You get no second chances to make a good first impression
Even if you have no immediate plans to buy, rent or sell a home, watching some of TV’s real estate reality shows can be quite enjoyable and enlightening. Seeing how homebuyers decide on a neighborhood, describe their dream house and tour available properties is a slice of life and a study in human nature.
On shows like HGTV’s House Hunters, buyers review online and newspaper real estate listings and then visit select properties with a realtor. It doesn’t take long to realize that the perfect property is a mythical creature. Often, a house that meets all of the requirements has one flaw - the location is too far from the workplace. Sometimes the problem is the high price for the small square footage. On other occasions, the house has lots of potential, but the time and expense of bringing it up to date prove to be deal busters.
Unfortunately, many home sellers lose out because their property just doesn’t make a good first impression. It is too cluttered with stuff. It has too many personal objects - photos, trophies and framed awards on the walls - to allow potential buyers to envision it as their own home. It has badly stained or worn out floor coverings. Or, it has ugly, old wallpaper and rooms painted in hideous colors, immediate turn-offs for buyers. Complaints about a home’s shortcomings are magnified when a bad first impression is made.
The easiest way for owners to learn how to prepare their property for sale or rent is to enlist the services of a reputable realtor. In Daytona Beach Shores, Ramara Garrett, broker/owner of Waverly Property Group, and her team have the experience and know-how to guide clients through the process so that they will put their home in the best possible light. They know which things are potential red flags to buyers and renters. And they know the local market and what it takes to make a sale.
