From Drab to Fab

A few tweaks to your home can go a long way when attempting to sell. Buyers are visual and we all know that image and perception is key when you are trying to sell something. So that is why I feel Sellers should go the extra mile when selling their house. In my experience the less “work” the Buyer sees having to manage, fix or repair the more likely they would be willing to pay full price for a home.

As Realtors we want our home-buyers experience to be a great one. When we show a house that seems like it hasn’t been cared for, it turns the buyer off. Buyers will quickly forget the property’s pretty online photo’s, lose their excitement and will usually walk out the door just as fast as they took the air in.

I’ll use myself as an example of this. One day I was sitting in the spa getting a pedicure dressed in my exercise clothes. I was looking forward to a peaceful afternoon at home and then a reminder popped up on my phone, a half an hour before I was scheduled to be at an important course. Let’s admit these things come about. I thought to myself “Oh snap!” What was I supposed to do? In my opinion, I had two choices: miss the meeting (because I lived 20min away and wouldn’t have time to go home and come back) or I could quickly modify my appearance. I opted to make the best of a not so great situation…

I knew that if I showed up looking like I did no one would take me seriously, let alone trust my real estate advice. With the assistance of a close-by friend she let me borrow sensible shoes, a shawl, hairspray and lipstick. My look went from “drab to fab” in under 10 min and I benefited by going to the course.

Small tweaks to a home getting ready to go on the market doesn’t have to be pricey. With the right preparation you can transform almost any room with a few minor touch-ups. Decluttering, reorganizing, re-arranging furniture, adding or touching up existing mouldings, upgrading the old light fixtures are all quick and easy ways to go from drab to fab. Ask your Realtor they should be capable to provide you with suggestions that will attract the average buyer. It doesn’t take a great deal of time or money to make a big difference. You’ll certainly be glad you did!