You’ve lived in your house in New Orleans for years, and in the process, gotten used to the pros and cons, overlooking its minor (or major) flaws. But a prospective buyer will step into your home and see all the glaring negatives that are present there.
How to View Your New Orleans Home From a Different Perspective
You’ve decided to try and sell your New Orleans home. After conducting some local market and neighborhood trend research, you think you’re ready to go, but there’s one other thing you need to consider.
What are buyers looking for?
Thinking more like a buyer and less like a seller will allow you to see your home in a new light, and likely prompt you to make a few necessary adjustments:
Remain Objective
You’ve lived in your house for years, and in the process, gotten used to the pros and cons, overlooking its minor (or major) flaws. But a prospective buyer will step into your home and see all the glaring negatives that are present there. Maybe it’s cluttered, needs a little updating, is begging for a fresh coat of paint, or could just use a good cleaning. While you are probably capable of (and accustomed to) ignoring your home’s shortcomings, they are likely the first things a buyer will see, adversely impacting the probability of a sale and sabotaging your potential profits.
Stay Neutral
You might like bright colors, lots of knick-knacks, your kids’ artwork on the fridge and that pile of newspapers next to your favorite chair, but a buyer wants a home that they can imagine themselves living in. To make your home feel move-in ready, you’ll need to make it appear as bright and spacious as possible by removing all the clutter and displaying only decorations that are neutral, subtle, and work well with the design of your home. If you can, work with a home staging expert who will look at your home with fresh eyes and reconfigure your furnishings to appeal to potential buyers.
Do Some Fixing
When you start viewing your home through the eyes of a buyer, you’ll begin to notice what needs to be fixed. But you don’t have to break the bank and launch a full-scale renovation to get buyers interested in your home. All those projects you’ve been putting off but want in a new home – updated appliances, recessed lighting, new bathroom tile – will not only help enhance the appeal of the home you are trying to sell, but will also likely affect whether or not you get offers that meet or even exceed your asking price.
Invite Buyers In
Having an open house is a good way to generate interest in your home. If you happen to live in a trendy, desirable, or upcoming New Orleans neighborhood (think Seventh Ward/Treme, Mid-City, and the Lower Garden District), your neighbors and interested buyers have likely been itching to get a look inside your home, so now’s the time. Even if they’re not all potential buyers, they might know people who are. Make sure you hold your open house at a good time — preferably in the early afternoon on a weekend – when the weather is favorable.
Are you ready to sell your home and looking for some advice along with an unbiased opinion? For information about what New Orleans buyers are looking for and how your home stacks up, contact the experienced agents at Satsuma Realtors.