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TOP TEN TIPS TO SELL YOUR HOME QUICKLY AND FOR TOP DOLLAR

1. UPDATE, DON’T RENOVATE.
View your home with a buyer’s critical eye and update key areas only to the extent that a new buyer can live with the changes. Set your time horizon to one year: you want the buyer to envision themselves living in the home without the need for an immediate renovation. This makes the price tag and investment of buying a home much less intimidating even if the updates are not exactly what the buyer wants. This process can be broken down into fast, easy and relatively inexpensive options that can be accomplished either by the homeowners themselves or with the help of an experienced handyman or a home staging company that offers handyman services.

2. FEELINGS ARE EVERYWHERE.
Buyers shop with logic but buy on emotion. Most buyers cannot see past rooms crowded with your “stuff.” Eliminate all clutter of a personal, religious or political nature.

3. CURB THEIR ENTHUSIASM.
The buyer’s first impression is a lasting one. Create a focal point at the front entrance: fresh door paint, new or polished hardware, a door mat, a seasonal wreath and planted floral urns by the front entrance say, “I am as beautiful and well-maintained on the inside… come on in!”

4. CLEANLINESS IS MORE IMPORTANT WHEN GODLINESS IS UNLIKELY.
Be unrealistically clean. Buyers are immediately turned off by dust, dirt, mold and stuffiness. Kitchens and bathrooms must sparkle. If what buyers see is clean, they will assume that what they are not seeing is clean as well.

5. A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME.
Eliminate pet, smoke and last night’s fish odors. A must before allowing a buyer into your home: open the windows and air it out. Forget baking cookies. Burn a lightly scented candle in the kitchen.

6. THE GOLDILOCKS ZONE.
The thermostat should be set at a comfortable setting for the season: neither too hot nor too cold. Don’t distract your buyer with wondering why your HVAC system is not working properly. If the home is vacant, consider programming your thermostat to keep your prospective buyer as cool as a cucumber or as warm as toast during the hours the house is most likely to be shown.

7. STAY CLOSE TO NATURE AND SHE WILL NEVER FAIL YOU.
Strategic placement of both fresh flowers and silk plant material is important in the main rooms of the home. Focus on the kitchen, bathrooms, dining room table and living room. Beautiful flowers and plant material finish off the well-designed, well-maintained home.

8. MUSIC WASHES AWAY THE DUST OF EVERYDAY LIFE.
Soothing background music on low volume during an open house is always a nice touch. Music will often distract buyers from outside noises or traffic. A TV should never be left on… it is unnecessary and distracting!

9. SUNLIGHT IS THE ORIGINAL PROZAC.
Windows must be washed and screens must be stored to allow for maximum light. A well-lit room shows better. Well-placed table and floor lamps work equally well. Need more light? Buy lamps!

10. ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE, EVEN YOUR HOME.
A professional home stager will design a home to sell quicklyfor top dollar. The way people actually live in a home is quite different from designing a home to sell. Home staging professionals look at a property objectively, highlighting the best features of a home while minimizing its shortcomings. The outside of the home is considered just as important as the inside. Visual appeal is especially important as the National Association of Realtors reports that 77% of today's buyers first view their new homes through virtual tours on the Internet. Online pictures of empty rooms express little about the home.