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Introduction
This book will show you how to
sell your home quickly and for the best price possible in a buyer’s
market. There are hundreds of tips in this book, and many are new to real
estate, giving you a competitive advantage over your competition.
By definition, a buyer’s market means that the buyer has the advantage
over the seller. It means that the buyer gets to be highly selective among
a large inventory of homes and can pick the best house that they can
afford. This puts the seller at a disadvantage—unless they have one of the
best homes compared to similar homes in their market. Think of it this
way: buyers know how much they can spend and are looking at lots of
choices in homes on the market within their price range. The buyer will
pick the home with the most value added to it; the one that looks and
feels the nicest.
The purpose of this book is to explore the steps necessary to make your
home chosen over the competition.
But first, you need to understand the psychology behind what goes on in
the buyer’s mind when they are shopping for a home. Virtually everyone
wants to maintain or improve their lives and desire health, wealth and
happiness. The expectation is that in buying a new home, their dreams of a
better life will be realized.
A buyer is not going to feel like their dreams will come true in a poorly
maintained, dirty or cluttered home. Most buyers cannot (or simply won’t)
look beyond the clutter and dirt to visualize what a home would look like
if it were in great shape. Your job is to make your home a space that
conveys to the buyer that their dreams will come true if they live there.
This book will show you how to turn your home into a “dream magnet.” It
goes beyond the obvious chores of cleaning, removing clutter, and
organizing. You will do those things, but you will also add touches that
will make your home look and feel fantastic. It will be that look and feel
that will sell your home, because that is the feel of possibilities. You
will create a space that conveys a lifestyle that a buyer desires, a home
that promises to make them happy, content, and financially comfortable.
In effect, you are selling them the promise of a better life with your
home.
Buyers are also looking to move into a home in pristine turnkey condition.
“Turnkey” means that the home is ready for occupation, that no changes are
necessary for the new owners. Many families are already overwhelmed with
children and jobs and have neither the time nor extra money to make
changes. Make your house completely turnkey and priced right and it will
sell quickly.
Ways to make your home eco-friendly will also be found throughout the
book. A green home, you will discover, is healthier for you and the
environment. Eco-friendly features are also becoming increasingly sought
after by buyers.
You may be familiar with the concepts of “staging” and Feng Shui. The term
“Home Staging” was coined by a woman named Barb Schwartz, who understood
that a clean, organized home without the seller’s “memories” sold faster
than ones that were left untouched. I depart from traditional staging in
that I don’t like the literal “staging” part, as it seems fake. Instead,
you will discover how to create an environment that feels and looks
authentic. You will create a home that feels like a sanctuary. Buyers will
gravitate to your home because it looks and feels so good. They will want
to step into the lifestyle that you have created. Furthermore, you can
apply what you learn about making your home look and feel good to your
next place.
I have studied and practiced Feng Shui for many years, and if you are
familiar with the practice, you will see principles of Feng Shui applied
in this book. You will discover the importance of how energy flows
throughout your home and how the placement of objects will help sell your
home. Specific Feng Shui principles will help you get the most money
possible for your home.
Central to understanding how to sell your home quickly is to understand
what it is the buyer does when they shop for a home. When a buyer looks at
a home, they invoke four senses:
• Sight
• Sound
• Smell
• Sixth sense: “how it feels”= the energy of a place
This book will explore the many ways to make your home delight the buyer’s
senses. When all four senses are positive, your home will sell quickly.
Currently, the overwhelming majority of buyers shop online for homes,
finding places they will ask their agent to see. Buyers are not going to
ask to see homes that don’t look great, so it is crucial that you make
your home look as inviting as possible and that good photographs are
taken.
I wanted this book to be as current as possible, with input from real
estate professionals working in this economy. Therefore, in 2009, I
interviewed dozens of agents, staging professionals, interior designers,
mortgage bankers and others in the real estate field around the country.
They are quoted throughout the book for their expertise.
Keep in mind that above all other matters, price is the key factor that
will sell your home and Step 2 is devoted to the subject.
To sell your home in a buyer’s market, it is a given that it must be
clean, clutter-free, and looking its absolute best. Additionally, you will
need to decide what upgrades, home improvements and appliances to buy
based on comparable homes in your market. For instance, it makes no sense
to put a professional grade refrigerator, granite countertops and
top-of-the line cabinetry in the kitchen you are selling if you own a
starter home.
Making upgrades using eco-friendly choices will give your home a
competitive advantage over similar homes in your market. Your home will
sell faster than the competition because buyers are seeking out what is
now becoming increasingly desirable. As the trend toward “green”
renovations grows, buyers will feel as though they are hip for buying a
home that features these cutting edge upgrades.
If you read and follow the advice in this book, you might end up
transforming your house or condo into the home of your dreams! In fact,
this book has a dual purpose--as a designer, my hope is that this book
both helps sell your home and enables you to create your dream home in
your next place. So, think about the project you are about to embark
on—selling your home—as practice for your next place!
Instead of viewing this process as a chore, consider it a life-changing
adventure. Once you have created the space that will sell your home, you
will experience what it is like to live in it; even for a short period of
time. You will understand what it is like to reside in a really clean,
clutter-free, organized space with vibrant energy. If you are like most
people, you will feel liberated, be more organized and calmer with less
stuff in your life.
You can choose to read the book in its entirety and then do the work, or
read and do the work Step by Step. Preparing a home for sale can be
overwhelming. Try to give yourself plenty of time to get your home ready
and focus on the task at hand, instead of worrying about everything that
needs to get done.
Good luck!
Harmonious Environment ©
Copyright 2004-2010
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