How NOT to Sell a Home in Chicago

Since it’s become apparent that common sense can no longer be taken for granted, I thought it might be helpful to share some tips on how to sell a home. I’ll do this by describing recent examples of how NOT to sell one.

Looks Matter. We’ve all heard it a thousand times. And, while some of us may not want to believe it, it’s true. They do. Well, the same rule of thumb applies to homes for sale; they need to make a good first impression. After all, first impressions are lasting ones and have a real ability to affect a buyer in either a positive or negative way. Since a buyer’s first impression is often developed through online photos, it’s important that these photos shed the property in the best light and avoid unnecessary distractions. To have a listing buyer-friendly for showings, when possible, apply the photo tips to the property. Lastly, always consider the impression the property, even neighborhood could be making on the buyer. Assume the worst and then do everything possible to avoid these impressions from ever taking root.  What this means in practice is:

•  Do NOT photograph a bathroom with the toilet seat up. Instead, take two seconds and flip the lid down. No one wants to live in a frat house.

•  Do NOT post a photo of a grimy, mildew-ridden bathtub. Instead, forgo the photo altogether and use a different photo of the property’s plus points. Remember, cleanliness is Godliness. Right?

•  Do NOT photograph a messy property. Instead, pick the underwear off the floor, clear the trash from the counter, put the piles of bills/mail/paperwork in a drawer. A homebuyer won’t be attracted to a pigsty. With such a stacked market and so much to choose from, the buyer will keep on clicking until coming across a neat, aesthetically pleasing home.

•  Do NOT have people in the photos. The people aren’t for sale (at least, one would hope not), the property is. Instead, have the lazy dude in the undershirt eating his cereal while watching cartoons get off his arse and, novel idea, move out of view of the camera.

•  Do NOT let the buyer think their car will be broken into if they move to a certain neighborhood. Instead, sweep up (or brush aside) the shattered glass on the pavement in front of the house and just beyond the house. The buyer doesn’t need to see that the cars parked in front of the perspective property are broken into.