You Only Have One Chance to Make a First Impression

By Lisa K. Lippman, Brown Harris Stevens

The goal when preparing a property for sale is to make sure that it looks as good as it possibly can. Each room should appear as a fresh and bright clean slate in an effort to help buyers imagine themselves living in the space. Whether it is an overlooked collection of products on the bathroom counter or a fuzzy film on the window that muddies the views, it is the little things that make all the difference.

Here, top Manhattan real estate agent Lisa K. Lippman shares four proven tips that will help your home make a great first impression.

Consider staging with fresh furniture.

If you are planning on moving, the furniture will likely need to be removed anyway. Declutter each room as much as possible, pack away collections and picture frames, and keep surfaces curated. Remember, less is always more.

Don’t miss a detail.

Make sure all light bulbs are working, do any needed paint touch-ups, clean rugs and replace dark colors with a lighter option, wash the windows, and regrout bathrooms and kitchens.

You’re best-off pricing close to where you think something’s going to sell.

When you price your home, forget aspirational pricing and everything you knew from a year ago. What is really important is to talk to your broker about where properties are trading now. You want to be the most attractive property, both in your product type and in your price point (5-7% of your price). If you make something very compelling in every way, you may not have to negotiate.

Account for renovations when pricing.

It can cost $700 per square foot and up to renovate these days, and it takes longer than it used to. You will also need to factor the cost of the buyer having to live someplace else while renovating. Those numbers add up and should all be kept in mind when pricing.

Lisa has been the number one agent at Brown Harris Stevens for the past eight consecutive years and was most recently named number six in New York City for seller represented sales, preceded only by large teams and actual companies. With over 25 years of leading industry experience, Lisa’s depth of expertise, marketing savvy, and personal attention to every detail is sought out by buyers and sellers of high-end cooperatives, condominiums, and townhomes throughout Manhattan.

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