First impressions are crucial. You’ve probably heard the old saying, “You never get a second chance to make a great first impression.” This is as true in life as it is in selling your home.

Homebuyers today are more tech savvy and quite honestly more emotional than they have ever been. 98% of buyers start their home search online. What does that mean for you the seller? It means they are going to make a decision about your house while sitting on their couch, swiping through online photos on their phone. They are either going to get that butterfly-in-the-stomach-must-go-see-this-house feeling or the I-can’t-stand-the-colors-on-the-wall feeling.

Everyone makes a decision emotionally first which they justify logically later.

Your job as the seller is to raise the state of their emotions. In other words, reel them in with your prep work.

I can guarantee that if you raise the level of excitement for a buyer by presenting a beautiful product online, when they come to see the home in person, that level of emotion stays at that same height or better yet, goes even higher. They will buy your home, 10 times out of 10.

If you start with a bad online product, that buyer may never even come in for the tour. And, if they do, they’re negative emotions from seeing the not-so-great pictures online will stick with them through the tour.

Now, before I give you a list of items to prep your home, you have to first understand the buyer experience. And if you think I’m talking too much about buyers and not enough about sellers, just remember, it’s always the buyer, the customer, who sets home values. Let me walk you through the buyer journey.

Put yourself in the buyers’ shoes – you pull up to the house already excited to see the inside because the photos looked so good. You walk up to the front porch, pause and look around while your real estate agent gets the key. Then the door opens, and you walk inside. The first thing you notice is the smell, then the natural light, then the flow, then the colors on the walls, the upgrades to the home, the small touches of decoration and just the way the house “feels”.

I call this, the “Welcoming Score”. Because, let’s be honest, if your home feels welcoming to a buyer then the buyer can envision themselves living there and then they will buy your home.

Here are 10 tips on how to raise your “Welcoming Score”:

Paint your walls a neutral color – like light gray or off-white. Neutral colors create a welcoming atmosphere, they neither turn off nor turn on the buyer.
Hire a real estate agent who works with a wonderful interior designer. Have the designer come and consult with you on how to maximize the space and look of your home. Clutter and poor design will turn buyers away quicker than anything else – again, buyers are emotional.
(Looking for interior design help to sell your home? Check out https://www.creatingspaceva.com.)
Follow the list that the designer gives you – do the work and you will receive the payoff
Hire a real estate agent who works with a great real estate photographer – too often a real estate agent will simply take pictures with their phone or hire an untalented photographer. In reality, you need a qualified and skilled photographer who knows how to showcase your home properly. Why? 98% of buyers start their search online. Their first interaction with your home is through pictures.
Looking for great photography to sell your home? Check out https://web.360tourdesigns.com of Coastal Virginia.)
Update the curb appeal – adding new mulch, some plants or extra greenery/color, pulling weeds, power washing, etc., all make a huge difference in that first impression moment when a buyer finally arrives at your house
Light some candles or use plug-ins to create a welcoming aroma to the buyer when they open the door. ***Especially if you have pets or you are a smoker, those odors will turn away buyers before they even come inside***
Remove personal items from the walls – the less personal the easier it is for a buyer to envision themselves in the home. You do not want them to feel like this is your home, you want them to feel like this is their home.
Clean each time before the home is shown – it seems simple but tidy up, hang up the towels, don’t leave dishes in the sink, sweep the floors, vacuum, show a buyer that you have taken good care of the home.
Consult with a real estate item regarding any upgrades you want to make to the home to determine whether or not they will add real value. ***CAUTION – it is easy for a real estate agent to agree to upgrades, after all, it makes their job easier. What you really need is an agent who will keep your bottom line in mind and tell you whether or not your upgrades will give you a return based on market research of the surrounding home sales***
Finally, if you want to add one more final emotional appeal to the potential buyer, leave a note for them with perhaps a few bottles of water and some cookies. Your note could say, “Thank you for touring our home; we hope you will love it as much as we do!” This is a great way to make your buyer feel personally welcomed into their future home.

At the end of the day, the most important things to remember is to (1) think like a buyer (What would you be looking for if you were buying your home?), and (2) hire a real estate professional who can connect you to a qualified designer and photographer, who knows how to showcase your home to the emotional buyer, and who wants to get you the most money possible.

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