What Do You Love About Your Home? Seeing Your Home Through a Buyer’s Eyes
There’s no denying that no one loves your home like you do. The way you have your furniture
arranged for maximum livability, favorite photos, and sentimental items displayed, as well as the
practical and functional use of all manner of appliances and gadgets is what makes your home
uniquely yours.
When it comes to potential buyers seeing your home in person or via photo or video tour, it pays
to consider how your house is presented with a buyer specifically in mind. There is a fine line
between striping a home of all of its personality for the sake of staging and focusing on your
home’s best features that might just help it sell quickly.
Below are five tips for showcasing your home’s best side.
Make a List
Before you ever start to move things around, first sit down and make an actual list of what you
consider to be your home’s very best selling points. Ask yourself, what are the things you will
miss about the house? What makes it unique or sets it apart from the others in your
neighborhood or community. For example, is your porch area screened in making it useful
year-round? Did you opt for the upgraded finishes in your kitchens or bathrooms? Have you
converted that attic storage space into an awesome home office with sheetrocked walls and
heating and air?
Makeover Time
Now that you have made some notes on the special features of your home, it’s time to consider
giving these spaces and special features a little makeover. Start by decluttering the area. If you
are moving soon, use this as an opportunity to get a jump start on your purging! Get rid of
superfluous items that crowd or distract in the space. A little elbow grease and deep cleaning go
a long way. Could the space use a refresh with a new coat of paint? If there are serious repairs
or updates needed, consider contacting a professional to make sure the job is done right.
Put Your Phone to Work
Take photos. Even if you aren’t a professional photographer, a picture is still worth a thousand
words. Photograph your beautiful wood built-ins in the den, or your gorgeous mantle, or that
custom workbench or shelving in your garage. Seeing your space in a photograph is a
completely different vantage point than seeing in person. Study and examine the photos. After
all, this may be a potential buyer’s first impression. Do the books or photos on the den shelves
need to be minimized? Does the mantle scream for a larger scale mirror or artwork? Could the
garage storage system use some uniformity or tidying? If so, consider this round two of making
over these wonderful features.
Ask a Friend
Get feedback. With your home’s best areas now having undergone a little extra TLC, think
about asking a trusted friend with a good eye or a family member who may be due for a visit to
give you an honest evaluation of your space. Ask them to look at the space through the lens of
a potential buyer. What stands out? What needs to be moved or added? What might they offer
by way of input in order for these awesome features of your home to look their very best?
Leave the Rest to the Pros
Finally, once it’s time to list your home with a real estate professional, be sure to communicate
with them how special these areas of your home are. When it comes time to professional listing
photos or write up for the Multiple Listing Service (MLS), he or she can be sure to highlight and
focus their marketing efforts on these features as well. You’ll have already done the hard part.
They can take it from here to help ensure a great first impression of your beloved home and get
you multiple offers for a quick sale.
