We’ve provided numerous posts on how to get your home ready to sell, but we’ve never really identified specifics on increasing your net proceeds. In this article, you will learn about the TOP 10 ways you can convince a Buyer to offer full price on your home. This information is based off of numerous studies and data, and our experience of helping people buy and sell homes around Northern Suburban Boston, including Arlington, Belmont, Cambridge, Lexington, Medford, Somerville & Winchester MA.

1. Price it right. Buyers are more educated than ever, thanks to Internet sites that list recent sales and market information. While there isn’t a web site that can take the place of a Realtor, Buyers will not pay more than market value unless your home is located in a high demand community with low inventory. Pricing according to that factor alone can determine what kind of offer you receive. Sellers often inflate their price to give ‘negotiation room’, but this may cause less buyers to view your home, lowering your chances of a full price offer. The best way to ensure a full price offer? Multiple offers! Buyers competing over your home is a sure bet toward a full price offer.
2. Superior Curb Appeal. If you want the buyer to love your home so much that they forget their budget and ‘maximum price’, wow them before they open the front door. If you live in a condo and don’t have much control over the landscaping, then spruce up your entry way. Fresh paint, potted flowers, clean and shiny address markers, a new doorbell/knocker, a fresh and clean welcome mat, the possibilities are endless. You can’t make your entry too perfect!
3. Spacious Kitchen Counters. The fewer items on your counter, the better. Sure it’s inconvenient to lug your coffee maker out of the cupboard or pantry every morning, but the more you do to get buyers to fall in love with  your home, the shorter amount of time it will be on the market. Now is the time to box up all unnecessary items in your cupboards too, so if they decide to check them out, they won’t find an overstuffed area that signals a crammed kitchen.
4. Open Blinds. We’ve mentioned this in other posts, but it’s worth mentioning again because it’s so important. NO ONE every pays full price for a place that appears ‘dark’ or needing a brightened up coat of paint.
5. Leave Lights On. If you are gone during late afternoon or evening hours, try to leave a few lights on, including exterior lights! Most Realtors showing your home will turn on the majority of lights for the buyer, but you can’t count on it. Light adds warmth and gives the home a cozy, friendly feel, even if it’s cloudy outside or dusk has started.
6. Take pets out of the house. Animal lovers are everywhere, but they usually aren’t thrilled to find pets in the home they are thinking of buying. If possible, remove your pets during showings or during the day. If a pet cannot leave the home for a showing, secure them in a crate or cage so the buyers aren’t distracted by Fido or Meow Meow.
7. Scents: A little goes a long way. Candles are nice, but you can’t always be there to ensure they’re lit, and it’s easy to forget they are there, causing a fire hazard. Skip the Glade items, some of those scents can be overpowering and turn a buyer off. Stick with neutrals: Vanilla, Fresh Linen or Cotton, and go with Reed Diffusers. These give off a lighter scent and aren’t so powerful that it appears you are trying to hide something. Remember, consult your Realtor when choosing a scent, one person’s passion is another person’s poison, and you want to stay neutral.
8. Closets. If you’ve done everything listed above, and then the buyer opens up a closet or pantry filled to the gills, it will leave a bad taste with the buyer: “Not enough room”. Buyers don’t pay full price for homes they feel may be too small. And if the place is too small for you, it’s likely it will be too small for them. The only way buyers want to buy a smaller place than they had planned on, with less storage, is if they can get a deal, which ruins your chances of full price.
9. Parking. While you can’t add more parking to your home, you can ask the neighbors for help. Ask them to keep their guests to a minimum, and leave as much room around your space as possible. You don’t have to ask them to park down the street, but asking them a favor that will give your parking area more space in exchange for a Starbucks gift card may benefit you in the long run.
10. Decor. This has been mentioned in numerous staging  articles we’ve written in the past, but it can’t be emphasized too much! They decor you use will affect the buyer emotionally, and if they see familiar items to those they are seeing in the stores, they will feel more comfortable. It’s as simple as browsing a few web sites and visiting some stores. Macy’s Home department, Bed Bath & Beyond, Pier One…all of these stores will give you plenty of ideas on adding a throw pillow here, a colorful throw there. Professional staging is always recommended, but in the event you do it yourself, consult your Realtor for a final opinion.

Simple, right? Well, if you don’t count the fresh paint, cleaning, and numerous other tasks that are underway! Just think of that offer when it comes over…if it’s full price you will feel  proud that you did everything on the list!