Believe it or not, selling your home is really no different than selling a bottle of shampoo, a box of cereal or an automobile. So, when you go to put your home on the market, you need to approach it the same way as the people who are in charge of marketing those other products. Your real estate agent will be an invaluable resource in this regard, but to maximize your odds of success, it pays to take an active role in the marketing of this, your most valuable asset.
First, identify your target buyers and their needs and wants. Are you in a neighborhood that tends to attract young families, single professionals or empty nesters? Each of these groups is likely to want or need different things. Some of those needs are rational (space enough for a family of five, walking distance to the train, a good school district) and some are emotional (security, community, a certain lifestyle or a badge of success.). Remember that buyers may shop rationally with a list of features they need, but they buy the house that connects with them on an emotional level.
Third, “package” and “merchandise” your home to appeal to your target buyer and set it apart from your competition. Play up those points of superiority or uniqueness that you identified in step two. If you have been in your home for several years and your likely buyer is a young family, they are probably not going to appreciate some of the things that make this home for you. Instead, you need to think about what will make it feel like home to them. That means the wallpaper and those drapes with fussy swags and jabeaux will need to be replaced by a look from a Pottery Barn catalog. Show that young family how their children will enjoy playing in the large finished basement by staging it as a playroom and painting it a cheerful color. Stage the great room as a hip and comfortable hang-out where the family can watch TV together and play games. Show the couple how they can escape to their own private retreat by staging the master bedroom to look like a five star hotel.
