Is your house a tattle tale?

Oftentimes, a seller may not realize that they are sending signals about their home to potential buyers. When selling your home, you should be aware of several areas where you could be turning away buyers or giving the buyer ammunition to cause you to lower your price.

Big Turn-offs!

Pests! If a buyer opens your cabinets, will they find bug spray, mouse traps, roach motels or rat poison? Are any of these products out in full sight? If the answer is yes, you've just told potential buyers that if they buy this house, chances are they will inherit these same pest problems. ADVICE: Remove any pest control products before the house is placed on the market.

Have you heard the old adage to bake bread or cookies, etc. before any showing to influence a buyer? Hogwash! People know what you're doing! And buyers feel as if you are trying to trick them. Worse, they feel you may be covering up some odor. (The same with strong potpourri, etc.) ADVICE: Your house should smell CLEAN. Lemon scented cleaners will be the most pleasing scent for your buyer's nose.

Your refrigerator is talking! If a buyer looks into your fridge, the way it looks sends a big signal about how you have maintained the house. If it looks like a toxic waste dump, it says to the buyer, "This is the way everything in this house has been maintained." However, if it shows neat and clean, it will make a buyer think that the rest of the house has been maintained in the same fashion. ADVICE: Even if you are taking your refrigerator with you, it sometimes is a negotiating factor and buyers will look at the condition, so keep it spotless. That advice goes for other appliances as well. Don't forget to clean the water tank and the Heating/AC units.

Not enough storage! Know a quick way to increase the amount of perceived storage in your home? Remove 1/3 - ½ of contents in all closets and cabinets. When closets are crammed full, pantries are in disarray and cabinets are stacked to the gills, buyers cannot imagine how all their "stuff" could fit in. ADVICE: Since you are moving, take this opportunity to go through all storage places in your house and purge everything that isn't going to the new house. Then, pack all out of season clothing, holiday decorations, etc. and either move off-site or place neatly in the garage or out of the way area.

These are just a few of the ways your house could be "saying" negative things to a potential buyers. As professional Stagers, we have been trained to spot the things that could impact a swift and profitable sale for you. With a personalized property analysis report, you will know EVERYTHING that could help you sell your house faster and for more money. This is one of our most valuable products.

At Enhanced by Lance in Mobile, AL, we have staged millions of dollars of houses for sale. Let us help you too! Pricing gets you in the game....Staging gets you the offer! 251-377-2527, info@EnhancedByLance.com

Since the real estate market is starting to come back, I thought I would re-visit some advice that all homeowners should be aware of when their house is on the market. We all tend to think of our homes as a safe zone, which it should be; however while selling & showing, it becomes a different story. The safety & securty of our homeowners & REALTORS is a huge priority.

Oftentimes, we get so used to living in our homes that we overlook many common items that could be considered a safety hazard or a security issue when your house is on the market. When strangers start coming through, it's time to do a reality check in order to protect yourself, your privacy and the safety of the agent. Most of those that come through your home are bonafide potential buyers; however there is also the possibility that someone might have other motives. You should be aware of some differences in how you should live when your house is being shown.

Firearms, Knives (including the ones in blocks in Kitchen) and other weapons should be put away, out of sight. This is not only for your safety, but the safety of the agent. Unfortunately there have been some reports of attacks on agents in the national news. Let's do our part to keep the situation from happening on a local level.

Jewelry, laptops & other valuables should be placed away from view in a private place (such as a drawer in your furniture - not a drawer that stays with the house). I have been in many homes where the jewelry box is in a prominent place on a dresser. This is an open invitation to someone with sinister motives.

Prescription medications - unfortunately there is such a thing as pharmacy theft. All medications can be peddled on the street. Remove any prescriptions from medicine cabinets and any drawers or cabinets that stay with the house. Place in a drawer in a chest, etc.

Identity theft is a major problem in today's society. It doesn't take much information for these unscrupulous culprits to wreak havoc on your life. Be aware of any bills, invoices, credit card slips and anything with your social security number and/or birthdate written on it.

Personal photos and anything labeled with a name should be removed. This is simply a safety precaution to protect yourself and your children. With anything that has photos, calendar of events, addresses and names of the children (sometimes personalized on name plates, book bags, artwork, etc.) people will have all the information they need about your family, including the school district!

This list is not to make home sellers uncomfortable. Instead, it is to be prepared and stress-free during the marketing period.

For our clients, we guide you through all the ways you can sell your home, easier and faster! Enhanced by Lance, 251-377-2527, info@enhancedbylance.com