Dear Jill,

I have an exclusive home $1Million+ – is there anything I
should do differently to get it ready to sell? 

Yes, besides the obvious preparations of touching up
paint and replacing worn carpeting, make sure that it has the amenities that most
luxury home buyers are expecting. According to an article written today in
Realtor Magazine, clientèle believe that gourmet kitchens, granite counter tops
and wet bars are no longer considered luxuries. They are givens for that price
range, according to the sales associates polled.

When asked about "must have" amenities buyers
require in their luxury homes, 60 percent of respondents answered that their
customers want media rooms and 60 percent answered that their customers want
"wired" homes. The lack of an expected luxury may cost you more in
missed opportunities for a sale or low offers than the actual cost of investing
in the update.

Staging your home is also a great idea if you are moving
on before listing your home for sale. There are many home staging companies
that specialize in decorating display homes that also use their inventory to
“stage” vacant properties and extra rooms of occupied homes. This usually
includes appropriately styled furniture as well as furnishings such as art
pieces, pictures, table settings, trees, plants, rugs and decorative knick knacks
among other items around the house. They can also romance-up the Luxury
Bathroom or furnish that newly added media room!

Lastly, be sure to choose an agent that has knowledge of
the luxury home market in your area and knows the ins and outs of dealing with
affluent buyers  and sellers. According to a recent survey by the Luxury Home
Institute, affluent clients want to be discreet.

The survey goes on to say that practitioners serving affluent clientele are expected to provide a high level of personalization service to both buyers and sellers.

The No. 1 special need that extremely affluent clients
require, according to 78 percent of the survey respondents, is privacy and
confidentiality. “The ability to be discreet” was also identified as a top
criteria for selecting a real estate professional in research done by Unique
Homes magazine and The Institute for Luxury Home Marketing. Wealthy consumers
want to know their agent isn’t discussing their transaction over cocktails.

Technorati Tags: Luxury Homes, Unique Homes Magazine