This is my column for this week from the Arizona Republic (permanent link):
Do you want to make sure your home will sell? Little things matter
I tend to do a lot of previewing. I will go into houses alone to take photographs. My buyers and I then use those photos to draft a short-list of homes to view when they’re ready to see for themselves.
Because of this, I get to spend a lot of time alone in homes, looking at absolutely everything, with no distractions.
Here’s what I’ve learned from looking at thousands of homes for sale: Little things matter.
Is the home picked up, or are there clothes, toys and magazines scattered everywhere? Are there dirty breakfast dishes on the kitchen table? Dried up orange juice splotches? Toast crumbs? Are last night’s dirty dishes piled up in the sink?
Is the house clean? Does it look and smell like the cleaning crew just left? If I look for dirt, I can find it. But can I find it easily without having to look?
Is every room of the house packed to the walls with furniture? Are there pictures of every member of the family for three generations tacked all over the walls? Do the kids like dark blue, dark purple, dark black paint?
I can probably guess your religion by the stuff you own and the other stuff you don’t own, but my buyers should never, ever see symbols of your religion in the house. Why? Because it can be subtly off-putting to them without their even knowing why at a conscious level.
Likewise, if they can smell your cat — or the fish you fried for dinner last week — you’ve probably already alienated potential buyers before they have even given your house half a chance. Odors kill sales, so kill those odors now.
Fix any obvious defects. Only a specialist can say for sure if the air conditioner is working properly, but no one has to be told when it’s completely broken.
It only takes a few small things to drive buyers on to the next house on their list. If you want for yours to be the one that sells, it simply must be better than others. Little things matter.
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Richard Nikoley says:
Greg visited — I don’t even know how many — many homes for me 2 1/2 years ago, gave me tons of photos of about six or a dozen rental prospects and from those we mutually decided on three to purchase.
I relied heavily on his expertise for what would be a good rental — and certainly NOT what I or my wife would want to live in.
I completed the transactions through a lender referral also provided by Greg. They were equally as competent and full service as he and Greg then referred a property manager, again, equally as full service, who got all three properties rented within two months.
Two and one-half years. I receive check every month, but have yet to see either the houses, nor do I have any idea who my tenants are. The whole thing may as well have taken place anywhere in the world.
May 7, 2008 — 8:21 pm
Benidorm says:
“Now here’s the key to the law of accumulation. It says that everything counts. Everything that you do counts. The biggest mistake that people make is they think that only what they want to count, counts.” Brian Tracy
I agree that the little thing matter, everything matters. Those who focus their activity on one domain and excel in it know this. They use every bit of their energy to do things well. And that is the reason why they are the best.
May 17, 2008 — 8:47 am