Hands On The Heartland
Checking The Pulse Of The Kansas City Real Estate Market 

The majority of home buyers today aren’t messing around with homes that have “issues”.  Yet many sellers continue to miss the mark and doing so serves to push buyers to competing homes that are in great showing condition. Showing condition is one of the critical factors in getting a home sold and is no doubt just as important as a home’s pricing and the marketing on a home.  When starting the process of getting their home ready to sell, sellers should keep a clear focus on simplifying and neutralizing the home. Doing so will allow their home to appeal to the greatest number of potential home buyers.

Simplifying and neutralizing may sound boring but it may surprise you that these are the homes that often sell the quickest. It’s not uncommon to hear a homebuyer comment about a home’s boring tile and then move right along with making an offer on the property. On the other end of the spectrum, floral wallpaper usually means a contract doesn’t get written. Sometimes a seller just needs someone to explain what should be done. The following list includes the most common issues I see that seller’s overlook when getting their home ready for showings:

#1) Pack away all personal photos. Homebuyers want to begin thinking about their family living in the home and your personal photos can prevent that from happening.

#2) Remove pets from the home. Have a friend or family member care for the pets while the home is on the market. At the very least pets should be removed from the home for all showings.

#3) Update light fixtures, appliances, cabinet hardware and door hardware.  The home needs to be current to keep up with the competition. 

#4) Pack away all nic knacks. This includes school and sports memorabilia because a Jayhawk can be beloved to one and burn the eyes of another.

#5) Paint all interior walls showing signs of ware. Buyers in this market are going to expect it and remember that a neutral color is best.

#6) Remove all wallpaper. There’s no such thing as “neutral” wallpaper. You enjoyed the wallpaper while it was up but now it’s time to take it down.

#7) Remove all religious items. Religious items are personal in nature but if you’re hoping buyers get in and out quickly then by all means leave the voodoo doll on the fireplace mantle.

#8) Take care of deferred maintenance. There’s no reason to wait to make repairs because the home buyer’s inspections are going to uncover the issues anyhow. If the faucet or roof are leaking get them fixed immediately.

#9) Remove awkward furniture such as ottomans from all rooms. Bulky furniture makes rooms look smaller and items such as ottomans can do more harm than good when staging a home.

#10) Clean up lawn and landscaping. If the buyer doesn’t like the outside of your home they’re not going to want to come into your home. So work diligently to improve the home’s overall curb appeal.

Posted by Jason A. Brown

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