Today, more than ever, the presentation of a home that is on the market is important to the sale of that home. According to a recent study, more than 63% of home buyers choose a home that is ready to move in versus one that requires a little more work. While the price of the move in ready home will be higher, the couples are seeing the chance to live in a pretty decent home without the NEED to renovate right away as being a strong benefit. For the real estate agent, this means presenting the home as move in ready. If the home is in need of repair or renovation, the market may be dry for that home. But, there are always means to push the home as the perfect one for your clients.
Connect With the Buyer’s Emotions
When showing a home that is not move in ready to a potential buyer, make sure you choose a renovation that offers some emotional connection for the buyer. This could mean a full basement or an attic space if those are the things they want the most in a home. If there is a fenced in yard, but the painting needs to be redone, give them a monetary comparison of how much the paint will cost versus the fence.
When talking about emotions, it is also important to convince the home seller that all personal effects need to be removed from the home prior to showing. The potential buyer wants to visualize their life in that home, not the life of another family. The emotional connection between a home and the small children that live there is strong and the potential buyer may immediately feel they don’t want to put the small children out on the street.
Make Simple but Powerful Changes
Of course, the best solution is to prepare the home for showing before the potential buyers walk through the door. Throw a fresh coat of paint on the walls, change out any dead plants in the front of the home, dress up the entryway with a few bright flowers and tidy up the law and walkways. Inside, make sure the home smells good and the carpets and floors are fresh and clean.
Presenting a home for sale can be about more than just making sure the home is ready to sell. The potential buyer walks into every home hoping this will THE ONE and too many times the home is just not ready for a buyer.