Although these hints for selling your home have been stated before, it's always good to be reminded. Here's a list of 10 things you can do to ready your home to put it on the market - either with a Realtor or on your own.
If you would like me to help you with this, just contact me for a free consultation.
Are you getting ready to put your home on the market and want to know what you can do to help your Realtor sell your home? Below are some ideas that will get your house looking neat and ready for potential buyers to walk through.
1. Reduce the amount of furniture you have in a room. You want the home to have a large floor area and all doorways and halls to be open and clear.
2. Get rid of clutter. The photos that you cherish and are hung throughout your home are a distraction to future buyers. They want to imagine themselves in the house and not what kind of family currently lives there. Remove knick knacks from counters and shelves and throw away or hide magazines. Begin packing and store boxes in a storage unit or in your attic or donate to a good cause.
3. Repaint those colorful walls. Create a neutral canvas for buyers, paint walls an off white or light beige color. You may have loved that bright orange in your kitchen and adorable pink in your little girls room, however, it's time to paint and create a generic look for future buyers. Paint is cheap and will make a huge difference when your home is on the market. It will look fresh and clean with a good coat of paint.
4. Organize closets. Buyers want to look in every door and sometimes the cabinets as well. Take a day or two to throw away, donate or pack items that you aren't using. Closets can get very cluttered and you want to show off your storage space as it is a great asset to your home.
5. Put valuables in a safe deposit box or in a hidden safe. Remember that strangers will be coming into your home to view. Don't put your grandma's wedding ring or your rare baseball cards in drawers or counters where people can take them.
6. Make your home sparkle. Keep your home as tidy as possible by vacuuming, dusting, keeping dishes out of the sink, hang fresh towels in the bathroom, get your windows washed, dust fan blades, replace worn out rugs, remove cobwebs.
7. Do the sniff test. If you made fish the night before you may want to open some windows and boil a pot of water with some cinnamon sticks, light a candle or bake some cookies.
8. Do some minor repairs. Fix leaky faucets, replace old grout, put some W2 on squeeky hinges, replace any burnt out bulbs, repair holes in drywall, remove wallpaper, etc. Walk into each room and really look around to see what you can do to repair anything that is visible.
9. Check your curb appeal. The first impression your buyers will have begins before they ever enter your front door. Lure them in with fresh planted flowers, neatly trimmed bushes, green and well manicured lawns, clean sidewalks and patios and clean exterior paint. Make sure your address is easy to read from a car.
10. Recruit your Realtor or best friend to do a walk through and give any advice after you have completed the previous 9 items. Everyone sees things differently and they may have some great advice on something that was overlooked.
Doing these 10 things will be the best things you can do to get your home sold quickly after you have decided on a competitive listing price.
Selling a home is really a team effort. There are things a Realtor should do, but there are also things a seller should do. Without both the seller(s) and the Realtor working together, a home only gets sold by "accident". Call me when you're thinking of selling and let's talk Real Estate!
A while back, I read a great blog by Clint Miller called The Sins of the Seller. It was a great post that really highlighted how a home is viewed from the buyer's perspective. However, I keep thinking about that blog. Was it really the seller's fault their home showed so poorly? Or could it have been the agents fault? Or was it both? So, I put together my own list of Sins: Sins of the REALTOR!
1. Not preparing a detailed CMA-also call GUESS-TIMATING MARKET VALUE! Part of our job is education of our potential clients. I believe this includes completing a detailed CMA that shows the seller what similar homes are selling for in their area. If similar homes are comping between $100,000 and $110,000, then it is a waste of the seller's time to list the home for $125,000.
2. Not advising seller's how to prepare their home for showing. As agents, we go into all kinds of homes and we see first hand what buyer's are looking for in a home. Having a clean, uncluttered home shows much better than a dirty, smelly, congested home. We need to tactfully let potential clients know what can affect the sale of their home. As an agent, if you don't have an eye for staging, suggest that your client hire a stager to make their home show ready.
3. Not advising clients to remove pets during showings. This is not only a good idea for the best showing, but for the safety of both the pet and potential buyers. How would you feel if Fluffy the cat escaped through the door during showing? Or if cute little Sparky bit a potential buyer? Not only could your client be looking at potentially expensive hospital bills, but also the loss of their beloved pet. I've also had several clients who are extremely allergic to pets and started swelling up the second we entered the home. Little Zena-Weiner on left is so cute, but not for everyone!
4. Not suggesting the client have a home inspection before listing the home. Yes, this costs money, but the long term benefits are worth it. With a pre-listing home inspection, the seller will know of any potential problem areas and can address them before it scares off a buyer.
5. Following the 3 P's. The 3 P's are Place an ad in the paper, Put a sign in the yard and Pray. Marketing a home has changed so much in the last few years, let alone the last decade. Agents must keep up-to-date on the latest means of reaching potential buyers. This has to include Social Networking sites, blogging, websites, email, texting, etc. The days of the 3 P's being the only way to market a property are gone.
6. Don't bother communicating with your sellers! Seriously, I have heard many tales from my clients how they listed their home with Suzy Realtor and once the sign was in their yard-never heard from her until the listing was going to expire!! Then Suzy showed up at their home with an extension in hand with a laundry list of ideas on how to get their home sold. I always make it a piont to keep in touch with my clients at least twice a month, sometimes much, much more!
7. Ignore the "traditional" methods of advertising. Yes, I know what I said in #5 above, but there are some markets where some of the traditional methods still work better than Web 2.0. There is one community here in my neck of the woods that I have to run an ad in the local paper and include my listings in the Catalog Book. All of the internet contact I have received for one of those properties has been from a potential buyer that is out of state! So, make sure you don't discount something that does work and add to it with other methods too.
8. Don't bother updating the CMA. In my area, it's not uncommon for a property to be on the market for 100+ days. It's important to update theCMA to make sure that the pricing is still on target for the home.
9. Video-hah! Clear pictures? Seriously one of my big pet peeves is when I see a listing with no Virtual Tour, one or two photos and they are blurry to boot. I really just want to find the nearest wall and beat my head against it!! Take the time to look at your pics & video on the mls or website. Sometimes, what looks good on the camera does not translate well to the internet!
10. Hello, you've reached Suzy Realtor and I'm just too darn busy to answer or return your call! I know we can't answer our phones every time it rings, but I have know several agents that never answer their call. As I'm dialing their number I am rehearsing the message I'm about to leave. I also know that I will probably be calling them back later in the day because they are too busy to call me. See above for instructions on beating your head on the wall!
Well folks, there's my ten Sins of the REALTOR. I hope you enjoyed it. I plan to be "sin-free" long into my career! If you are looking for a sinless REALTOR, please feel free to call me-I will answer my phone!
Mold can be anywhere there is dampness, but not everything you think is mold, really is. Ever notice white marks - usually in the basement if the basement is block or on non-white stucco or on stone? That may not be mold. Read the following written by an expert.
A discoloration, generally white in color, may develop on your stucco, brick or stacked stone surfaces. This is known as efflorescence, and is basically just salt that is deposited on the surface through a natural chemical process. Although efflorescence changes the appearance of the surface, it is not structurally damaging or harmful to the masonry.
To remove efflorescence, mix warm water with a bit of vinegar, then scrub the area with a stiff brush. If this does not work, you can purchase special cleaning products from your local hardware store. Make sure to check the manufacturer's product information to ensure that you do not use any harmful substances on these surfaces, as damage will not be covered by warranty.
Staining may also occur on exterior surfaces as a result of dirt that is splashed up when water hits the ground. If you notice this type of staining, we suggest hiring a professional company to clean it. Installing gutters can help prevent a future occurrence, as gutters direct rainwater to specific locations.
Besides efflorescence and staining, mold can also form on your exterior surfaces. Minor occurrences of mold should be cleaned using products designed specifically for cleaning mold. After you've cleaned your exterior surfaces, you may notice a slight variation in color. Before you use any product on your home, you should always test it in an inconspicuous spot to ensure that there will not be any significant change to the finish. Also, before beginning any touch-up project, make sure that you are prepared to refinish the entire area for uniformity if it becomes necessary.
For more information, watch the video below.
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I usually don't blog on my emotional issues, but I just had to in this case. I have a friend that I had helped emotionally and financially when her husband left her after many years of marriage. She had never lived on her own before so I helped her to become independent - at least somewhat, by providing physical, financial and emotional support. As her friend and Realtor, I helped her find a home that had been completely rehabbed at a good price at the height of the booming market. We just recently settled on the sale of that home, in a down market, and she made almost $20,000, paid off her mortgage and still has cash to purchase a new home. The deal was also full of problems from the original offer through to settlement. Being a professional, I didn't tell her about any of the problems unless it required a decision from her. I feel that's part of my job - to make it as easy as possible for my clients. As her friend and Realtor, I partnered her with a lender, took her to see homes that she was interested in (for 8 months), and acted as both a friend and Realtor to try and find her the perfect (?), affordable home for her .Then she finds a home she likes that was to be auctioned. I suggested we make an appt to go through the home, but she already did that with someone else prior to her telling me about this home. I do comps for her and tell her the maximum amount to offer and offered to handle the paperwork and settlement for a fee of 1% (normal in this area is 2%) or $1,000. She got very upset with me but after some discussion, I thought we were back to normal. Then she found a FSBO on the day before the auction that she put in an offer on her own and it was accepted. She didn't tell me about it until after it was done. Obviously, I was hurt. I've read many blogs about clients that "use" a Realtor and then go with someone else and that stings, but this is also my friend. The lesson I've learned here is that maybe, as Realtors, we handle so many problems behind the scenes that clients and customers don't value our services because they really don't know about all we do. I've decided to put together a list of services for buyers to help with that understanding. What services do you feel are most important in the purchase of a home?
I usually don't blog on my emotional issues, but I just had to in this case. I have a friend that I had helped emotionally and financially when her husband left her after many years of marriage. She had never lived on her own before so I helped her to become independent - at least somewhat, by providing physical, financial and emotional support. As her friend and Realtor, I helped her find a home that had been completely rehabbed at a good price at the height of the booming market. We just recently settled on the sale of that home, in a down market, and she made almost $20,000, paid off her mortgage and still has cash to purchase a new home. The deal was also full of problems from the original offer through to settlement. Being a professional, I didn't tell her about any of the problems unless it required a decision from her. I feel that's part of my job - to make it as easy as possible for my clients. As her friend and Realtor, I partnered her with a lender, took her to see homes that she was interested in (for 8 months), and acted as both a friend and Realtor to try and find her the perfect (?), affordable home for her .Then she finds a home she likes that was to be auctioned. I suggested we make an appt to go through the home, but she already did that with someone else prior to her telling me about this home. I do comps for her and tell her the maximum amount to offer and offered to handle the paperwork and settlement for a fee of 1% (normal in this area is 2%) or $1,000. She got very upset with me but after some discussion, I thought we were back to normal. Then she found a FSBO on the day before the auction that she put in an offer on her own and it was accepted. She didn't tell me about it until after it was done. Obviously, I was hurt. I've read many blogs about clients that "use" a Realtor and then go with someone else and that stings, but this is also my friend. The lesson I've learned here is that maybe, as Realtors, we handle so many problems behind the scenes that clients and customers don't value our services because they really don't know about all we do. I've decided to put together a list of services for buyers to help with that understanding. What services do you feel are most important in the purchase of a home?
All four of the variables go together to create the "perfect sale." Each aspect must be taken into consideration if you want a property to sell.
1. Price fixes everything! Don't let anyone tell you different. When the buyer perceives there is a value because of the price, they will buy the home.
The other three varibles always can effect the price.
There are circumstances where a buyer has lost the ability to qualify for a traditional loan because of a foreclosure or bankruptcy and the buyer needs owner financing. With Owner carry Terms that particular buyer may be willing to pay more because they have ownership with possibly a small down payment.
Conversely, if the Condition is bad the price will have to be reduced to reflect a value in the home where a buyer will have to come in and do repairs or cosmetic updates.
Location is the toughest variable in the sale to compensate for. Most people have heard about in Real Estate the terms Location, Location, Location. If the location is bad.. ONLY price will sell the property possibly combined with terms so exciting that a buyer will not be able to pass up the deal.
2.Terms. If the Terms are attractive, sometimes a seller can get more money for the home. For example: a home with a value of $325,000 listed with owner carry terms of $25,000 down and no bank qualifing might be able to sell at $350,000 because of the terms.
Under any owner carry situation, it is important the seller speak with their accountant and attorney before accepting any contract and agreement to finance. The seller should be completely aware of the liability and consequences in owner financing.This is just an example how price can increase with the right terms.
3. Condition is a key factor in selling a home. When the property is in top condition, looking like a show home the seller may get top market value for the property. In times where homes are selling at a slow pace, in order to procur a sale, the home should be the BEST property at the Lowest price to get to the closing table.
Taking a seller on a preview tour of the homes in the area similar to their property can save months of discouragement with a home not selling. When a seller can see the competition and accepts the fact their home needs to be the Best house at the lowest price to sell, the home will sell and the seller will see what they are up against in comparison.
Carpet or paint allowance does NOT work in selling a home. If the home needs carpet, put it in. If the home needs painting, get it painted. Many times this can cost a seller $5,000 to $8,000 to do those upgrades. Investing, yes, investing is the correct term, for getting the house sold. The money invested will come back in the form or a quick sale at full market value.
A picture is worth a thousand words so think about how the property looks and even take some pictures to see what a buyer is looking at. Sellers should look at the pictures like they were a buyer and ask, "would I buy this house in this condition for this price?" Are the kitchen counters cluttered? Are the closets a mess? What does the front door look like and the yard when people drive up to the house?
A seller has 8 seconds for a buyer looking at a home to decide if they really like the house and if it will go on the A list. The buyer starts the decision making process when driving up to the home while looking at the surrounding properties and the entrance to the home.
There are many agents are trained in "staging" a home and there are "staging services" which help a seller to understand what needs to be done to create a "marketable product." Listen to these people if you want to get the house sold.
The seller needs to separate from the house and see it as an investment or product that needs to be sold. The seller needs to take all the emotions out of the happy memories in the home if they are serious about selling.
4. Location is the only variable which cannot be changed. A bad location, is a bad location so only price and terms are going to help this situation.
It does not matter that the same model home across the street sold for thousands more, because it was ACROSS THE STREET and did not back to the highway. A seller needs to get a reality check on location and think about when they purchased. If the seller got a good deal when they bought because it had a bad location then they have to give the new buyer the same good deal to sell.
Sellers should take all the emotion out of the business of selling a home and treat the transaction as an investment decision.
If the goal is to get the home sold then listen to the professionals and let them do their job.
There are a number of personal and emotional reasons to buy a home. But there are also some strong financial reasons to make the investment. In addition to exceptional home affordability and near historic interest rates, here are some important financial benefits of owning a home:
Increased Net Worth: Few things have a greater impact on net worth than owning a home. In a comparison of renters versus homeowners, the Federal Reserve Board of Consumer Finance found that the average net worth of renters was just $4,000 compared to homeowners at $184,400.
A Big Tax Deduction: One of the largest tax deductions available is the amount of interest paid on a mortgage. In fact, a $150,000 home at a 5.50% interest rate can add up to approximately $8,000 in first year's interest. This amounts to a significant savings - effectively reducing the amount of a homeowner's monthly loan payment.
Long-Term Appreciation: Over the last few years, home prices have corrected and become more affordable. While that's good news for potential buyers, it has overshadowed the long-term appreciation of a home's value. The reality is, despite market ups and downs, real estate historically appreciates around 6% per year. Even if you calculate a modest appreciation of 3%, a home purchased today for $150,000 should grow in value to $364,000 over 30 years.
$8,000 Tax Credit: Don't forget, the government is offering an $8,000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers - or for folks that haven't owned a home during the past three years. However, the program is scheduled to end soon. In fact, the Internal Revenue Service recently reminded potential buyers that they must complete their first-time home purchases before December 1, 2009 to qualify for the special credit, which means the last day to close on a home and qualify for the credit is November 30, 2009.
Did you know that moving is one of the top stressful situations in your life - next to losing a loved one or your job? Read how to help lessen the stress you are feeling.
Feelings of stress occur as an internal reaction to external events. In other words, it's not what's happening around you that stresses you but rather your thoughts about what's happening around you.
When you learn to observe your thoughts, remain in control, and assess the emotion experienced, you empower yourself to choose a behavioral response that is most appropriate for you.
Feelings themselves can become overwhelming when you allow them to overtake you. It's as if they take charge and you are no longer in charge of yourself. And that's because the emotion does take charge; if you let it.
The conscious mind cannot think and feel at the same time. This has huge implications. When you experience an emotion - stress, anxiety, anger, fear, disappointment, frustration, sadness, even excitement or happiness - the part of the brain at work is called the limbic system. You are not able to think clearly because this part of the brain does not lend itself to problem solving or thinking; its focus is on survival. Without engaging other parts of your brain, you react in ways that do not show the better side of you. :)
When you experience an emotion, breathe. Remain in control. Use the emotion as a message. What is it trying to communicate to you? Be curious and ask yourself a question. You will engage the prefrontal cortex, which is the part of the brain involved in decision making and social behaviors.
Use 'wonder' to guide you. Wonder about the other person and what they might be thinking or why they would do/say that. Use your empathy to step into their world and ask a question to learn more from them. Wonder about yourself and your expectations. Is there something you need to accept or let go of? Is there a boundary issue here that needs to be extended?
Once you've asked the question, then you can think clearly to choose the most appropriate actions for the impact you want to create. You increase stress and feelings of overwhelm and powerlessness when you focus your efforts on trying to fix things where you have no control. While you may not be able to control the things going on around you, you can control YOU.
Your power lies in your ability to self-manage - to manage your thoughts, your emotions, and your actions. Focusing your attention on what you can control increases feelings of personal strength and confidence.
It's ugly - but it's the real truth about home prices. Read on! Contact me if you want to discuss this or have any questions about the value of your home!
So you've decided to sell your house and you are well aware of the fact that homes for sale in your community have involved foreclosed properties. All those homes that sold in the past 6 months were bank owned and they weren't sold by an individual, but instead, they were sold by those evil banks that got us into this mess in the first place. Not only did the Cretans foreclose on the homes and kick out homeowners, but now they step in and undercut the prices of other sellers and steal their buyers. But we don't have to price our house the way the bank does, because ours is not a foreclosure, so we really don't have to worry about because ours is worth more.
Well welcome to the harsh reality of what I like to refer to as the truth. It's not always a fun thing, but you have to face it if you want to be successful in today's market. All those foreclosed properties in your community do affect your home. They do lower the market value in a lot of cases, because the banks do lower their prices to aggressively market their properties. As a result, the market value of comparable properties like yours does change.
I know that's not at all what you wanted to hear. In fact I didn't really want to say it, but it needed to be said. You can't ignore the facts.
The facts are unfortunately something that we all have to face and foreclosures and bank owned properties are a fact of life today. They are your competition and you do have to price your house for sale in accordance with the current market value for your community.
Another horrible fact to face is that pricing is one of the most important things to focus on when selling a house. Having a house that's in great condition is also extremely important, but if you find yourself overpriced by ten or twenty thousand dollars, you don't stand a chance of moving anytime soon. So while you may be able to get a little more for your house due to it's better condition, you may want to lose the theory that your house isn'tt affected by foreclosures. Unfortunately, we all are, and we just have to accept it and move on.
1. Your photos are unimpressive. The vast majority of home buyers start their search for a home on the Internet, your house had better look great in print. Not just nice... downright fabulous. Today we are considering internet views as a 'virtual showing'... if your house gets past that, then they might (just might) make an appointment to see it in person... We consider that your SECOND showing. Today's buyers are expecting good quality photos (and lots of them... just 1 shot from the street won't cut it!), a virtual tour, maybe even a floor plan, if applicable.
2. It's overpriced. You've got to view your own property as objectively as possible. Look at the home like a "buyer"... if necessary, go out with your Realtor and view other homes that are priced comparably to yours. Be objective. Given the other options on the market (and yes, you DO have to include short sales and foreclosures on your list... your potential buyers are!), would YOU buy your home, over the others on the market?
If no, then you either have to "update" your home to meet or beat the competition... or lower your price to adjust for it. if you can't afford to sell for the price, that you KNOW it sell for, you may want to consider just removing it from the market.
3. It shows poorly. This could mean almost anything... from the barky, barky dog, to the smell of the diaper pail. Maybe the carpeting is a bit worn, or the woodwork shows a lot of wear. All things that don't show up on the internet, but whoa.... once you get inside the house... they show up, like a cat-urine-smell on a 95 degree day in New Orleans!
4. You're invisible. Today's buyer comes from the internet, almost exclusively. Have you (or your agent) simply plopped the property on the MLS, and started praying? Are you on all the websites...(Trulia, Zillow, Craig's List, Google Base, etc...) all the places that buyers are searching? If not, you want to be.
5. Your listing is tired and stale on the market. Okay... yes, you overpriced your home initially when you first came on the market 2 years ago. But since then you have reduced your price almost monthly... constantly chasing the market down.... Now, finally you're truly priced where you should be... but your listing is tired and stale. Everyone looking for your type of property (ie: 3br/1.1 bath) in your area has already seen it, sometimes twice... and they remember that there was "something" about it that they didn't like... but what they don't remember is... what they didn't like.... was the price. Time to take the listing off market. Let it cool off (3-6 months), and bring it back on fresh in the Spring. Yeah, you'll have 6 mos. worth of holding-costs... but you'll more than make up for it in your purchase price.
btw... Avoid the temptation to bring the house back on at a higher price, than when you left the market. Just "don't do it"!
6. Your house won't appraise. The house looks great... you've finally gotten someone to bring you a bid on your slightly over-priced, but beautiful pied-a-terre. But the bank appraiser says it's worth $20,000 less than what they've agreed to pay. Heavy sigh... bite the bullet.... negotiate with them. If you have to drop the price $20,000 to make it work.... "make it work"... chances are, anybody else trying to buy your house will run into the same problem.
Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
Are you getting ready to put your home on the market and want to know what you can do to help your Realtor sell your home? Below are some ideas that will get your house looking neat and ready for potential buyers to walk through.
cabinets as well. Take a day or two to throw away, donate or pack items that you aren't using. Closets can get very cluttered and you want to show off your storage space as it is a great asset to your home.
6. Make your home sparkle. Keep your home as tidy as possible by vacuuming, dusting, keeping dishes out of the sink, hang fresh towels in the bathroom, get your windows washed, dust fan blades, replace worn out rugs, remove cobwebs.
gents fault? Or was it both? So, I put together my own list of Sins: Sins of the REALTOR! 
staging, suggest that your client hire a stager to make their home show ready.
be on the market for 100+ days. It's important to update the CMA to make sure that the pricing is still on target for the home.
1. Price
Feelings of stress occur as an internal reaction to external events. In other words, it's not what's happening around you that stresses you but rather your thoughts about what's happening around you.
So you've decided to sell your house and you are well aware of the fact that homes for sale in your community have involved foreclosed properties. All those homes that sold in the past 6 months were bank owned and they weren't sold by an individual, but instead, they were sold by those evil banks that got us into this mess in the first place. Not only did the Cretans foreclose on the homes and kick out homeowners, but now they step in and undercut the prices of other sellers and steal their buyers. But we don't have to price our house the way the bank does, because ours is not a foreclosure, so we really don't have to worry about because ours is worth more.
The facts are unfortunately something that we all have to face and foreclosures and bank owned properties are a fact of life today. They are your competition and you do have to price your house for sale in accordance with the current market value for your community.
1. Your photos are unimpressive. The vast majority of home buyers start their search for a home on the Internet, your house had better look great in print. Not just nice... downright fabulous. Today we are considering internet views as a 'virtual showing'... if your house gets past that, then they might (just might) make an appointment to see it in person... We consider that your SECOND showing. Today's buyers are expecting good quality photos (and lots of them... just 1 shot from the street won't cut it!), a virtual tour, maybe even a floor plan, if applicable.
market?
5. Your listing is tired and stale on the market. Okay... yes, you overpriced your home initially when you first came on the market 2 years ago. But since then you have reduced your price almost monthly... constantly chasing the market down.... Now, finally you're truly priced where you should be... but your listing is tired and stale. Everyone looking for your type of property (ie: 3br/1.1 bath) in your area has already seen it, sometimes twice... and they remember that there was "something" about it that they didn't like... but what they don't remember is... what they didn't like.... was the price. Time to take the listing off market. Let it cool off (3-6 months), and bring it back on fresh in the Spring. Yeah, you'll have 6 mos. worth of holding-costs... but you'll more than make up for it in your purchase price.
;)
;)
