| Selling your home? Here are some suggestions to help | | | | imagination fill rooms with their own belongings. Once |
| you sell yours for more than your next door neighbor's, | | | | they visualize their favorite chair in a particular spot, |
| and faster! Most buyers will know within 15 SECONDS | | | | you have a sale.6. Pack away your personal |
| after crossing the threshold if they want your home. | | | | photographs, trophies, diplomas, and small accessories |
| But first, you need to attract them inside!11 steps to | | | | and stack them neatly in the garage or a separate |
| take to sell your home for top dollar1. Start at the | | | | storage space. That will also protect you from having |
| street. The buyer's first glimpse of your home must | | | | strangers view your personal life.7. If your home looks |
| entice them inside. Design Psychology goes further | | | | too bare, replace your personal treasures with house |
| than mere curb appeal. Here are some easy additions | | | | plants or cuttings from the garden. Be creative.Use |
| you can make to help your home outshine the | | | | tree branches and fresh flowers to bring nature |
| competition:Add a couple of BIG plants, either in | | | | indoors.Fill vases and glass jars with fresh cuttings and |
| hanging baskets or pots, to the porch, which will lead | | | | set them in baskets.Add green house plants in winter, |
| buyers' eyes to the entrance.The first color our eyes | | | | spring, and fall.During hot selling seasons, use green, |
| process is yellow, so place yellow flowers near the | | | | silver and gray foliage to help keep your home visually |
| front door.Plant white flowering annuals, since they look | | | | cool.8. Lighting affects emotions and is a crucial design |
| clean and show up better at night.2. Get rid of brown | | | | element for happiness, so turn on the lights when |
| or dead leaves and bare spots in the yard. Add mulch | | | | showing your home. Day-like light bulbs enhance |
| to cover bare dirt near the house. Bright flowers hold | | | | happiness. Amber and pink light bulbs warm, while blue |
| the eye and "fill" empty areas, but you don't need to | | | | light cools.9. Air the house out. You get used to odors, |
| add plants to every space. Just make sure that | | | | but buyers shouldn't smell anything other than natural |
| everything looks neat.3. Paint your front door a happy | | | | pleasing scents like wood burning in the fireplace or |
| color. Yellow-gold (amber), red (blue-based), sage, | | | | fresh lemon in the summer. Cut up a grapefruit and run |
| apple, or forest green, depending on the other colors | | | | sections through the garbage disposal. It's both |
| of your home, will attract the eye and create happy | | | | refreshing and clean smelling.10. Buyers like |
| feelings. Buyers won't notice the Color Psychology | | | | temperatures around 70 degrees in the winter and 67 |
| you're employing, but they'll love the result.4. Once | | | | degrees in the summer, so turn up the thermostat in |
| buyers step inside the front door, they usually make | | | | the winter and turn it down in the summer.11. Park your |
| their minds up within 15 SECONDS, so first impressions | | | | car out of the way and encourage buyers to park in a |
| are vitally important. Focus your attention on the first | | | | space where their car won't block the |
| wall buyers will see, and then hang a mirror on that | | | | view.Remember, you've only got 15 seconds to sell |
| wall large enough to reflect the buyer's image. It will | | | | your home, but by using Design Psychology techniques, |
| psychologically reinforce the buyer's presence in the | | | | you can convert lookers into buyers and get top dollar |
| home when they see themselves in the mirror, causing | | | | for your home.(c) Copyright 2004, Jeanette J. Fisher. |
| them to imagine living in your home.5. Go beyond just | | | | All rights reserved.Professor Jeanette Fisher, author of |
| clearing clutter, and remove furnishings that don't add | | | | Doghouse to Dollhouse for Dollars, Joy to the Home, |
| to the setting. Also clear bathroom and kitchen | | | | and other books teaches Real Estate Investing and |
| countertops. Under-furnished homes let the buyer's | | | | Design Psychology. |