Sell Your Orange County Home For Top Dollar

You are selling your Orange County home and want top dollar for it. But how do you get top dollar? First, your home must be in 'saleable condition.' You have probably heard the saying, "You don't live in a house, like you sell it." What you are comfortable with day to day, is not what a buyer wants to see. Buyers want to see a warm, inviting space they can picture themselves moving into, not yesterday's newspapers, today's laundry and tomorrow's home work project scattered around the house.

Have you ever visited a new construction home site? Usually, the builder has a furnished model that is decorated down to the last detail of fresh fruit and flowers. It has been transformed from a vacant space that the buyer can't relate to, into a dream that the buyer wants to be a part of. Which is more inviting to you?

To get top dollar for your home, you have to create the dream for the buyer and make him want to be a part of it. This is called 'Home Staging.' It's difficult to make buyers want to be a part of a dirty sock nightmare. Below are 10 Tips to turn your Orange County home into a buyer's dream they are willing to pay top dollar for:

Lawns should be freshly mowed, leaves raked, or snow shoveled. Consider a hanging or potted plant for the entrance. Sweep the porch, deck and all walk ways and ensure garbage and recycling are tucked neatly away from the front of the house.

Scrub your front door, porch, outside railings and steps. This is cheaper than repainting and makes a world of difference. Once the outside entrance is clean, decide if the paint really needs a touch up.

Pick one closet or area at a time so the task isn't as daunting. Look at every item with a very critical eye and ask yourself why you're keeping it.

If you have a collection of items for projects you never got around to, donate them to a local charity. This also applies to the two-year supply of light bulbs, canned goods or paper products sitting in your basement. this means less stuff to pack, move and unpack again!

Walk along each corridor and into every room and check where your eye is drawn (better yet, ask a critical friend or family member). If the eye is drawn to the chipped white paint on the door frame, take some "white out" and fill it in. If it's those old nail holes in the wall, see if you can hang a picture to cover them.

Glue any peeling wallpaper. If it's really horrible and you can't afford the time or money to fix it properly, hang pictures and strategically place baskets. You won't cover the problem entirely (which would be wrong anyway), but you will draw your audience's attention away from the problem and onto something more visually pleasing to focus on.

Ensure cupboards open and shut and that no taps are dripping. Look in all rooms for things you never got around to fixing and decide which ones might be distracting to potential buyers. No, it's not OK for door handles to fall off, even if you have learned to ignore it! 

This can be one of the more stressful aspects of having your home on the market- but it's worth the effort to sell your home for top dollar. You can hire a professional service to come in and deep clean everything; then take 20-30 minutes each day to maintain it.

Appliances should sparkle even if you're not including them with the house. After all, you might throw them in later as a negotiating tool. Counter tops, taps, sinks and bathtubs should be shiny and free of water spots.

Dust shelves and vacuum the floors. Naturally, all beds should be made. At a recent open house for a home listed over $500,000 (and over 60 days on the market), they hadn't even bothered with these two simple steps! It made you wonder what bigger things had been neglected.

Remember clean windows let in more light and look newer.

If all this attention to detail seems over the top, remember that a very clean home leaves the impression that the house is well cared for. This helps put buyers at ease- especially a first time buyer who may be worried about the responsibilities of owning a house.

Open some windows for at least 10 minutes. There is nothing worse than walking into a stuffy house or one that smells of smoke and pet odors.

It might be mood lighting to you, but if you're trying to sell your home, keep it bright! Dimly lit rooms tend to look small and dingy- especially during the day. Open all the blinds and turn on all the lights. this is not the time to be concerned with your electric bill.

You don't need to spend a fortune to have fresh flowers throughout your home. Even a daisy in a bud vase brightens a bathroom counter. Ask your florist which blooms last a week. You can also use potted flowering plants that are in season for a low-cost solution.

Don't use plastic or obviously fake flowers, especially in an expensive home!

Soft background music can help create a soothing environment and camouflage neighbor and traffic noise. But make sure the volume is very low. Blaring TVs are definitely a no-no, but you'd be surprised how many people leave them on for showings!

Feeling overwhelmed and still don't  know where to start? Give us a call, 949-285-3739. We are glad to take a look at your home and help you create your 'Honey-Do List.' Of course, you can always visit us at HartanovTeam.com.

 

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