Think Like a Buyer

As you gather up your belongings and pack them away to prepare your home for potential buyers, try to picture your home through the eyes of a buyer. Consider which items should be left out for buyer appeal.

Often the wrong items are left on display -- things like family photos, personal keepsakes, and treasured belongings. All of these items should be safely packed away which very often creates open space (a plus for buyers) on shelves, refrigerator doors, and desktops.

Buyers often make a decision within just seconds of seeing your home about whether or not they want to buy it. So What do you see in about 10 seconds?

When you walk up do you see children’s toys scattered across the front lawn. Do you see overgrown shrubs and weeds? Do you see chipped paint on the front door, a screen that’s torn? Do you spot oil spills on the driveway?

Answering yes to just one or two of these questions can be damaging to the buyer's first impression of your home -- before the buyer has even entered your home. Sometimes, those seconds are all the buyers need to decide to simply do a "drive by" and not even stop to go inside.

Of course, the goal is to get the buyers inside -- to get them to spend time, feel like your home could be their home. Here are five tips that can make your home appealing to buyers:

• Check all the screens and molding around your windows and doors. Even slightly torn screens send a careless message to buyers. It gives an unconscious uneasiness that there has been a lack of care for the home.


• Add artwork to long hallways. You don’t have to buy artwork that costs thousands of dollars but, if your home has long hall ways, it’s nice to break up the monotony with some tasteful artwork. Use contrasting shades and hues to coordinate with the flooring.


• Make the kitchen a focal point. Whether they cook or not, the kitchen is of primary interest to many buyers. Winning over buyers with an appealing kitchen can often convince them that they must have the home. Make sure your appliances are clean, sparkling, and working. Return on investment in the kitchen is usually high and worth every penny.


• Put the "ah" in the bedroom. The bedroom needs to look like a bedroom. Many people use their bedroom for other things such as an office or storage. Boxes or newspapers are scattered or stacked in a corner. There’s no "ah" or sense of relaxation with that kind of room. So even if that’s how you’ve been living, understand that’s not how you should show a home.


• Clear out the clutter. Remove excess furniture. It doesn’t matter if you use it. You can walk to another room to get what you need if it means you sell the home faster because it now looks more inviting and spacious.

Making your home more appealing is about seeing your home through the eyes of your potential buyers. When it comes time to consider an offer, you’ll be glad you did.

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