In this article I want to share how I handle it when tenants in one my rental houses move out and I decide it’s time to sell the property. For one thing, I’m comfortable selling my investment properties myself. But if you’re not comfortable doing it yourself, if you feel like you don’t know how to sell your house then call a real estate agent and let a professional handle it. That’s one of your options. However, I’ve developed a system that works for me personally, and I suspect it could work for you, too, especially now, in the present real estate market. I say this because there are a lot of people who tell me that these same suggestions worked well for them in the past.
As my first suggestion, I’d like to encourage you to see your house the same way your potential buyers will see it. In order to do that, start by going outside a ways, turning around and approaching your house from the sidewalk or the street. I know this sounds silly, but it’s a great way to stop your busy life and actually see your house with fresh eyes. Now, stand there for a minute and just stare at your house. Imagine that you’re looking at your house as if you’ve never seen it before. That is how others will see it, and you really need to be having the same experience they are having in order to communicate your enthusiasm to them. Naturally, nobody else knows about the remodeling and other improvements you may have made, or what you’ve done to maintain the house. Truthfully, people are only interested in what they can see, and more importantly, how it makes them feel, especially their first impression. Buyers seem to be deeply affected by their first impression of a house, so you want to use first impressions to your advantage. That’s a very important factor in learning how to sell a house.
Knowing that buyers’ first impression is one they do not forget, you’ll understand that it creates an unexplainable feeling about the house, a feeling that turns their interest level on or off. Your job as the seller is to recreate your own feelings when you saw your house for the first time. When you can do that successfully, then ask yourself what caused that special feeling? And what can you do to stimulate that great feeling for new buyers now? When you can truly see your house as other people see it you will be ‘way down the road towards making a sale. You will definitely be ahead of other sellers who are struggling with how to sell a house.
Now, stroll back up the sidewalk and enter into your house again. Hesitate for a minute when you get inside, and take a look around the entryway so that your first impression of the interior of your house is clear. Take notice of sounds and smells as well as what you see because all of the senses influence a person’s first impression of your house. Remember, you are too familiar with your house and so the subtleties may not be registering with you because your mind is on other things. Right now, take time to notice and to reflect on how your house looks, sounds and smells. This exercise will absolutely help you prepare it well so that your buyers cannot help but fall in love with it, just as you did!
I’ve taken a good, long time to explain this first part of how to sell a house because it is truly a critical step in the process of luring your idea buyers. Think about it – you bought the house, right? Now you have to find buyers who have some of the same thoughts and feelings you had, once upon a time. That’s all there is to it, really.