When selling your home, it is important to strike the right balance between spectacular and acceptable. We advise you do this by employing what I’ll call the 20/80 Rule:
Soften the look of 80% of your home and make 20% shine.
(And clean everything.)
You want buyers to be indifferent to most features of the home so they’ve got space to fall in love with two or three things.
For example, let’s say you have a peaceful, utterly green backyard and stunning views of the foothills. If highlighted correctly, these two features alone may very well be the reason your home sells. Therefore, we will work to emphasize your backyard and the view (20%):
- We’ll ensure the yard is nicely landscaped, staged, and free of any outdoor clutter/distractions
- We’ll wash windows and raise the blinds.
Potential buyers can now see themselves in their future home among the peace and beauty of the yard from the moment they step inside.
Now that the 20% has been highlighted, we will work to limit the distractions.
Even if it’s not interacting directly with your 20%, clutter impacts buyers’ ability to fall in love with a home. In turn, their decision to write an offer and the amount they’re willing to pay is negatively affected. “Clutter” includes your belongings as well as larger cosmetic issues, like a sloppy paint job. If your home is visually chaotic, it will steal attention from the 20% you’ve worked to highlight; it’s worth it to limit the visual complexity of your home. Therefore, we will:
- Complete a deep clean of your home
- If needed, hire professionals to touch up other issues
If we don’t highlight the special aspects of your home/property and ALSO remove (or at least reduce) the distractions, the result will be a lower sales price and a longer marketing time.
Purchasing a home is largely an emotional decision, and that perfect 20% may be what pushes potential buyers to your home over another option (and that 80% can become 100% if not well-managed). It can only be a good thing, for you as a seller, for buyers to have a positive emotional response to your home. You have the opportunity to either enhance or detract from this positive emotional response. We know how to identify and build upon what is wonderful about your home, and we’ll make sure potential buyers see it, too.