For National Independent Realtor Month in July, we’re sharing advice on a two-part blog post – our first one yesterday was from the realtor’s perspective to home buyers! Today, we share tips for homeowners trying to sell their home.

Every house is tailored to the homeowner’s preferences. However, when the time comes to sell your house, it has to be less about you and more about the potential buyers. The following 5 tips are offered to those wishing to sell their house as quickly and effectively as possible.

 

    1. Out of Sight, Out of Mind As a homeowner trying to sell their house, don’t be present when you’re expecting someone to see your house. Not only will you be in the way when they’re trying to see the rooms, but it will make the potential buyer feel rushed to finish. The homeowner’s presence makes the home viewer feel uncomfortable, awkward, and invasive. A home viewing is meant for the buyer to picture themselves in the house, which makes it hard if they know the current owner is under the same roof.
  • The Cleaner the Better Ensure your house is spotless and ready to welcome any guest. A dirty and messy house with objects lying around doesn’t appeal to anyone. If everything is clean and in its place, then it can even make the house look bigger because there’s more space. Also, bake cookies for a comforting fragrance or place air fresheners around your home to appeal to more than one of the five senses. 
  • Simple Sells If your home that you want to sell has painted walls, it’s probably best that you paint over it with a neutral color to appeal to the buyer. If one bedroom is hot pink or has wallpaper, the potential buyer may despise the color or not like wallpaper and instinctively be displeased. The wall color can also distract the buyer from focusing on the actual bedroom space. 

    Additionally, clear all portraits, frames, and personal items around the house. This not only protects your privacy, but allows buyers to imagine themselves in that space.

 

  • Pets Not Included If you have indoor pets, place them outside or take them with you while the home viewing occurs. You never know who is allergic, or whether your pet will bark or bother the potential buyer in your house. You don’t want someone to be more focused on your pet than the house itself.

 

  • Buyer’s Convenience, Not Yours Since you’re the seller, make yourself available to the buyer’s time. If they can only see the house in the evening or on the weekend, move your plans and commitments around to accommodate to the buyer’s convenience. If you start by being picky about the time, that may cause a bad first impression for the buyer before they even see your house.

 

If you ever wonder why your house isn’t selling as fast as you wanted it to, follow these helpful tips to appeal to the purchaser and speed up the process. Make others fall in love with your house at first sight and be able to go from calling it a house, to a home.


Sharon Schweitzer and Paola Guevara co-wrote this post. Sharon Schweitzer, J.D., is a cross-cultural trainer, modern manners expert, and the founder of Protocol & Etiquette Worldwide. In addition to her accreditation in intercultural management from the HOFSTEDE centre, she serves as a Chinese Ceremonial Dining Etiquette Specialist in the documentary series Confucius was a Foodie, on Nat Geo People. She is the resident etiquette expert on two popular lifestyle shows: ABC Tampa Bay’s Morning Blend and CBS Austin’s We Are Austin. She is regularly quoted by BBC Capital, Investor’s Business Daily, Fortune, and the National Business Journals. Her Amazon #1 Best Selling book in International Business,  Access to Asia: Your Multicultural Business Guide, now in its third printing, was named to Kirkus Reviews’ Best Books of 2015. She’s a winner of the British Airways International Trade Award at the 2016 Greater Austin Business Awards.

Paola Guevara is a 2017 Cross-Cultural Communication intern with Access to Culture. She’s lived in Mexico, France, and different states throughout the United States, including California, Florida, and Texas. She recently graduated with honors from St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas with a major in International Business and a focus in French. Connect with her via Linkedin.

Photo Credit: Mark Moz