I get so many questions from home sellers – from what repairs they should make, to what to do with the dog during showings, that I’ve decided to begin a series on seller tips…
Tip #1 – Depersonalize Your House
When talking with real estate agents, have you noticed that when they talk to you about selling your home they refer to it as a “house”, but when talking to you about buying a home they refer to it as a “home”? Well, there’s a reason for this. Buying real estate is often an emotional decision, but when selling real estate you need to remove emotion from the equation.
You need to think of your house as a marketable commodity. Property. Real estate. Your goal is to get others to see it as their potential home, not yours. If you do not consciously make this decision, you can inadvertently create a situation where it takes longer to sell your property.
The first step in getting your home ready to sell is to “de-personalize” it.
The reason you want to “de-personalize” your home is because you want buyers to view it as their potential home. When a potential homebuyer sees your family photos hanging on the wall, it puts your own brand on the home and momentarily shatters their illusions about owning the house. Therefore, put away family photos, sports trophies, collectible items, knick-knacks, and souvenirs. Put them in a box and store them away…far, far away….
Stay tuned – more tips to come!