How TV Teaches us to Sell a Home

How TV Teaches us to Sell a Home

TV has had some great shows over the years like I Love Lucy, Magnum P.I., The Three Stooges, The Honeymooners, The Jeffersons, Seinfeld, and All in the Family.   TV today has Jersey Shore, Keeping up with the Kardashians, Jerry Springer, and Desperate Housewives of Atlanta.  When TV was first created, it was believed that TV would change the world through education and enlightenment.  Unfortunately that is not the reality today.

With that being said, many people view television as a waste of time.  I would have to disagree if you are able to take principals from television and apply them to real life.  For example, if someone wants to sell their house, they should take notes from the following television shows.   This is how TV teaches us to sell a home.

The Price is Right

The Price is Right taught us that it is always better to go low on value, because if you go over, you will be disqualified and not even get a chance to play.  If your house is not priced correctly, your house will not sell.  The house will not get any offers and no agents or buyers will even walk through.  That is why it is important to price your house competitively so that you get maximum exposure.  When you price your house aggressively, you will be able to sell it in any market regardless what the economy is doing.  If the price is right, your home will get people to “Come on Down” as commonly referred to on the show.

Bob Barker, the host of The Price is Right, also reminded everyone “Help control the pet population.  Have your pets spayed and neutered”.  It is a good idea to hide your pets food bowls and water dishes for showings.  You want to make sure that your house shows well and that there are not any unwanted pet odors and pet messes.

Full House

If your house is a mess, “You’re in big trouble Mr!” as Michelle would say.  Full house was a great show but a house full of junk is hard to sell.  Organize your home as much as possible so that there is not clutter and junk everywhere.  If you have items in your home that you rarely use, “Cut, it, out” as Joey Gladstone would say.  You may even want to rent a storage unit to put some of your excess clutter when you are selling your home.  You always want to make the beds for showings and make the house clean, neat, and organized.

Home Improvement

If you are going to sell your house, it might be a good idea to make some home improvements on your house.  Painting your home goes a long way.  If you want to do bigger upgrades to get top dollar, upgrade the kitchen with granite and put tile and new vanities in the bathrooms.  Read How to Increase your Property Value 

If you want to install a pool or an elaborate outdoor patio to get more money than Al would say “I don’t think so Tim”.  Certain upgrades to your home like pools and patios do not give you a good return and can even hurt your resale in certain markets. Read 10 Things Home Buyers Hate

Speed Racer

If you want to sell fast, you have to move fast.  If someone wants to view your home today, will they be able to view it?  Potential buyers may make their decision to purchase a home that day and if they do not see yours, they will not even consider it for purchase.  You want to be fast on getting documents back and responding to inquiries in a timely manner.  Once your property is under contract, you want to make sure you close as quickly as possible even if it is not convenient for you and you have to live out of a hotel for a few days.  Every day that passes means potential for issues to arise and lessens your chances for a successful closing.  Go, Speed Racer! Go, Speed Racer! Go, Speed Racer, Go!

Flip This House

One of the few good reality television shows out there in the past decade was Flip This House.  Flip This House taught us that you can always sell your house to an investor as-is.  This makes selling a house convenient, hassle free, and simple.  An investor doesn’t require you to make repairs to your home or even clean it out.   They will view the house, make you an offer on the spot, and close on your timeline.  They can even help if you are underwater or behind on payments.  It doesn’t get much easier than that!  Now you know how TV teaches us to sell a home.