Buying a home can be a very emotional time for buyers and sellers alike. Families are looking for a house, but it also has to be a place that they can grow, live, and love in.
Because of that, it’s important to make sure that when prospective buyers visit your open house, they can truly see their futures unfolding inside of it. If more people feel a connection to it, you can end up with higher bids and a faster sale.
Not sure where to start? Here at The Degnan Group we have over 150 years of combined experience, so we’ve put together some of our best tips on how to help buyers envision their lives in your home.
1. Declutter
Every seller should begin the process with a massive spring cleaning, no matter what season it is.
Before you host an open house or any prospective walk-throughs, it’s a good idea to commit to a day of deep cleaning and decluttering. This also has the added bonus of helping you get started on your packing process early.
The goal of decluttering is to give your buyers a blank slate to paint the portrait of their family future on… instead of a look into your personal life.
Pack your clothes, clean out the bathrooms, empty cupboards, and get rid of your personal photos hanging on the walls. You want your home to feel clean, spacious, and appealing to buyers, and that starts with removing the knick-knacks and personal items you’ve accumulated over the years.
2. Show off the Home’s Best Features
Where are your favorite memories here? Cooking in the spacious kitchen, enjoying a BBQ in the flowering garden, or family game nights in the cozy den? Whatever it is, you know your house best, which means it’s up to you to highlight the most family-friendly areas that others will enjoy.
It can be as simple as setting the patio table to prompt thoughts of summer dinners outside, baking cookies before a showing to infuse the house with that homecooked smell, or even setting a few board games out on the coffee table to get buyers thinking about how they will use that space in the future.
All of these small touches make your home more than just an empty space that needs to be filled and helps buyers see it as a real place where their kids will play and grow.
3. Put Thought Into the First Impression
First impressions matter. In fact, a study from Harvard found that it only takes us seven seconds to make one! With this in mind, it’s important to put some thought into what your buyers will see first: your curb appeal.
What is the exterior of your house telling them? Is it well-lit inside, does it have flowing greenery and gardens, is the decor tasteful, is the front porch cozy?
All of these images are what the buyer will be coming home to every day if they choose to purchase your home. For most, they want a respite from the working world and a place to relax and enjoy their families. They’re also looking for a home they can be proud of, where they can show it off with parties and get-togethers with friends.
All of these thoughts, emotions, and future projections will be processed during the first impression, so if you want a buyer to truly envision their lives in your home it’s important to focus on curb appeal.
Take some time to cut the grass, trim the bushes, clean the porch furniture, replace burnt out light bulbs, and more. These little touches will make your home look like a neatly wrapped gift, that buyers will be excited to open up and explore inside!
Use These 3 Tips to Make Your Sale
The truth is that buying a home is a big investment, both financially and emotionally. Every buyer wants to be sure they’re making the right choice before they put in an offer, so it’s crucial to help them envision their lives in your home when they visit.
Sell your house with The Degnan Group, and our experienced team will help you every step of the way. We will help you highlight your home’s best features, and analyze and improve curb appeal to ensure your home gives off a stellar first impression.
All of these small things really add up and can help make your sale both quick and profitable. If you’re ready to put your home on the market, just call The Degnan Group to get started with our experts today!