home

Whether you are getting ready for a job interview, preparing to meet someone special for the first time, or selling your home – first impressions are vital. As homeowners begin preparing their homes for sale, Showhomes encourages them to take some essential steps to make sure the most important first step takes place: buyers make the decision to view the home.

"Many people think all they have to do is make sure the inside of their home is clean, but it really goes far beyond that when it comes to making sure your home looks its best so that buyers will take a look." said Thomas Scott, Vice President of Operations for Showhomes Franchise Corporation.

"Your home has the best chance of selling if it is fully staged and full of life. That is why we have released five essential tips that can help local residents stay on the right track when preparing their homes for a sale."

Scott reveals Showhomes' five tips for selling a vacant home:

1. Curb Appeal – the better the curb appeal of your home is, the more attractive it is to prospective buyers. When selling any home, it’s all about presentation. The curb appeal of your home is what influences people to look. It’s your first point of contact with a buyer and it better be a good one! Here is what Scott recommends:

Trim overgrown bushes, weed beds and add a fresh layer of mulch .

Clean your front door and repaint if needed .

Add a fresh doormat – thick sisal or coco mats make the best first impression. Not only do they make for a better look, everyone steps on the doormat and a clean, fresh one makes a distinct first impression.

Keep grass cut, edged and blown.

Plant some color in the beds to add contrast.

2. Cleaning – People are buying a lifestyle when they buy a new home, not just a house. A dirty and unclean house translates into an unclean life. For most buyers, dirt equals stress and the last thing most buyers want is more stress in their lives. Cleaning is easy to accomplish.

Here is what Showhomes recommends:

Pressure-wash the driveway and sidewalks. The driveway is one of the largest visual elements buyers see and a dirty or stained driveway sets a poor tone.

Clean windows inside and out – this often overlooked item really makes a huge difference. Even a spotlessly clean home will look grungy with dirty windows.

Pressure wash decks and patios. Outdoor living space makes a home larger and can draw people outside the home and make them feel more comfortable with the home. People spend more time in these spaces than in some rooms so making sure you clean these well makes a big difference.

3. Paint – When selling any home, the condition and color of the paint can make a huge difference in how buyers react to your home. Touch up or paint your walls and trim and select neutral colors. Avoid painting white – it is sterile and stark and can make buyers feel uncomfortable and unwelcome in your home. Select light neutrals – creamy kakis, pearly grays or soft greens.

4. Replace Worn Carpet – nothing runs buyers off quicker than worn and stained carpet! Dirty carpet is unsanitary and nobody will be able to overlook your worn carpet. Replace the top layer with inexpensive neutral colored carpet and you will always recoup the investment.

5. Stage your home! – Showhomes knows that buyers who look at vacant homes only see floors, walls and ceilings. With nothing else to look at, they focus on flaws. Because of this, vacant houses are very vulnerable to low-ball offers and often sell for 15-20 percent below list price.

Unfortunately, this is simply because they are vacant. Hire a whole-house staging company or if really want to get the best results, use a live-in Home Manager to stage your home. These two services add life to a home and rather than flaws, buyers can visualize themselves living in your home.

“The value of the life they see becomes worth more than the price of the home and because they make an emotional connection with your home, they will buy it,” says Scott.

Showhomes, the country's largest home staging company, has three decades of staging experience and has helped over 25,000 home owners and Realtors sell vacant homes, Scott said, adding that the company's business model has proven to be effective in any market condition, especially in today’s slow market.

For more information about Showhomes, or additional advice on selling your vacant home, please visit http://www.showhomes.com/.