Articles

Published in the Bozeman Chronicle, May, 2007.

With the real estate market as competitive as ever, it is again time to emphasize the fact that when preparing your home for sale, it is imperative to meet the challenge of standing out from the competition. By becoming the “memorable” property in your price range, you should be able to get top dollar for your home in the shortest amount of time. And it truly does not matter whether the market is up or down, effectively preparing your home for sale gives you a distinct advantage. By taking a few straightforward steps to create “move-in condition”, your home will show better, capture the buyers' attention, and give potential buyers a clear feel for how the house will feel when occupied.

One way to enter into smoother negotiations and less unwanted surprises is to offer a Home Protection Plan on your home. The plan typically covers repair and replacement costs on most major home systems and built-in appliances, including heating and cooling systems, duct work, electrical and plumbing systems, water heaters and much more. Buyers will be given more peace of mind and confidence in their home purchase, and there is protection offered against costly home repairs and the disputes that accompany them.

By providing a comprehensive and concise seller's disclosure of your property, you are disclosing any potential problems upfront so they can be addressed by potential buyers early in the negotiation stage. This step is not only required by law but gives buyers peace of mind and can build a sense of trust.

Another step that most people probably do not think of is to have a pre-listing home inspection conducted. By hiring a qualified home inspector to view the home even before it hits the market, you have the opportunity to make both minor and major repairs upfront which can reduce price reductions later on due to the perception of the value of these repairs. This will lead to less room for negotiation and ideally a higher sales price.

Staging your home for sale is a trend that is currently garnering the most attention, in part due to the popularity of television shows depicting what impact small changes can make on a home's appearance. However, it is a proven strategy for selling your home faster and for more money. Staging is basically bringing out the “curb appeal” of your entire home and effectively packaging it for sale. Some basic steps to setting the stage include assessing each room and choosing the focal point, removing clutter, depersonalizing, rearranging furniture as needed, re-accessorizing, adding life by bringing in nature, and most importantly keeping things CLEAN. Removing personal effects also allows the buyer to envision their new lives, not feel as though they are intruding on yours.

In addition to allowing the buyers to have a more clear view of the home's natural assets, simply moving out furniture that is not frequently used can maximize the amount of perceived space and also gives you, as the seller, a bit of a head start to prepare for moving out. The small monthly cost of renting a storage space to store excess furniture and items that tend to clutter a home can most certainly be recouped by a solid sales price and decreased days on the market. An important key to keep in mind is that the way someone lives in their home and the way they sell it are two different things.

With such a variety of homes on the market, making yours the one that stands out in the potential buyer's mind is the key to maximizing the sale of your home. By becoming the “best” listing at your given price point, you will also stand out to other real estate agents who will want to show your property to their buyers. Leaving your home “as-is” will not set you apart from your competition. Buyers have high expectations when they walk through the door; make it easy for them to say “yes” to your home by providing both the right first impression and by putting your best features forward throughout.

Robyn Erlenbush is owner of ERA Landmark Real Estate (with offices in Bozeman, Big Sky, Livingston and Clyde Park) and Intermountain Property Management. She can be reached at robyn@eralandmark.com.

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