Ten tricks to sell your house better

In the first three months of this year, 4,593 homes have been sold in Euskadi, 80% of which are second-hand. These figures are the best in recent years – in the country as a whole, there were no similar results since 2011, according to the Registrar’s College – but, despite this apparent change in trend, most of these operations are still a small ‘triumph’, something worth celebrating by uncorking a bottle of champagne and throwing confetti. Definitely, the times when you only had to hang the ‘sell’ sign and sit and wait for offers, so, without getting upset, the crisis took them home buyers houston.

Currently, for someone to take an interest in a property – let alone take the big step of acquiring it – you have to work it out. And resorting to all the possible tricks: it is not about cheating, but about enhancing the virtues of our house. Only this way will it stand out in that maremágnum of real estate portals that the Internet offers, where potential buyers make a first screen, and will fall in love with those who decide to visit it. How is the crush achieved? There is a practice of real estate marketing called ‘home staging’, something like ‘staging the house’, which offers guidelines to improve the appearance of the house incredibly by making a small investment. “It is a practice that comes from the Anglo-Saxon culture. Here, as with many other things, it has been difficult for us to adopt it, “says Manuel Gandarias,

“Before everything was sold. Not now. That’s why a good image is fundamental. And what many people do not know is that, often, just a few small changes that make a huge difference, “says Joana Aranda, director of Casas a Punto, a Home Staging company with headquarters in Euskadi and in four other communities. As indicated, from 300 euros you can hire a professional. In fact, there are studies that indicate that retouching can make a difference in the sales price of up to 15%. These are some of the tricks that experts use to change the look of a house and make it more attractive.

To advertise your home it is imperative that the photos you show are of quality and highlight your strengths. A good framing or adequate lighting work miracles. It is the first claim, which will give rise to a visit or not. That is why it is not understood that many times we see photographic disasters that stop perpetrated by the seller’s worst enemy. Rioted rooms, with lowered blinds, poorly made beds … in the network there are many ‘houses of horrors’. If you cannot get the services of a professional, look for someone with good hand for photography or strive a little, because you have to be aware that you are playing

It is an excellent way to give a fresh and ‘new’ air to a house. Better opt for light and neutral colors -white, light gray-, which give a feeling of cleanliness and spaciousness and, moreover, are the taste of almost everyone. Then, to animate the set, small details are added in the decoration of bright colors (a vase, some cushions …).

When a potential buyer enters your home, you should see yourself living in it. This feeling, according to experts, usually occurs in the first seconds. For this reason, your collections of ‘Star Wars’ dolls, your honeymoon photo, your football trophies and the crafts of your children should disappear, however much you find them endearing. Your house is no longer your home: it is a commercial space. I did not forget it.

It may seem like a truism. Who does not clean well the house that has for sale when they come to see it? Well, you would be surprised. “It’s fundamental. It has to be clean, “says Aranda. Any trace of dirt can ruin the operation. “When someone goes to a job interview, it’s clean and tidy, right? Showing your best appearance Well this is the same, “he explains.

As it is that the first impression is good (if not, there is nothing to do), the smell is a fundamental issue. If you have a pet, you must eliminate its olfactory presence. Ventilate the house well so that it does not smell closed or food. If the buyer perceives any unwanted smell, it will be against. For the smell to be pleasant, some property agents recommend making coffee or baking something, so that the sensation upon entering is positive. Eye with strong air fresheners, can also produce rejection. “It’s about creating a cozy atmosphere and playing with the senses,” says Manuel Gandarias.

You have to order. Many times the houses seem worse than they are for the profusion of things that have ended up accumulating here and there as if by magic. Maybe we have become accustomed and we no longer notice his presence, but the truth is that they take away space, give a sense of disorder and recharge the environment. So, without mercy: saved stuff. You have to clear as much as possible. “You do not have to trust that the buyer is going to make an effort of imagination to see the possibilities of space that you show him if he takes things away or changes something. He is not going to do it, Gandarias warns. So you have to make it easy ».

If necessary, get rid of those that are not worth it and make the whole thing look bad. And those that remain, place them so that there are large areas of passage. The excess ages the rooms and darkens them. But do not leave the rooms empty, because they give the feeling of being small and that does not work either.

When entering a house, one of the first things that the possible buyer will look for is light. Therefore, we must try to enhance it as it is. If there is good natural light, take advantage of it (shutters above, open curtains if they are thick) and, if not, resort to the artificial one, with points of warm light distributed throughout the house. To gain luminosity, remove dark carpets and textiles-from the sofa, from the beds-and replace them with other clearings. If the sofa is old, some claritas covers can ‘save’ it and give it a fresh touch.

It is not about embarking on a major reform, but it is convenient to fix small damages – cracks, moisture stains, a broken plug …-. It does not cost much and prevents the buyer from trying to win by grabbing those mistakes. The bathroom and the kitchen are especially important. If the tiles are outdated or not in good condition, give them a coat of special paint. The change is brutal. “In the end, people have to understand that it is an investment. And, for very little money, the results are very remarkable. It is sold before and at a better price, absolutely guaranteed “, Gandarias sentence. Some reports say that an investment of 1,000 euros means a difference in the sale price of 5,000 to 6,000.

The house is already clean, tidy, repaired … How can we make it even more beautiful? Well with a few simple details that give the final touch. For example, a vase with flowers, a plant, some new towels in the bathroom or a small reading corner. “There are even companies of ‘home staging’ that put replicas of works of art,” says Gandarias. According to the director of the Office of Studies of Pisos.com, “although these things should not be the most relevant – it is clear that what is decisive are the square meters of the house, the house as a whole and other structural elements .  the truth is that small things have a huge importance.