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Top 5 Tips for Getting Your Home Buyer-Ready


Getting your home ready to get sold can be a hassle anywhere, but in NYC the rules are different (what else is new, am I right?!) Typically, a homeowner can update their kitchen as they please, create an open floor layout by knocking out walls so long as their contractor agrees that is a possibility, or finish their basement for added square footage. In NYC, those tactics just aren’t an option. With the necessity of condo and co-op boards to approve renovations, very slight chances of walls not being load-bearing, and lets not even talk about the possibility of a magician’s trick to add square footage – I mean really suburbs, how is that even an option? Other options need to be explored; so we’ve compiled a list of the top 5 things you can do to give your space a facelift, without board approval, and without magic tricks.

  1. Don’t make the space yours - I know this sounds super counter-intuitive, but in order for the buyers to feel like they can make the space theirs they need to be able to imagine that space with their trophies and traveling souvenirs; pictures of your parents and your children at graduation will simply cloud their daydream. Make the space neutral without any personal mementos while keeping good décor.

  2. A picture is worth a thousand words - The pictures for your listing are basically what a resume is to a potential employer. Those need to be top notch to get the attention of potential buyers because if your listing photos don’t show off the features of your home, prospective buyers may reject it without ever stepping foot inside. Get an experienced real estate photographer to take these pictures as they are the first step to getting the market excited about your home.

  3. Clean, clean, clean - Yeah, I know; you’re already the cleanest person in the world and you can’t even leave the subway station without hand sanitizing after you’ve held the subway poles during your commute, right? Right. Well I am here to tell you that buyer DO judge, and they WILL notice clutter and dust which can turn away strong buyer prospects. This will give off the impression that if you don’t keep up with your home’s cleanliness you also don’t keep up with the upkeep of the home which is, you know, not too promising.

  4. Let there be light! - Now don’t get me wrong, I know we can’t just demolish the building that’s right outside our window and blocking our potentially perfect Central Park views – but we can make the space feel lighter with white light bulbs, light color décor, and spaced out furniture. Now if you ARE one of the fortunate few with south facing windows, make sure to keep your blinds up as often as possible. This is a detail that can be overlooked when getting ready for a showing in a hurry.

  5. Hire a REALTOR - You knew this would be somewhere in here, didn’t you? But listen, it’s true. I know commission fees can be seen as hefty for some home sellers, but experience is priceless. Instead of scheduling an infinite amount of appointments, figuring out the best mediums to advertise, working with the buyers to submit board applications, so on and so forth – you can list your home with a REALTOR® and know you are getting top professionalism for such an important life event. In addition, without your home being listed on the MLS a lot of agents2won’t bring their buyer clients to your listing. Closing note: please notice the term REALTOR® as not every real estate agent is a REALTOR® which can shift how your home sale process is treated.

Hope this helped! Our team of REALTORS® are here to answer any questions you have. If you are ready to get started on the sale of your home, we will provide you with a free appraisal with no obligation. Contact us for more information!

info@playrmg.com

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