Although a good amount of time and emphasis is placed on the marketing and closing cost of a home sale, nothing quite compares to the feeling that a prospective home buyer gets when they step into their new home for the first time. A fantastic home tour can make or break a deal, so you want to be sure you make an incredible impression and put your best foot forward when presenting everything that your home has to offer. While some of these tips are practical, others are easy to overlook but can make all the difference when people recall the high points of their day later on.
Here are some tips you can use to have an incredible home tour and sell your home for the highest value.
- Do a self walk thru first. You know your favorite spots in the house just as you know the layout like the back of your hand. To have a successful home tour, you should view the house as a prospective buyer would. Walk outside the property and come with a fresh pair of eyes. What little things stick out to you that you may gloss over during your daily routines? Your style is great, but could you benefit from having someone stage your home, or could some areas of the home use some upgrades all together? Combine your intimate knowledge of your property with a new perspective and make your home as presentable as possible for potential buyers.
- Sell, don’t smell. One crucial factor that can impact your home tour is lingering smells. While it might be tempting to cook a big breakfast before heading out of the house all day, unpleasant food smells can severely impact a buyer’s first impression. An article in Forbes reminds sellers, “don’t cook bacon the day of the showing. The smell is strong and lingers for a long time. You don’t want your home to smell like a fast food restaurant!” These minor details can sway a person’s decision before they’ve even gotten through the front door.
- Clean every corner. If you’ve been looking for an excuse to spring clean your home, this is it. A buyer doesn’t want to have to get the image of dirty clothes or towels out of their mind when trying to imagine themselves inside of a room. Instead, make it easy for them by making sure every room is clean, every cobweb is dusted, and every surface is free from grime, crumbs, and everything else.
- Go the extra mile. Sometimes in areas where the weather is unpredictable like Tampa, doing little things to help make someone’s day a bit easier can go a long way toward making a solid first impression and a subsequent home purchase. If a rainstorm hits, have an umbrella bin outside and a mat available so people can wipe their shoes. If it’s an unusually hot day, provide refreshments or snacks, so people stay hydrated and avoid getting bouts of hunger during their tour. By keeping their mind off these small inconveniences, you are making sure their focus is maintained on the many positive aspects of your tour rather than the negative aspects of the day.
- Set up for video. When selling a home in the digital age, be prepared to be ready for the occasional video tour. Some potential buyers aren’t able to visit every property they want to buy, but they can at least get a feel for the property by doing a video tour or by sending a real estate agent to tour the house for them. Like photographing a home, if you don’t possess the right skills or tools to capture a good video, it would be most beneficial to hire a professional to do this for you. If the quality of your video tour sells your property to a potential buyer, eating this small cost now will benefit you in the long run.
While the process of selling a home has certainly changed over the past twenty years or so, the importance of the open house has remained as critical as always. It doesn’t matter how well you’re able to spin your selling points, if a home doesn’t jibe well with a potential buyer, they will walk away 100% of the time. Be sure to check off the basic steps such as cleaning and overall presentation, but also be aware that some cost might go into making your house look as beautiful as possible. Hopefully, these tips can help you get your home off the market and have you searching for open houses of your own. Thanks to Beycome for assisting with this post!
