How to Attract Buyers When Selling Your Seattle Home

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, walking around with your eyes closed, or just plain don't follow real estate trends, you probably know the Seattle housing market is HOT! Red, red hot. 

And with available home inventory low, most properties that go up for sale won't be around long. It's a welcome state of affairs if you're a seller, but that’s no reason to be complacent. Let’s make sure you get the most for your home in this incredible seller's market. And yes, it does take some know-how!

First Impressions Matter Most

In a market where buyers do most of their home shopping online before seeing anything in person, it’s especially important to make the right impression from the get-go. With such a small window of opportunity to make your home stand out, you want to make your home as appealing to as many buyers as possible to get the best offer (or, better yet, offers!). If you get it wrong, there’s no going back for a do-over.

At Sweet Living, there are certain things we always do to make sure a home looks its very best. We look at the place through the eyes of a buyer so it’s attractive to them. Most of the things you can do are inexpensive and don’t take much time or money, but they have a huge impact on that all-important first impression.

Fix the Little Things

When a home needs lots of little repairs (you know, those tiny cracks and dripping faucets you've meant to fix for years but got used to ignoring), it gives off the impression that it hasn’t been well cared for. Even worse, if all of these little things ding you during an inspection, you may run into trouble with the buyer. Here are some things to check: 

• Replace non-working lightbulbs

• Tighten doorknobs

• Fix leaky faucets

• Replace cracked tiles

• Clean grout

• Spot treat and/or shampoo carpet

• Wash windows

• Vacuum dust from corners, appliances, ceiling fan blades, moldings, and other hard to see or reach places

• Wipe down walls

• Fix doors and windows that don’t shut properly

• Patch and paint holes in the walls

Paint with Neutral Colors

We know that the teal accent wall in your living room looks awesome, but neutral paint is really important when you’re selling a home. Overly unique is not a selling point because you want to appeal to as many buyers as possible. Light earth and gray tones or a nice white are the best colors to go with. That said, every home is different, and our team can provide expert advice about what paint colors are best for the different rooms of your home.

Pet Problems

Most people love a cute cat or an adorable puppy, but they don’t necessarily help sell your home. Even the diehard animal lovers among us don’t love clumps of pet hair piling up in corners or coating the furniture. Any pet-related stains, fur, or odors your fuzzy family members have left around your home should be dealt with before listing. Ditto for your front and back yards if you have them. You’ll also want to keep your furry friends out the way during showings and open houses.

Let There Be Light

A gloomy property is depressing. Conversely, light-filled homes photograph and show well, and there are a lot of simple changes you can make that will brighten up your interior in a big way:

• Add more mirrors

• Use lighter, higher gloss paint colors

• Replace dark, heavy curtains with light curtains or sheers

• Clean the windows

• Install lamps in rooms that still seem dark

• Makes sure the outside is well lit

• Make sure all bulbs are the same warmth

• Increase bulb wattage

Buyers feel more confident coming through a well-illuminated home, so lighten your place up! 

Stage the Home Like a Product

Sweet Living Managing Broker Kristen’s philosophy is that every home is a commodity to sell (and, to buyers, it is), and you have to approach staging with that in mind. Think about the difference in appeal between buying a handbag at a discount store versus buying it from a lovely, staged display at a luxury retailer. That’s what we keep in mind when doing our signature Sweet Living makeovers.

Our stagers specialize in walking the fine line between making sure a home is full enough that buyers can envision what it might look like when lived in while also leaving space for their own vision. Think of it as a blank canvas with suggestions for what could be. They also add those finishing touches that make a home look magazine-worthy, like throw pillows, welcome mats, and plants.

Clear the Clutter

Clutter equals anxiety for buyers and can make parts of your home (especially the closets and storage spaces) feel much smaller than they actually are. If your linen closet is bursting at the seams, buyers may wonder if the home is big enough for their needs.

And you know those personal items that make your home feel like, well, home? You’re selling your house, not your possessions, and buyers can feel weird seeing your knickknacks, photos, and travel memorabilia lying about. So, it’s time to pop those into storage. Ditto for any political and religious memorabilia you have—the last thing you want to do is make potential buyers uncomfortable.

Ramp Up the Curb Appeal

The outside of your home is the first thing potential buyers see. Your property needs to have curb appeal in order to convince people to see the inside. And you can make a great first impression with a few simple steps:

• Trim overgrown shrubs, bushes, hedges, and trees

• Touch up exterior paint, wood, and trim

• Keep the lawn neat (freshly mowed in the summer, leaves cleared in autumn, etc.)

• Plant some flowers (if seasonally appropriate)

• Replace the mailbox or house numbers if necessary

• Power wash (if it won’t damage the exterior material)

• Lay down fresh mulch

• Remove toys, bikes, and other yard clutter

Perfect Presentation Equals Top Dollar

Your home is an asset you’re trying to get top dollar for, so it’s well worth the time and effort it takes to show it in its best possible light. It may seem like all these little steps can add up to a lot of time and effort. But you’ve got us on your side, and it's so important to put your property's best foot forward and make a stellar first impression on any potential buyers. You only get one chance to do that!