"Do I really need to take down all my family pictures" before showing my house?
I’m always asked if family photos really need to be removed before listing and showing a home for sale. The answer is yes, and here’s why.
Whenever I’m talking with a client about getting their home ready for listing and showings, I often hear the question “Do I really need to take down all my family pictures?” Or a similar question related to their favorite collection of things. The answer is YES and here’s why.
When you’re selling your house, you have to remember who you are catering to: THE BUYER. And we (seller/home) are trying to make a very good first impression with THE BUYER. It’s just like when you go to buy a car. The dealership will clean every nook and cranny of the car, make it smell good, touch up the paint, and then put it in a clean and shiny showroom with bright, crisp lights. The end result is a car that looks amazing to the BUYER. Or you go shopping at your favorite store, and everything inside is beautifully displayed. The visual cues in that store appeal to all your senses (and of course you buy something). LOL!
The same principles apply to selling your home. Just like you wouldn’t want to test drive a car with someone else’s stuff in the cup holder or stuff in the passenger seat, home BUYERS also don’t want to see your “things” (especially personal items like photographs and collections) when they tour a home. They want the “showroom” wow factor.
Is it hard to live like your home is a model home? Yes, but is it worth it!! We can’t change a buyer’s psychological response to personal items and extra “stuff” in our homes, but we can control how buyers will view our homes by temporarily removing our personal items and de-cluttering. So grab some boxes and start packing. You’re moving anyway, so why not start now and make buyers fall in love with your home.
Top 10 Things to AVOID if You are a Home BUYER!
Top 10 things to avoid if you’re a home buyer! While this is not an exhaustive list, these are some important things to remember.
AVOID THESE STEPS IF YOU WANT YOUR HOME PURCHASE TO GO SMOOTHLY!
It’s an exciting time when you’re dreaming and planning of purchasing your new (and maybe first) home!! And in all that excitement both before and after signing the contract, buyers get caught up on the frenzy and make some big mistakes - that often impact their home purchase. As I sat across the table from one of our preferred mortgage vendors today, a few of the items below came up in our conversation. While this is certainly not an exhaustive list, these are some of my top reminders.
AVOID REPRESENTING YOURSELF - For one of life’s most complicated and financially significant transactions, why would you represent yourself when you can be represented by a licensed, knowledgeable and experienced Realtor (for FREE)?
DON’T GET EMOTIONALLY ATTACHED TO A HOUSE YOU WANT TO BUY. Let’s face it, we are human and buyers often find a home and immediately fall in love. BUT . . . to make rationale, logical, and financially sound decisions in the process, buyers must do their best to keep emotions in check. For example, my clients were considering a corner lot and a lake front lot. Of course, the lake front lot would add a tremendous amount to the overall cost of the home. Fortunately, they went home and “came to their senses” and realized that the lake front lot was not a wise choice for them.
FAILING TO GET A HOME INSPECTION - Yes, there is an up front cost, but wouldn’t you want to know what you’re potentially buying? For a small option fee, you can have the home inspected and then decide whether you want to proceed OR walk away and receive a refund of your earnest money (remember I’m always referring to Texas real estate law).
FAILING TO ASK QUESTIONS! The real estate buying process has many steps. If you haven’t purchased a home before or it’s been more than a few years, be sure to ask your Realtor questions when you don’t understand a process, document, or issue that arises. That’s part of their job and they are happy to help.
FAILING TO READ/UNDERSTAND THE HOA RESTRICTIONS BEFORE YOU BUY! - While I realize that the HOA documents are full of a lot of legalese and verbiage, it’s worth scanning the important sections like restrictions on parking, signs, decorations, etc. For example, I just visited a friend and commented on her beautiful circle driveway in the front of her house (I’ve always wanted a house with one). She said, “thanks, we put that in because we aren’t allow to park cars overnight in our neighborhood.” Wow!! That’s pretty significant, especially when you have a household with more cars than garage spaces, etc.
OPENING A NEW CREDIT CARD - Don’t open any new accounts for at least 6 months before (or longer if you are repairing your credit) or during any period before you close on your new home.
GOING ON A VACATION (THAT IMPACTS YOUR SAVINGS/CASH ON HAND/CREDIT CARD DEBT)
BUYING A CAR/TRUCK
BUYING FURNITURE OR APPLIANCES OR ANYTHING ELSE FOR YOUR NEW HOME
TRANSFERRING LARGE AMOUNT OF FUNDS
You've Gotta Let it Go!
Selling a house involves many things - one of which is “letting go” of the emotional attachment many of us have with our homes.
So, you’ve decided to sell your house. If you’re like most people (including myself), we all become emotionally attached to our homes. After all, it’s the place where we have shared so many experiences with our family and friends and have treasured memories. And with those memories, we often find it hard to let go — even when family, jobs, and other situations require us to move. More than once, I’ve had clients tear up as we move through the selling process. But, as my grandmother always told me, “once you decide to sell your house, it’s no longer yours.” The more you can switch gears emotionally from “it’s my home” to just another business transaction, the easier you’ll find the selling process. And best of all, I’m here to help you through the entire process - and I promise no judgment when the tears flow or emotions run high. Helping clients move on to the next phase of their lives is so rewarding for me. So, let me help you the next time you’re ready to sell.
