Before
getting your home ready for selling, always consult a REALTOR®. Each
property is different and the following story should be used as a guideline
to get you ready for prepping your
property.
Selling your home?
Here are some suggestions to help you sell yours for more than your
next door neighbor's, and faster! Most buyers will know within 15
SECONDS after crossing the threshold if they want your home. But
first, you need to attract them inside!
11 steps to take to sell your home for top dollar
Start at the street.
The buyer's first glimpse of your home must
entice them inside. Design Psychology goes further than mere curb
appeal. Here are some easy additions you can make to help your home
outshine the competition:
Add a couple of BIG plants, either in hanging baskets or pots, to
the porch, which will lead buyers' eyes to the entrance.
The first color our eyes process is yellow, so place yellow flowers
near the front door.
Plant white flowering annuals, since they look clean and show up
better at night.
Get rid of brown or dead leaves and bare spots in the yard. Add
mulch to cover bare dirt near the house. Bright flowers hold the
eye and "fill" empty areas, but you don't need to add plants
to every space. Just make sure that everything looks neat.
Paint your front door a happy color.
Yellow-gold (amber), red
(blue-based), sage, apple, or forest green, depending on the
other colors of your home, will attract the eye and create happy
feelings. Buyers won't notice the Color Psychology you're employing,
but they'll
love the result.
Once buyers step inside the front door, they usually make
their minds up within 15 SECONDS, so first impressions are vitally
important.
Focus your attention on the first wall buyers will see, and then
hang a mirror on that wall large enough to reflect the buyer's
image. It will psychologically reinforce the buyer's presence
in the home
when they see themselves in the mirror, causing them to imagine
living in your home.
Go beyond just clearing clutter, and remove furnishings that
don't add to the setting. Also clear bathroom and kitchen countertops.
Under-furnished homes let the buyer's imagination fill rooms with
their own belongings. Once they visualize their favorite chair in
a particular spot, you have a sale.
Pack away your personal photographs, trophies, diplomas,
and small accessories and stack them neatly in the garage or
a separate
storage space. That will also protect you from having strangers view
your personal life.
If your home looks too bare, replace your personal treasures
with houseplants or cuttings from the garden. Be creative.
Use tree branches and fresh flowers to bring nature indoors.
Fill vases and glass jars with fresh cuttings and set them
in baskets.
Add green house plants in winter, spring, and fall.
During hot selling seasons, use green, silver and gray foliage
to help keep your home visually cool.
Lighting affects emotions and is a crucial design element
for happiness, so turn on the lights when showing your home.
Day-like
light bulbs enhance happiness. Amber and pink light bulbs warm, while
blue light cools.
Air the house out. You get used to odors, but buyers shouldn't
smell anything other than natural pleasing scents like wood burning
in the fireplace or fresh lemon in the summer. Cut up a grapefruit
and run sections through the garbage disposal. It's both refreshing
and clean smelling.
Buyers like temperatures around 70 degrees in the winter
and 67 degrees in the summer, so turn up the thermostat in the
winter
and turn it down in the summer.
Park your car out of the way and encourage buyers to park
in a space where their car won't block the view.
Remember, you've only got 15 seconds to sell your home, but by using
Design Psychology techniques, you can convert lookers into buyers
and get top dollar for your home.
