What Sellers Need to Know

Tips For Getting Your Property Sold For More Money And In Less Time

You may not be able to finish the basement or remodel the kitchen, but you can improve the market value of your house. It is important to attract as many qualified buyers as possible. In preparing your home for sale it is important to look at your home through a “buyer’s eyes.” People buy what they see. So look at your home as if you were in a buyer’s shoes. Make your home as appealing and uncluttered as the home you would like to buy.

Download our free and helpful Seller’s booklet

Outside
- Mow the lawn, trim trees and shrubs away from house. You can’t sell a house if you can’t see it. Rake leaves, remove dead plants, flowers or shrubs.
- Put away tools, garbage cans, hoses, toys and building materials neatly in the garage.
- Check for broken roof shingles, straight lines on gutters, shutters, windows, and siding.
- Clean windows and front door. Paint if needed.
- Seal or resurface driveway.
- Clear patios or decks of planters, flowes pots, charcoal, barbecues.
- In the front yard, dress up around shrubs and lamp post with large quartz stones, railroad ties, and pine bark mulch, etc.
Foyer
- Use bright light bulb in foyer light fixture.
- Turn on all lights in home in the evening to welcome potential buyers.
- Fill the house with the pleasant aroma of cinnamon, or other fresh scent.
- Spotlessly clean woodwork, carpeting, and windows throughout house.
- Clear window ledges of all objects to give a nice glimpse inside and out.
- Repaint walls if necessary, in neutral color such as antique white.
Living Room
- Discard worn furniture and move extra to storage area. Too much furniture makes rooms look small.
- Visit a model home to get decorating ideas.
- Clear away all magazines, books, and unnecessary objects from furniture throughout the house.
- Take down pictures that hide walls. Patch nail holes and paint.
- Add lamps and lighting if dark.
- Open curtains.
- Set out fresh flowers.
Kitchen
- Professionally clean oven and stove.
- Replace broken appliances, and repair squeaks, drips, or binds in cabinet drawers.
- Clean all appliances inside and out until they are spotless. Wax and polish floors.
- Discard old food and leftovers from refrigerator.
- Clean refrigerator front of messages, pictures and magnets.
- Clear all magazines, small appliances, and cookware from counter tops.
- If it hasn’t been used for months… put it away!
Family Room
- Clean fireplace.
- Replace carpet if it’s a loud color. (I know. It costs money, but you’ll get it back at settlement.)
- Remove all magazines, books, toys and wom furnishings that might influence a buyer’s feeling about the room.
- Create an easy-going relaxed atmosphere in your family room. This is where most families spend their time so make it look good.
Bathrooms
- Remove any unnecessary items from counter tops, tubs, and commode.
- Put as much away as possible, anil make each bathroom look like “a guest bathroom.”
- Sink, commode, bathtub, tile and shower curtain should look immaculate, no soap film or hair.
- Fix leaky faucets, rust stains and faulty plumbing that may squeak or bind.
- Caulk and grout tile.
- Bleach discolored grout.
- Replace or remove any wallpaper that isn’t “conservative.”
- Coordinate towels to one or two colors only.
- Place softer bulbs in bathroom fixtures and scented flower arrangement on vanity too.
Master Bedroom
- This is the second most important-to-be-appealing room in the home (after the kitchen, before the family room and garage).
- Define areas, sleeping, dressing and sitting by furniture arrangement.
- Try to have bedroom look as simply furnished as possible.
- Be sure all clothes are hanging up, not laying out in room.
- Make closets more appealing by storing off-season clothes elsewhere.
- Go ahead and pack them up since you’re moving anyway.
Children’s Bedrooms
- Here’s a challenge: ask children and teenagers to help by thoroughly cleaning up their rooms, removing all posters and questionable photographs.
- Low lighting and clutter make bedrooms look smaller or darker than they are.
- Patch and paint wails if necessary.
- Open curtains.
Garage
- The perfect garage contains only cars. But if this is not possible, clean up, fix up, sell or toss out unneeded items. (This may be your only opportunity. )
- Clean and seal cement floor.
- Neatly stack tools and clean up work bench and tidy up storage shelf areas.
Basement
- A finished basement is great! Just follow same guidelines given for preparing the family room. If unfinished, make sure concrete floor is well swept and clean.
- Seal or paint concrete floors (battleship grey).
- Clean water heater, change filters, and put strong light bulbs in fixtures.

Should We Remodel or Decorate?

While redecorating can make a home look more attractive, it is difficult to anticipate what a new buyer may be looking for in your home. It’s best to simply prepare your home with a clean, uncluttered appearance.

If anything, you may want to invest in some fresh paint. Paint can go a long way in enhancing the appeal of your home.

If your home is in need of paint or carpeting, it’s better to invest the money and buy it ahead of time. Rather than hope a buyer has a vivid imagination of what your home will look like without spots on the carpet and chipped paint on the walls, make it look its best when they see it. You only have one chance to make a good first impression!

After Listing Your Home

RELAX -Live in your house.
NOTIFY PROGRESSIVE – if you leave town.
THREE’S A CROWD – Avoid having too many people present during inspections. The potential buyer will feel like an intruder and will hurry through the house. Do not allow children to tag along on the visitor’s tour.
LET THE SUN SHINE IN – Open draperies and curtains and let the prospect see how cheerful your home can be. Dark rooms do not appeal.
CAN YOU SEE THE LIGHT! – Illumination is like a welcome sign. The potential buyer will feel a glowing warmth when you turn on all your lights for an evening inspection.
MUSIC IS MELLOW – But not when showing a house. Turn off the blaring radio or television. Let the salesperson and buyer talk, free of disturbances.
PETS UNDERFOOT! – Keep them out of the way – preferably out of the house. One type of prospect may be annoyed, while another’s attention could be diverted.
SILENCE IS GOLDEN – Be courteous but don’t force conversation with the potential buyer. They want to inspect your house – not pay a social call.
BE IT EVER SO HUMBLE – Never apologize for the appearance of your home. After all, it has been lived in. Let the trained salesperson answer any objections. This is their job.
IN THE BACKGROUND – The salesperson knows the buyers requirements and can better emphasize the features of your home when you don’t tag along. This is their job.
WHY PUT THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE? – Trying to dispose of furniture and furnishings to the potential buyer before they have purchased the house often loses a sale.
A WORD TO THE WISE – Don’t discuss anything concerning the sale with the customer. Let the REALTOR® discuss price, terms, possession, and other factors with the customer. He or she is eminently qualified to bring negotiations to a favorable conclusion.
BUYER AT YOUR DOOR STEPS – Get their name and phone number and kindly hand them the REALTOR® business card, and ask them to call the agent. We ask that you show your home to prospective customers only by appointment through and accompanied by a REALTOR®.
CALL US – Save all sales agents cards. We ask that you call us at the Progressive Real Estate office whenever anyone shows the home. If we are not in, please identify yourself and the agent who showed your home so that we can follow up with any salespeople who have shown your home, for their response.

Agency

Minnesota Law requires that early in any relationship, real estate brokers or salespersons discuss with customers what type of representation or relationship they desire. Before we can represent you the law requires that we enter into such a relationship. Under such a relationship an Agent’s Obligation is to:

Make reasonable effort to locate property acceptable to the Buyer
Assist in negotiations for the Purchase of Property
Assist Buyer throughout the transaction
Act in the Buyer’s best interest at all times, subject to the terms of Agency representation

This law was enacted to benefit the Buyer. Under this relationship you have someone you can trust to look out for your best interest who knows the real estate market, the community, and can negotiate a fair price for your home. If you have questions, please feel free to contact us. We are looking forward to working with you.

We want you to have the necessary information in order to make an informed decision.

Download our agency disclosure for full details

Our promise to you as our client, starts with and is defined as our Fiduciary Duty.

This could be best described with the acronym pronounced “Elsie Dora” as follows:

LCDORA

L – Loyalty: I will act only in my clients best interest.
C – Confidentiality: I will keep my client’s confidences unless required by law to disclose specific information, ie, material facts.
D – Disclosure: I will disclose to my client all material facts.
O – Obedience: I will carry out all my clients lawful instructions.
R – Reasonable Care: I will use reasonable care in performing my duties as a real estate agent.
A – Accounting: I will account to my client’s for all the client’s money and property received as an agent.

Agency law was enacted to benefit the Buyer.

As our client, you have someone you can trust to look out for your best interest.

We know the real estate market, and the community, and can negotiate a fair price for you.

If you have questions, please feel free to contact us. We are looking forward to working with you.

What Sellers Need to Know

Outside

Foyer

Living Room

Kitchen

Family Room

Bathrooms

Master Bedroom

Children’s Bedrooms

Garage

Basement

Should We Remodel or Decorate?

After Listing Your Home

Agency

Get in Touch

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Progressive

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