This guest post was written by First Team Estates Agent Kathy Leimkuhler. Kathy has been helping home buyers and sellers meet their real estate needs with First Team since 2009. She works out of the First Team Anaheim Hills Office and specializes in luxury sales within the surrounding areas of North Orange County.
Selling a "Million Dollar Home" is not a simple feat, so a serious seller needs to prepare their home in order to achieve top dollar in their sale.
As a Realtor with the #1 Real Estate Company in Orange County behind me, I help luxury home sellers achieve their best results every day. I have found that there are a few simple and steadfast rules to keep in mind when getting the highest value for your luxury home.
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Professional Staging is a must.
The way we sell is different than how we live. Your style is not necessarily what will appeal to your buyer and we do not want to turn anyone away. Staging helps neutralize your home and make it appeal to a larger pool of potential buyers.
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Declutter your space.
Consider it an opportunity to start your packing early. Buyers expect luxury homes to be spacious and areas of clutter conflict with that feel. This is also a good time to remove any old or dated furniture. It is better in storage or the garage if it makes the home feel dated. Less is more since you are selling your wonderful space - not your furniture or accessories.
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Don't forget the details.
You need finished floors, flawless paint and NEVER FORGET THE WINDOWS! Make sure to have your floors cleaned or repaired since buyers will start to deduct from your million dollar price if they start to see issues. Paint is the cheapest way to give your home a new fresh look. Having your windows professionally cleaned is probably the #1 thing you can do to achieve an immediate favorable reaction from buyers. It is amazing how light helps sell a home.
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Have a marketing strategy.
Finding an agent with a strong marketing history is vital to selling your million-dollar home. Pictures, descriptions, and materials need to be crisp and clean and show the true value of your home. They are your first impression to your potential buyer so make sure they make your home looks its best.
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Broaden your pool of potential buyers.
The pool of buyers shrinks in size and widens in area as your price goes up in the luxury market, so for this reason make sure you affiliate yourself with a company that reaches a large scope of potential buyers. With the First Team Estates affiliation with Luxury Portfolio and now Christie's, you know your reach extends throughout the country and the world which increases your pool of buyers substantially. You need to get the word about your home far and wide to attract the most buyers and achieve the top dollar value through your sale.
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Always interview your agent.
At this price point you are looking for an agent with luxury experience and success at selling in your high end market. The homes are treated differently, showings are handled differently, marketing and pictures and brochures are all on a higher level and your service level should be as well. Make sure you find the agent that can deliver those results for you.
As an agent that sells homes in the luxury category over $1 Million, I have seen these tips successfully help homeowners get their homes ready to sell. I love the challenge of finding the formula to help my clients achieve the top dollar value for their home, and at the same time finding the buyer that appreciates all the special features their luxury home offers. First Team has all the tools available to assist me as I help my client realize their homes full potential of value.
If you’re in the market to sell your luxury home, call First Team 888-870-1142 or email us at clientservices [at] firstteam.com and we will pair you with a top agent in your area.
Originally posted at: http://www.firstteam.com/blog/?p=7398
