Why First Impressions Matter When You Sell Your Knoxville Home

If you showed up on a date not having showered, combed your hair, and wearing yesterday’s grubby t-shirt, you wouldn’t make a great first impression. Most likely, behavior like this would send your date running for the hills.

First impressions matter.

In job interviews, dating, and selling your house, the impression that you make is a make or break situation. First impressions are lasting and they are often quickly made.

A good impression could end up with you getting an offer on your home, while a bad impression could leave you running for your home.

Unfortunately, many sellers forget about the importance of making a good first impression. Here is why first impressions matter when you sell your Knoxville home.

You Can’t Take It Back

The thing about a first impression is that you can never take it back. When you sell your home, a buyer is in your home for a matter of minutes. You have those few precious minutes to make a great impression before they move on.

Like on that date, when you date shows up unwashed and looking like a hot mess, the impression has been made. You’re going to spend as few minutes as possible on the date before trying to bolt for the door with an excuse about your sick dog.

So, when your home is a mess, you’re doing the same thing. You can’t take back the stinky trash smell or the dirty dishes in your sink. The impression has been made and the buyer is moving on.

You Can’t Make A Better Impression Later

The unfortunate thing about making a bad first impression is that often times you can’t make it better. Once a buyer has seen your house and moved on, he or she isn’t going to come back for a second look. Buyers don’t have time for that.

There may be a very good reason for your bad impression, but you won’t be able to explain it. That hot mess of a date may have just lost their job and hasn’t had water in 4 days, but you’re not going to go on a second date and get stuck with dealing with the mess again.

You won’t have the opportunity to explain why your house was a mess. Buyers have seen it and moved on to better things.

You Don’t Have All The Time In The World

You don’t have a long time to make a good impression when you sell your home. You have a couple of minutes (maybe less) to make an impression. If a buyer comes in and doesn’t like what they see, they will walk right on out.

First impressions are made quickly. When you show up on a date and your date is a mess, you want it to be over as soon as possible. All of the awkward conversation, the pasta slurping, and poor manners are enough to make you only want to see that person just once.

When your home makes a bad impression, you don’t have the time to make a better impression later on. You need to show buyers your home at its best. When you sell your home, you don’t have time to waste.

How To Make A Great First Impression When You Sell Your Home

Now, you know why making a great first impression matters when you sell your home. Here’s how to make a great first impression when you sell your home:

1. Eliminate clutter.
2. Remove personal items.
3. Watch out for phantom smells (like trash, pet smells, or stinky disposals).
4. Keep up your curb appeal (keep bushes trimmed, mow your lawn, and keep up with weeds).
5. Remove pets from your home.
6. Make sure closets are organized.
7. Keep your home clean.
8. Turn lights on and keep blinds open.
9. Take care of routine maintenance.

These are just a few of the things that you can do to make a good first impression when you sell your Knoxville home. Buyers want to see that a home is clean and been well taken care of.

When you sell your Knoxville home, making a stellar first impression matters.  If you’re unsure of how to make a great impression, please let us know if there is any way that Knoxville Home Team can assist you. Rick can be reached at 865-696-9002 or via email at [email protected]. Kati can be reached at [email protected] or at 865-696-1888.