Don't Leave Money on the Table With These Simple Seller Mistakes

In the dynamic real estate market of Colorado, where stunning landscapes and diverse properties abound, the importance of visually captivating home listings cannot be overstated. As a real estate professional dedicated to ensuring your clients get the best value for their homes, avoiding simple seller mistakes is crucial. Some sellers think that their home will sell itself no matter what, because we are in Colorado, but if it was that easy.. everyone would do it. In this guide, we'll explore how to maximize your property's appeal by steering clear of common errors, and not overspending on items that don’t bring an ROI, ensuring your listings captivate both buyers and sellers in the picturesque Colorado real estate landscape.

Hiring a Professional Photographer: Setting the Stage for Success

The visual appeal of your property starts with professional photography. Hiring a REALTOR who is choosing a photographer with experience in real estate photography is paramount. It’s inexpensive and has the highest ROI of any marketing for a home. A skilled photographer knows how to capture your home's best features, highlighting its unique charm and character. The investment in professional photography is a small price to pay for the impactful first impression it creates in online listings and marketing materials. This should never be skipped. Before this photographer comes to the house, follow the tips within our pre-photo checklist so that the results leave you wowed, too.

Staging for Photography: Creating Visual Appeal

Staging your home appropriately is not just for in-person showings—it's crucial for creating visually appealing and inviting photographs. We love staging homes and tell all of our clients that it is an investment for them to capture big, big returns on their investment. Typically staging costs about $2000 and it can yield increases in sales prices by 5-10x, or more. Where else can you get that kind of return in 30-45 days safely? Arrange furniture thoughtfully, declutter spaces, and add tasteful decor to highlight your home's best features. Staging creates a cohesive and attractive look that translates well in photos, enticing potential buyers to explore further. We even have sold staged non-remodeled homes for more than their vacant and remodeled counterparts.

Virtual Staging Options: Enhancing Visualization

Explore virtual staging services to present potential buyers with furnished visualizations, but it is not our first option. This is in scenarios where staging may not make sense, such as homes that have pets who would otherwise damage furniture. This innovative approach allows you to showcase the potential of empty spaces or outdated furnishings, helping buyers envision the possibilities of each room. Virtual staging is a cost-effective way to enhance the appeal of your property in online listings, making it more attractive to a broader range of potential buyers.

Remodeling without Return

Many sellers want to spend money remodeling things that have bothered them over the years of owning the home, but will it always yield a return? We think that it makes sense to spend a dollar and get a dollar back, but it doesn’t work like that in every case. We base our suggestions on both how an appraiser views your house, and how consumers prioritize different items when shopping. If there’s a serious problem or eye sore, that’s one thing.. But for example, replacing dual pane windows that are in decent shape with new ones, or an old fence with a bright new one, won’t typically see a single dollar of return after spending tens of thousands of dollars. We like to focus first on things that can be changed with decluttering, painting, flooring, trim, hardware/mirrors/fixtures, and then move onto things like landscaping for curb appeal, followed by the rest. We have seen HUGE results in timeline selling, and price, when spending as little as $2000 to $3000 in a paint refresh, but especially when we take a dated home and do new paint, flooring, and hardware. We’ve seen many cases where we spend $20k on floors, paint, cabinet painting, new hardware, lights, and mirrors, and the Seller sees a return of more than $100k. We even have options to finance these remodels to be paid back at closing. Ask us how my designers and I can make your house shine. 

Conclusion

In the competitive Colorado real estate market, avoiding simple seller mistakes can make all the difference in maximizing your property's appeal. By hiring a professional photographer, showcasing key areas effectively, optimizing natural lighting, staging for photography, and exploring virtual staging options, you ensure that your listings captivate both buyers and sellers. In the picturesque landscapes of Colorado, where visual appeal is paramount, these strategies will set your properties apart and position them for success in the vibrant real estate market.