I see a lot of homes…  I see a lot of homes get listed, and honestly… the sellers do themselves a disservice when their property isn’t presented to its full potential. (Insert sigh here when seeing iPhone photos for listing photos…)

When you go ‘LIVE’ you really only get one chance. It’s your one chance to SHINE. If it doesn’t – your property will sit. If your property is overpriced – your home will sit as well. Combine these two together, and you have a property that may sell/ but for much less than its potential. This is exactly what you don’t want when you are selling.

Here are the 5 things I would do if I listed my personal  home TOMORROW:

1) Deep Clean – Seems simple, right? So many sellers do not do it. You want your home to be spotless, tidy, and clean. Smells (good & bad) can be destructive to potential home buyers. If you aren’t a deep cleaner, don’t fret, we have amazing cleaning partners in West Seattle & Gig Harbor! So easy peasy, make sure your home is: Clean. Really Clean. Like, lick off the floors, Clean.

2) Stage – If you know me, or have seen my Instagram – you probably know I LOVE decor. So much, I like to rearrange my furniture and have a ‘new look’ every season. It drives my husband absolutely bonkers! This said I would STILL STAGE MY HOME. I would still spend the cost to stage a home.  The reason being is my profession is Real Estate, helping my clients buy and sell homes.  I am not an interior designer. As much as I love it, it is not what I do for a living. If you follow staging companies, you see their work.

Amazing staging is essential if you are truly trying to get TOP DOLLAR for your house. I have seen listings get $20K, $30K, and $50K+ because of Staging ALONE. Because it helps the home truly come together.

To me, I would invest $5K any day to get 4x -10x the return. Wouldn’t you?!

See a few of my favorite staging companies here or here.

See how furniture brings a space to Life?! Even in this beautiful new construction…

See how this small bedroom comes to life when it’s staged?

I don’t know about you – but my table isn’t set like this on a daily basis…

That moment when you walk into a home and you know this home is for YOU.

You want your home to scream “I’m HOME!” to potential buyers. Staging does this.

3) Yard Clean Up – Also seems like a duh, but most sellers do not do it. You want the first impression of your home to be incredible. When people walk up to your home it is the introduction to the rest of your home. It needs to be just as amazing as the inside.

If it doesn’t look great from the outside, some buyers may not even walk through the doors.

As a seller — the more buyers through those doors, the more money in your pocket! It’s a numbers game.

4) Fresh Coat of Paint – Neutralize your home. You want your home to have a ‘clean slate’ for staging, and also neutral so potential homebuyers can truly envision themselves living in your home. If you like colors, that’s great! It’s not personal, but most buyers need neutral colors to envision themselves in a space. A neon green wall could completely steer a buyer from your home. $500 to paint that wall could be well worth it. We are all busy people, kids in the picture, your walls have probably seen some better days. A fresh coat of paint also creates great first impressions.

You don’t want buyers eyes to immediately be drawn to scuffed up walls. 

5) Hire a market specialist to represent you on your sale. I’m shocked when financially savvy people tell me they are going to sell their house on their own. Really? Do you also self diagnose yourself when you are sick? No, you go to the doctor to see a specialist. The same way when you list your home, you should work with a listing specialist. Paying a listing agent 2.5%-3% is WELL WORTH IT! On a $500K home this is $12,500.  An amazing agent should absolutely return you 2X this by listing your home and having your home through a strategic marketing plan. (maybe even more, to be honest). (Oh and by the way, agents don’t see that entire commission amount. They need to pay their brokerage – sometimes 50%!, real estate taxes, marketing expenses, and then get left with a fraction of that!)

93% of home shoppers find their home online. High-End Photography, Video, and your home looking 150% are imperative when your listing photos pop up on Zillow.com & Redfin.com.

So, those are the 5 things I would personally do if I sold my home tomorrow.

Honestly, I wouldn’t skip a single step.

Each one is crucial if you truly want to maximize your return on investment. For most, your real estate is your biggest asset and investment.

Remember, as I said at the beginning — you get one shot.

Have your Home Shine! Shine bright like a diamond! (name that singer, wink wink)

Here at Dwell Home Team, we would love to work with you, our goal is to make the home buying and selling process as painless and stress-free!

If you have any real estate questions, we are always just a call/text/email away!