Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Selling Your SBC Home? The "Pottery Barn" Test

When working with a new seller, one of the most important things we can educate them about is the importance of preparing their home for showings. Educating them that how we live is not how we live when we are selling. Then telling them what changes need to be made prior to listing the home. What updates need to be made.

What happens if you are selling your Stone Brooke Crossing home, and you just don't know if you need to update your curtains? Your kitchen? Your furniture? Your paint? Maybe it's been a while since you've decorated your home and you are not sure if your style is still relevant.

In our subdivision there are a few, what I call, "builder specials" that I see in quite a few homes. These are things like the brass light fixtures, brass door fixtures, wallpaper, vinyl flooring and laminate countertops. When these homes were built this was the standard. Today's buyers have different tastes.

We came up with a good idea that proves to be an easy and quick test if you are wondering whether or not you need to update your home. If Mr or Mrs Seller isn't sure about the state of their home's decor, we kindly refer them to a Pottery Barn Catalog. I would say, if you don't find that style of _________ (window treatments, furniture, etc) or color palette in the catalog, then there's a good chance it would not appeal to today's buyer. If you don't have a Pottery Barn Catalog, then just go to your nearest Model Home. They've got it down to a science!

Of course we know that buyer's tastes come in all shapes, sizes and colors. But what we are trying to do is have the home appeal to as many buyers as possible. Buyers want what is popular NOW. With the large amount of inventory that is available, if you aren't willing to update the home, then the seller down the street is.

Here's the imporant question: What house do you think will sell first? The one that the buyers will have to spend their money and a weekend painting or installing new light fixtures? Or the one that is move-in ready that they can impress their friends with?

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