50 Most Powerful Things You Can Do To Get Your House Sold

A pristine home that shines with pride of ownership will sell quicker, usually for 2 to 3% higher. Pristine homes are rare. Most homes today are dirty.  This list is to help set you apart.

Most of these suggestions you can handle yourself but if you need to hire a professional, keep in mind their cost is probably much less than a price change.

1. Review the recommendations you have been receiving from DUFFY. You may have passed on something but now is the time.
2. Get a Pre-Inspection for your home.
3. Pour love into your home. This makes a huge impression on a buyer when they can see the home has been maintained and cared for.
4. Do a deep clean or have the home professionally cleaned.
5. Pressure Wash the Driveway and sidewalk
6. Have the roof cleaned.
7. Create a curb appeal with color. Use flowers, pots, and wrought iron planters that hang on your brick. Use flags, lanterns, decorative animals,wreaths,  etc… to enhance the “Oh, isn’t that cute” factor in your home.
8. If you have outside accent lighting, turn it on every night. If you have a formal living room where you keep your drapes open at night, put on the lights and leave them on at night until you go to bed. Many buyers drive through neighborhoods at night.
9. Create emotion in your home by making your home clean and fresh. Buyers report they like vanilla.  Smells are important but don’t overdo them. If you have pets, get an air purifier.
10. Clean your baseboards, windows, and front door area. Use Mr. Clean’s Magic Sponge.
11. Replace old doorknobs, air intake vents, switch plates, kitchen and bathroom faucets, and old kitchen cabinet handles.
12. Hold your own Open Houses every day of the week when you’re there. If you are home and the house is in showing condition, put the sign out!
13. Offer an allowance for any worn carpet or any flooring or painting that you don’t want to do by posting a sign in the home. ‘Decorating Allowance Available.”  Don’t state how much you are paying.
14. Write a Love Letter to the prospective buyer telling them about the neighborhood, neighborhood events and clubs, why you are moving, and your feelings about your home. Seal in an envelope with Prospective Buyer on the front.  Put on your marketing table.
15. Get a letter to add to your Love Letter from the neighbors on both sides of you expressing their views of your neighborhood. Put it on your marketing table.
16. Make a letter to the agent telling them your situation, when you would like to move, etc…  Your dream offer if you will!
17. Draw a map to the nearest grocery store, schools, and parks. Put it on your marketing table.
18. Put a 12-month average of your utilities and the names and numbers of the providers on your marketing table.
19. Advertise your home on ebay.com and local, neighborhood papers.
20. Host a party for your neighbors – they may have family that wants to move closer! Remember, if they come without an agent you save the buyer’s agent’s commission.
21. Get professional pictures of your home. Most buyers use the Internet to view interior and exterior photos before they decide if they want to see it in person. Good photos are a MUST!
22. Offer your home as a Lease Purchase, which we can add to your listing. We recommend that you require 5% down which is non-refundable if the buyer does not purchase. Lease Purchases tend to bring the seller not only a high price but also a good cash flow for the 6 months to 1 year that the home is leased.
23. Have the home professionally appraised and advertised appropriately. In other words, if your home is listed for $5,000 below appraisal, you can advertise this. Of course, if your home does not appraise for a high price, simply don’t advertise the appraisal.
24. Add small lamps to your kitchen and bathrooms.
25. Make your closet ½ full and neat.
26. Seal your garage floor.
27. Add fresh flowers to the inside of your home.
28. Leave refreshments for your buyers.
29. Ask buyers to take off their shoes upon entering the house. Post a sign in the entryway. It presents the idea that you are a pristine housekeeper.
30. Don’t have big dogs in the house and don’t leave items around that make people think that big dogs are in the house.
31. Change litter boxes every day. Some people mistake the litter box smell for animal urine on the carpet.
32. Take smelly shoes out of closets.
33. Remove some family pictures. Allow the buyer to envision their family in this home.
34. De-clutter! You may have to get a storage unit. It will be worth the hassle.
35. Do not smoke in the house! And, if you smoke outside, remove the ashtray.
36. If you want opinions on your home, consider what some other clients do. Get a nanny cam to capture their impressions.
37. Add note cards to the areas where you have upgrades that might be overlooked.
38. Set up any dining areas with place settings as if you are having a party at your home that night.
39. Set up any basement area tables with games.
40. Set up screen porches and deck tables with party decorations including place settings. Use paper lanterns.
41. Baking Soda sprinkled on the carpet and left overnight, then vacuumed can remove some odors.
42. Clean Blinds. Place a clean sock on each hand. Dip your one hand into warm, soapy water and then rub each slat until the whole surface is clean. Dry with the other hand.
43. Clean windows.
44. Remove all cobwebs outside the home.
45. Trim back shrubs and trees so the home is not hidden.
46. Remove weeds, have fresh mulch, cut the grass regularly
47. Play soft music in the background for showings
48. Open all curtains, blinds, etc to let as much natural light in as possible
49. Remove all magnets and photos from the refrigerator
50. Keep bathroom mirrors clean and the counters clutter-free.