There are foreclosures which drive the neighborhood prices down, renovated properties with all the latest updates, demanding buyers, and hungry agents that don’t do a great job at negotiating for fear of losing a sale.

Face it, it is a tough time to be selling property, especially if your home hasn’t been completely modernized. Luckily we have some tips that will help your property stand out amongst the sea of for sale signs.

Best in Show

One of the most important things you can do for your home these days is make it POP. Thats right, you are competing against renovated properties with granite countertops, travertine tile, stainless appliances and brand new kitchens and baths.

When buyers step into your home, chances they have seen rehab after rehab and they are comparing. Your job is to make the house rise above those other homes so that yours sticks in their mind.

You may laugh but here are some tips to get the buyers to love your property and remember it when it comes time to open the check book.

Cleanliness… this should be a given, but I can’t tell you how many times we have walked into a listed home to see underwear all over the floor, dishes in the sink and a stinky litter box.

Remember you want someone to buy this thing, car sellers get their property detailed before taking it to the dealer, you should be applying the same principle! Break out the hose and the bleach and get to work, your sale just might depend on it!

Lighting… This is another problem we’ve seen a lot of, many older homes weren’t built with overhead lights and fans and can feel a little bit like being in an old smoky tavern, when you walk in them they feel very depressing and old.

So shed some light on your property, but only the good parts. Also maximize any natural lighting potential you have. Your buyers faces will light up!

Defined Spaces, one of the biggest problems we hear from agents who sell renovated properties is that their buyers have very little imagination, when they step into a freshly rehabbed home it is usually void of furniture and the like which makes it very hard for them to imagine living there

On the flip side, if you are selling the home you live in, the biggest problem you face is that it is lived in and buyers have a tough time imagining how they are going to fill your space with their stuff.

So make it easy on them! Get rid of the clutter, stage the rooms and set the place up in a way that will allow your buyer’s imagination run wild.

Come back soon for our next article on how to get the buyers to flow into your property as if you were giving it away!