Tips & Advice for Selling Your Home in St. Louis

First Impressions Are Very Important

First and foremost, buyers want to make sure they are making a smart investment. Your prospective buyer will be judging and comparing your home to the homes they have seen previously.

Buyers will be looking at how clean and well kept your exterior is and even comparing it to the neighbors. Not only does your home need to stand out, but you also need to pay close attention to the smaller details, such as grass cutting, trimmed bushes, flowers potted, paint peeling, power washing, etc. You must view your home through the buyers eye and look at your home as if your were purchasing - what do you like or don’t like?

Once inside your home, the buyer will take a quick look at the floor plan - how it flows, colors, & tones. You want your home to shine, so make sure it's spotless. If your furniture is looking tired, consider having your home professionally staged. If your home is lacking color, make a spash with paint. We have over 20 years experience in getting the buyer to act, so feel free to take note:

• Soft string music is always nice and will enhance the ambiance of your home
• Make sure ALL lights are on
  
• Windows are clean and sparkling
• Doors are clean and free of finger prints
  
• Replace tired towels and bath mats to make bathrooms really pop
• Empty all trash cans throughout the house
  
  
  

If you have a pet, ask your agent or a neighbor to give your home the 'sniff test'. If they can pick up on any odor, this could be a deal killer! We had a home listed once that had the carpets professionally cleaned, which brought out the odor even stronger! The feedback was the buyers loved the home, but didn’t want to deal with the smell. In the end, the carpets had to be replaced and the home sold instantly!

Make sure you are not present for any appointments. The buyer needs to “connect” with your home, and the home tour is when emotions determine if the buyer can picture themselves living in your home. Plus, the buyers are more likely to really explore all the nooks and crannies of your house without the feeling of being watched!

• This also pertains to your pets! Be sure to take your pets with you whenever there's an appointment to show your home. There is nothing more annoying than a constant barking dog or a cat rubbing across your leg when trying to view a home.

Keep mealtime simple through your home selling process. You may need to get out on short notice and some foods can emit a strong odor that could put off potential buyers.

The Laura MacDonald Team gets RESULTS while making Real Estate REALLY EASY for you!
Please call us at 314.605.2896 to learn more today!