7 Quick-Sale Tips for the For Sale By Owner

Furniture.  If you're selling your home while still living there, your home will most likely be completely furnished. Although this almost always makes your home sell more quickly than if it were unfurnished, you must assess each room and whether the furniture is helping or hurting your cause. We all have furniture that has probably outlived its beauty, and even its usefulness, but somehow still seems to hang around. These pieces you must evaluate and most often, get rid of. They usually clutter a room, making it appear smaller and unattractive. You also need to assess your other furniture as well, not just the old clunkers. Does your family room have too much furniture in it? How about your third bedroom? It may be time to remove some of this excess furniture and open up the rooms in your home. The appearance of added space will contribute to a quick sale.

The Front Yard.  Similar to the importance of the front entrance, your front yard also gives a first impression and is therefore, extremely important for a quick sale. An attractive front yard is also important for "drive-bys," those buyers driving by to take a quick look at your home to see if they're interested. Your front yard is your only selling point to these buyers, so it has to look good to impress. Minor landscaping in your front yard is inexpensive and can get great results. Trimming bushes, cutting the lawn, raking leaves, and picking up debris all contribute to a clean-looking and attractive front yard. If possible, remove bushes and other plants that clutter your front yard, making it look overgrown and wild. If the weather allows, you may also try planting flowers around the yard, particularly around the front entrance. Visit your local lawn and garden store and ask for some help. You can often get a good amount of annuals for a relatively low price, and the effect is dramatic.

The Front Entrance. Fix up, beautify and landscape the front entrance to your home. If bricks are chipped or otherwise in disrepair, replace them. If shrubs are growing into the path to the front door, trim them. Because your front door is a key element to the entrance, you need it to look its best. Give your front door a fresh coat of paint or, if necessary, replace it. Your front door is the first door a potential buyer walks through. Give that buyer every reason to love your home from the start.

The Exterior.  For all the reasons an attractive front entrance and front yard are important, a clean, well-maintained exterior is equally important. If your home's exterior needs a paint job, paint it. Or, if the exterior needs to be pressure-cleaned, have that done. Do not be penny-wise and pound-foolish when it comes to your home's exterior. A poorly maintained exterior is often the cause of a home not selling quickly, or at all.

The Interior.  So far we've only focused on the outside of the home.  As you surely guessed, the inside is extremely important as well. That is why it is important to paint the interior of your home before you show it. The reason is simple. A newly painted home looks new. And when it comes to a potential buyer, this impression will most likely translate to a good impression about the rest of the home. A potential buyer that sees pristine walls will often see your home's deficiencies through rosier-colored glasses, which will only help you get an offer.

Security. Always get the buyers name and phone number. Never EVER show your home alone! Try at all costs to make an appointment at some later time so that you have an opportunity to arrange for a friend, family member, or neighbor to check in after a predetermined time. As you show the buyer around your home, always allow them to enter the room first. Never enter a room first if it doesn’t have another exit.

The Offer. Never accept any offer, no matter how enticing, until the seller has been pre-qualified or preferably pre-approved by a mortgage company that you know and trust. A letter of pre-approval should accompany their offer. Remember, the second you sign the offer, your home is for all practical purposes "off the market". Generally it takes from 30 to 60 days to close on a home. Should the buyer not be able to secure a mortgage - that will be time wasted.

Advisor e-Mortgage will be happy to get your buyer pre-qualified and pre-approved. Simply have them come to this web site and take a few minutes to complete the qualifying loan application. It’s quick, simple, & free.