There is always a common belief that scent can sell a home. I will agree that foul odor works against even the best bargain on the market. But, does it really make a difference to have a property smell like fresh bread or cookies? As the daughter of a compulsive baker, I do believe that a good cookie can smooth any public relation. But, can a condo be sold by smell alone? My conclusion is that it sure can't hurt. Especially if baked goods are left out for visiting agents.
I once had a home buyer assess properties based on the principles of Feng Shui. This is the Chinese art of arranging your surroundings to attract positive energy. It contends that good Feng Shui can energize your life in the areas of Health, Career, Love and Marriage and even Wealth. Much of the positive Feng Shui advice makes for good showings as well. To boost wealth it is recommended to add flowering plants along the walkway (preferably red), clear away clutter, keep stove burners clean, and light the pathway to you front door, keep live plants in left side corners and never have too much cramped furniture. Good Feng Shui advice sounds like good selling advice to me.
The St. Joseph statue is a long held real estate superstition. St. Joseph was named a Catholic saint in the late 1800's. Among other things, he is the patron against doubt and hesitation. And legend has it that he can help sell your house. Simply buy a 4 inch tall St. Joseph statue for about $9.95 and bury it in the front yard of your house. He should be buried facing the street near the for sale sign and must be left there for 3 days. After three days have passed, a buyer should be at your doorstep with offer in hand. Once St. Joseph has sold your home, he should be dug up and kept in a position of respect. There is no evidence that St. Joseph can offer any protection against bad inspections, poor financing conditions or title issues. So perhaps, a real estate agent is needed after all.
In any case, the process of selling a home is often a stressful and challenging time for even the most patient of sellers. If cookies and flowers and patron saints can soothe the nerves and satisfy hesitant buyers than perhaps they are good advice indeed.
Home Selling Tip #1: Research All Your Options
Even if you've decided to sell your house yourself, you've got a multitude of options. Where you advertise, how you advertise, how you prepare your house, how much you ask for it - all those things require research to be sure that you're getting your best possible deal. Some avenues to pursue include a flat-fee MLS listing, advertising in local newspapers, and posting your house for sale on an FSBO (for sale by owner) web site like www.fsbon.com.
Home Selling Tip #2: Price Your House Right
If there were one number one home selling tip, this one would be it. Your asking price on your house will be one of the first things that prospective buyers look at - you don't want them to rule your house right out of the ballpark. For your fastest sale at the highest possible profit, set your asking price within 10% of the average price in your neighborhood. Finding that out takes a little research. You can interview Realtors or look through recently sold listings. The Internet makes it even easier. There are a number of web sites (www.housevalue.com, www.homegain.com) where you can look up the average selling price of recently sold houses in your zip code and neighborhood. Start with that figure and go up or down according to your home's condition.
Home Selling Tip #3: Before You List: Clean Up Your Act
Want to up that asking price to the high end of your neighborhood bracket? Take a week or two to do some serious face-lifting. The better your house looks, the more appealing it will be to buyers. The more appealing it is at first glance, the more likely it is that you'll get an offer fast.
For a quick cleanup with maximum effect, try these tasks:
Rake and manicure lawns and yards. Keep grass mowed, shrubs trimmed and paths swept and clean. If you can't repaint your house, give it a good wash with a high-pressure hose. Use flower power to your benefit. Flowers are an amazingly simple way to perk up the appearance of any home.
Inside, de-clutter and depersonalize. Improvements that will pay off, especially if you can do them yourself: modernizing bathroom fittings, repainting the kitchen, and putting new carpeting in the living room. Once the house is stripped to the bare, clean essentials, fill in bare spots with impersonal decor - flower arrangements or matching lamps, for instance.
Home Selling Tip #4: Take Advantage of ALL the Benefits Offered By An FSBO Web Site
When you're ready to list your house, choose an FSBO web site that offers you extras like Virtual Home Tours (www.fiftystatesfsbo.com has a great sample), free professional signs, and partner listings with other FSBO sites.
Home Selling Tip #5: Learn How to Write a Killer Ad
Your classified home selling ad is one of your most powerful home selling tools. Learn to write an ad that will sell your home FOR you. Use descriptive words with positive connotations - 'cozy' instead of 'small', for instance. Aim headlines at the right market - 'Summer on the Lake, Winter by the Fire' will immediately draw attention. You can find more great home selling tips online (www.fsbotips.com) or through a sell your house fast course.
Both Wendy Hauschildt & Brian Shelton are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Wendy Hauschildt has sinced written about articles on various topics from Real Estate, Finances and Real Estate. Wendy Hauschildt is a Licensed Realtor? with Coastal Properties GMAC Real Estate on South Padre Island, Texas. She is a weekly columnist for the Island Breeze paper and directs marketing for the agency. Visit. Wendy Hauschildt's top article generates over 4400 views. to your Favourites.
Brian Shelton has sinced written about articles on various topics from Personal Finance, Real Estate and Sell Home. Learn more at .. Brian Shelton's top article generates over 135000 views. to your Favourites.