Thinking about selling your house can be daunting. I like to say it’s a complex and infrequently conducted transaction! What separates a great listing team from others is the ability to provide advice, guidance, and excellence with each step of the process. In Part I of this series, we’ll discuss preparation.
The first step to selling a house is typically helping people get it ready. For most clients, netting the most money possible for their home is their primary goal. This means balancing the cost of getting it ready with the price the home will command. A great listing agent can determine what needs to be done to maximize market value while keeping costs low. And often it’s the little things that make a difference between a so-so price and a great one.
Our team recently read the book, Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect. The author, Will Guidara, led the NYC restaurant Eleven Madison Park on an 11-year journey from a two-star brasserie to EMP being named the best restaurant in the world. While there are numerous quotable gems in this book, one I particularly like is, “People can feel perfection.”
To me, the key word in that statement is ‘feel’. In prepping your house to sell, this doesn’t mean your house needs to be perfect. It might mean, however, that the books on your bookshelf need to be placed just so and the height of your artwork should be just right. The scuffs on the baseboard need to be touched up and the caulking around your tub refreshed. The furniture needs to be arranged properly so the wide-angle lens of our professional photographer’s camera captures the rooms well.
Prospective buyers don’t always see these differences, but their subconscious feels them. Small tweaks in dozens of details can make the difference between a buyer liking your house or falling in love with their prospective home. And as many of you can probably attest, falling in love can be expensive!
Our sellers benefit greatly from our attention to detail and guidance during this preparation process.
Whether you are planning to sell in the next couple of months or next year, we can provide detailed guidance to get your home ready, with a keen eye on maximizing your return — from simple cosmetic items to remodeling or repairing major systems.
Give us a call at (208) 327-2127 and stay tuned for Part II where we talk about determining market value for your house!
And always remember, if you or your friends or family have real estate needs, we are your Boise, Idaho and North End real estate experts. If you are interested in searching for your next dream home, please click here.
