This section is dedicated to what seller’s need to do in order to maximize the amount of money they can get for their home. For a more condensed list, click here.

CORRECT THE DEFECTS

Paying for Repairs: A seller should know that any repairs that are discovered by either the buyer or themselves will be paid by the seller, either out of their own pocket or through money off the sales price of the home.

The seller has the option of fixing any defects before the house goes live on the market, or after the buyer’s home inspection. A pre-inspection is usually recommended for the seller who would like to get ahead of any potential issues before the home is put on the market in order to boost their listing price and ensure a smooth sale.

If the seller would rather the buyer fix the repairs, the seller should expect that compensation for repairs be taken out of the final sales price during the negotiations leading up to the signing of the Purchase and Sale Agreement. However, the seller will not just be paying retail price of whatever needs to be fixed (ie. roof, door), but also for labor costs and the inconvenience afforded to the buyer.

Restoration: Restoration means updating or fixing any tiles, vinyl, carpets, or counter tops. Cracked tiles are more affordable to replace than sellers usually anticipate, and antiquated designs can easily be painted over to update the look. The same rules apply to counter tops and vinyl. There are a couple of things you can do with carpets. Alot of carpets can be ripped up easily and affordably, however the seller needs to take account into what’s under the carpet before taking any drastic action. Boards underneath the carpet will most likely need to be polished, and any rot will need to be disclosed. A seller may alternatively choose to replace old carpeting with a more modern one.

KEEPING IT SIMPLE

Declutter and Depersonalize: Pretty simple and obvious. You want the house to be as spacious as possible so that during an open house, certain furniture don’t make rooms look cramped or impede a potential buyer’s ability to move around. Since you are planning on moving, it may be worth while to rent a storage unit so you can store what you don’t immediately need while the house is being sold. As far as depersonalizing a house, you don’t want the buyer inundated with pictures of your family (sorry grandma and grandpa). That doesn’t mean you have to remove every picture frame, just enough so that buyers can mentally move in and picture themselves in the home.

Painting: Painting can make a simple but huge difference in how your house looks inside and out. If you are trying to minimize the amount of painting when selling a home, focus on these three main rooms: the master bedroom, the bathrooms, and the kitchen. I’m a fan of painting the kitchen and the bathroom white for multiple reasons. White allows light to emanate around the room, so that every corner of the wall is lit up thus opening up walls. White is also both neutral and modern. The neutral tone gives a buyer a canvas to think about ways they can add personal touches to a room after they move in, but it also is modern enough for many to be content with it as is. For buyers who want (or need) to go the extra distance and paint the exterior of the house, I recommend a more muted tone such as beige or taupe with shutters or other amenities being a slightly darker color.

THE BEAUTIFUL OUTDOORS

Landscaping: You want the yard to look as big as possible and also look inviting. Try illuminating the paths and sidewalks that lead to the front door by planting annuals alongside them. Large trees that linger over the house or block windows may be the first on the chopping block (pardon the pun) as they present an insurance liability and may take away from the scenic view and scale of the property. Large trees should also have a clearance of 12 to 15 feet under them so the lawn opens up and buyers can feel comfortable walking underneath them. Make sure patches on the grass are filled in to keep a nice green lawn ready for showings, and as an added touch, consider strategically placing rocks or plants around the lawn to create another dimension to flat land.

NO SHORTCUTS

Professional Photography: This section is especially directed at FSBOs (For Sale by Owners) who take the pictures of the house by themselves. There is a chance that your photographs of the house are actually good. But there is a difference between having good photographs and professional photographs. A professional photographer will pay a client back in thousands of dollars on the sales price.

FSBOs aside, all seller’s agents will pay for the photographers as part of their marketing plan to get the most money for the house. Professional photographers find the right angles and the right light in rooms to embellish the space in a house and make it more alluring to potential buyers. I cannot stress enough that the more photos a seller has, the more eyes they will get too. More photos give potential buyers a better idea of the different dimensions of a house and enlist trust that the owner isn’t hiding anything.  

Comprehensive Marketing Plan: A comprehensive marketing plan encompasses all forms of media to provide the greatest outreach to potential buyers. It is the job of the seller’s agent to pay for the marketing, which is why a seller should be cautious of agents who are willing to do cut price commission (click here for more info on discount agents). At Coldwell Banker, I can confidently say that we have one of the best marketing plans around because we target buyers through every forms of media including television, online marketing, print media, flyers, social media, and direct mail. Below is a list of all the things that I can provide for a client via Coldwell’s silver marketing package.

• Professional Photography: 36 high quality magazine grade photos done by a professional photographer
• Personalized Single Property website: A website designed exclusively for your listing
• E-Flyer: An electronic flyer announcing the listing that will be circulated on mine and Coldwell’s social media pages
• Property Tour: High quality photos with narration of each room
• Boston Globe Advertising: The most popular newspaper in Boston with over 200,000 digital subscribers
• Magazine Grade Quality Brochures: Sent to neighbors and given to buyers who show up to open house and private showings
• TV spot: This will be aired on our At Home In New England Channel every Sunday and also our regional Youtube Channel
• Syndicated Listing: The home listing will be syndicated to 700 real estate websites including the major players like Realtor.com, Trulia, and Zillow
• Targeted Online Campaign: This campaign will be on both Instagram and Facebook and will run for several days after the listing goes live on the MLS (the multiple listing syndication). It will be directed at buyers who live in the area, and have recently visited real estate websites
• Neighborhood Mailing: Listing brochures will be mailed out to 100 homes around the property to capture any friends, family, or coworkers of neighbors that may want to move into the neighborhood
• Realtor Notification: When the listing goes live, all realtors in the area will be notified that your home is on the market

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