Living in a Home vs Selling One

There is always a dual reality to a home owner, when it comes to the home in which you live. Homes are at the same time an investment of the heart, and one of the head. As we live our daily lives, the investment of the heart takes over. Your home is where you raise your kids, share a life with your partner, relax after work, and have friends over to visit. You want it to reflect yourself, your family, and your lifestyle.

When it comes time to sell, though, the house needs to start becoming a home and start becoming a property. The investment of the head takes over, and you want to make sure you sell as quickly and for the highest price possible.

This means you have to take a look at your home in a different way; it is no longer just the place you live, but a home you are trying to sell. That means making some changes in both your mental attitude towards the house and the physical representation of the house. Here are some thoughts.

Make needed improvements immediately

The longer we live in a home, the more likely we are to put off minor repairs and cosmetic fixes. This is fine, because we get used to them and don't mind them. However, potential buyers will notice them when they come for a showing. Fix leaking taps, repair holes in the wall, maybe add a fresh coat of paint.

De-personalize

If you have kids, you are going to understand this next section quickly. To parents, all those drawings on the fridge, the paintings on the windows, the playrooms and even art on the walls are precious mementos. However, for someone looking at a house, they can look an awful lot like clutter. Save your memories, but take them down while you are showing a house so people have an easier time "moving in" in their heads, without feeling as though they are invading someone else's space.

De-clutter

Everyone starts to accumulate stuff when they live in a home. However, a lot of items lying around speaks of not enough storage space to a potential buyer, and may cost you a sale. Inside and out, make sure everything is packed away neatly. If it doesn't all fit somewhere, rent storage, have a garage sale, or give it away!