Prepping Your Home to Get Top Dollar

Want to get the very most money for your home in this hot sellers’ market? 

Most people don’t realize there is much more to selling a home than taking a few photos and throwing it on the MLS, especially if you want the very most for it in this hot sellers market.

This is why I created my series, “Get the Most for Your House Even In a Hot Seller’s Market” – to help you and anyone you know maximize the profits from your biggest investment and not get “caught up in what other people are doing.”

Over the next few weeks, I’m sharing my four steps to getting the most money possible when selling your home, even when a home can sell itself right now.

This is a must-read series, even if you aren’t selling a home anytime soon. 

This is week two in the series, and today you’ll learn what to do to prep your home for sale, even if it can sell in a day. 

A hot seller’s market, means it’s a great time to sell, right? But, here’s the problem….as I scroll through the MLS looking at homes for my buyer clients, I’m seeing a remarkable difference between houses that sell for top dollar and houses that don’t.

It’s heartbreaking to see sellers leaving money on the table and not selling their homes for the most money possible in this record-breaking seller’s market.  

I think some sellers are doing this because they feel like they could put a sign in their yard and get their home sold.  

Sure a home can sell that way, but by just doing a few of the right things before selling it, you could get TENS of thousands of dollars or more without much time, effort or money.

Here’s a secret—right now, buyers are willing to pay even MORE for homes.  But, not if the home doesn’t look its best. 

Here’s how to make that happen, even if you don’t want to spend time or money getting your home ready to put on the market:

1.  Grab Their Attention.

99% of buyers are looking for their next home online.   The good news is we know WHERE to get buyers’ attention, the bad news is we only have three seconds to do it before they scroll on to the next house. 

In those three seconds, your home must stop as many buyers as possible in their tracks.  Your home must jump off the screen and make them want to drop everything and come see it.   How your home looks online needs to make them daydream about the life they will live in your home BEFORE they ever go inside.  

The better your home looks online, the more people who will be interested in it.  The more people who are interested, the more people will come see it.  The more people that see it, the more offers you’ll get.  The more offers you get, the higher the price you’ll receive. 

So, how do we make this happen?

2.  You can’t SELL your home the same way you LIVE in your home.

Even as a real estate agent, I live in my home completely different then how it would look  if I were selling it.

Why?  Because when I’m selling, my home becomes a product. 

A product that I want to sell for the most money possible.  It is my biggest investment, after all, so why wouldn’t I want to position my biggest investment in the best light possible to get the very most possible out of it when it comes time to sell? 

Anything less is just leaving money on the table. 

3.  It doesn’t take a lot of time and money to get your home ready to sell for the most money possible. 

One of the things I say a lot is, “little hinges swing big doors.”   It’s true for all sorts of things when it comes to real estate, but especially when it comes to prepping your home to sell. 

Recently I had a home go pending in three days with an over list price offer. Now granted, the home was beautiful, however we did a few key things prior to listing.

First, I had my stager come through and go room by room to make suggestions on items to remove, pictures to take down and ways to make the home sparkle in pictures.

This home had beautiful windows that framed a river view, so we had the windows washed and the home deep cleaned before photos as well.

We also didn’t skip the professional photography stage. Too many agents today cut this corner and take their own photos with their iPhone. A professional photographer knows the proper angles, can take drone shots and put together a video walk through…all helping you stand out and get top dollar.

The Results:

With hardly any effort, time and expense from the sellers, we created a home that buyers WANTED.  The house looked so good, that buyers felt confident in paying thousands of dollars more than the “comps” would have suggested. 

Not only were we able to get the highest price by tens of thousands of dollars, but we also were able to get an offer with zero contingencies and no risk of not making it to the settlement table.  

And, because my clients were buying and selling at the same time, they needed that peace of mind AND those extra dollars to put towards their new home.

Here are a few other tips that help your home stand out!

• My 50% Rule —pull out 50% of what’s in your closets, on your bookshelves and on your kitchen counters.  You are moving somewhere, so get packing!  Editing down 50% of what’s in your closets, on your counters and on your bookshelves gives buyers the perfect ratio of picturing themselves in your home without having to envision their new life from scratch.
• Window screens—remove screens and store in the basement, shed, or even your trunk if you have to!  Removing screens lets in more light. 
• Bright white— replace your towels and bedspreads with brand new bright white options.  You’ll be amazing how just this changes the look of bedrooms and bathrooms.  All it takes is a quick trip to HomeGoods and you are good to go! 
• Make them GREEN with envy— Pops of real plants and even a few fake ones makes homes feel like they are “alive” and makes buyers want to stay forever.  I’ve got house plants galore I’m happy to bring over and even keep alive for you! 😉

These are just a few of my secrets for cheap and quick ways to get a home to sell for the most money possible and for most of the items, I’d rather you just hand me the keys and let me take care of it!

Just because you can throw a home on the MLS and get it sold, doesn’t mean you should.    When I bring my buyers to these types of homes, it’s clear they aren’t emotionally invested in the home.  They either don’t bother writing an offer or they write one that’s not their best, which means less money for the seller.  Sure, the house still might sell, but not for as much as it could. 

If you or anyone you know is thinking about selling a home soon, don’t make this big mistake—don’t skip on making it look it’s best.  And, don’t feel overwhelmed with the idea that you have to spend a lot of time or money making it look great either.  You most likely don’t have to. 

I’d love to help by taking a look at the home, creating a plan and making it happen with as little stress for you as possible.  Just email me or here is a link to my calendar. Pick a time that works for you and I’ll take a look at your home, create a plan and take things from there.