HelpRHome: If you have discussed the four best choices with the lender or had a friend do it and they have agreed to let you take steps to avoid Foreclosure; it is time to take some serious steps to achieve the sale. Remember to call your tax advisor and ask them at least two questions: What impact do I have if I sell the property for less than my mortgage? and what impact do I have if I sell the property for more than my mortgage? What do you advise me to do about it?
This is plain old real estate advice (for those of you that might be REALTORS looking over a sellers shoulder right here.)
A written plan may be your next best step:
- My best friend in the Industry always says start with the end in mind so let's do it:
- How soon do you NEED to Move?
- What will it take to be able to make that date?
- Is the house ready for a buyer-a real buyer not an investor to see it?
- Heh the investors can see past the stuff that you may have collected over the years but they also want the lowest price and best deal. Not the best choice for you perhaps?
- So seriously what exactly needs to be done to get the house in BUYER READY state?
- Stop thinking of this property as your HOME and start to look at it as something that you will need to keep up in a marketable condition (just a house) so that it will attract someone else to it as their home.
- This is one of the reasons that most REALTORS will ask you to leave to let the property be shown-subtle clues that you give off indicate if you have vacated in your mind! If not a buyer feels that they are encroaching on your space. Not usually a good place to be when you need to sell.
1. Take a notepad and pen, take a walk: Look at the front of the house from the sidewalk or the street and squint a bit. What needs a hand? Do the bushes need a trim? Grass? Would the flowerbeds look better if they were just turned over a bit? This time of year leaves in the beds are good for them. They will mulch down and in the meantime add a healthier look. Dig those leaves in a bit and soak the beds. Add a warm flower at the front door red or orange is friendly/lively/inviting.
2. You are moving-so get the boxes that you will need sorted out. Call the grocery store and find out when the get their biggest deliveries and when they put out the boxes. Start now. If there is a bookstore nearby, those are the strongest boxes you can find for free! Call the department stores too.
3. Start packing with the linen closet-Leave one set of towels on the shelves nicely folded and one set in the bathroom-that's it. Pack it up and put the rest away. Get that closet looking neatly folded and organized.
4. Work on the rest of the bathroom: everyone gets an overnight kit for toothbrushes and necessities. Everything else is packed away, everything! You won't believe how little you can live with when you get going on this project. When you do get to the new place you may find that those packed up boxes end up on E-Bay and that you may enjoy living a lighter life. We'll see!
5. Move to the kitchen-Pack every appliance away that you do not use every week. If you make waffles weekly it can stay otherwise that treat goes away for the time it takes to get this house SOLD! Next one set of dishes: dinner plate, salad plate, bowl, cup, glass, and 1 set of silverware per person. One sharp knife! One spatula, one big spoon. You get the idea.
6. You are moving! Get it packed! Pick a place for boxes, one place. If you pack them, get someone else to move them to "the place" for boxes.
7. Clear the fridge out completely and give it a good wipe with baking soda as your cleanser. This serves two purposes it work and it give the fridge a neutral smell, too. If the freezer need a defrost-do it now. After everything is wiped up replace the cool items that you use all of the time. The rest can go out (trash?) or be frozen? If you are overstocked on canned goods pack up a box and be sure to label it clearly.
8. OK kitchen done? Time to get to the closets, start with yours it's probably the biggest, hmmm. This is going to be fun! You will be surprised. First sort by season, only two seasons cold and hot. If it's the colder season, tuck away everything that you can't use in layers. While you are packing clothes: think about rolling them. Not the suits but almost everything else will stay neater if you practice this perfect packing trick. Keep all the different things together. That way when you do have the opportunity to put them away or open them for use next season they will be at your fingertips, ready. For the items that are left and being used this season: color group them and then group from lightest color-white to darkest color. This gives a wonderfully neat look to your closets and a professional/caring feel when someone opens the closet door. It may seem a waste of time. But you want them to respond to the house as a home and care that you cared, when you do something they would never have thought to do, it makes them think you would take better care of the property, too. That just translates to value. Wash dishes daily, wash clothes weekly! Everything stays neater for the whole family this way. Kids or family member needs to use the broom in the kitchen at the end of the day. Mop up/wipe up whenever something hits the floor.
9. After you have collected as much as possible and boxed up, ask a friend or the REALTOR to walk the property with you and make notes on the "rest of the job" then proceed with the final touches to get it spit and polished for the first buyer visitor. Don't have the sheets hanging out the end of the bed when photos are taken. See it, as the camera will! Add candles to the mantle and then move them back to the bathroom after the photos are done. It's OK; you are just trying to get them into the house! Be sensitive to the smell of the house; be open to the freshener suggestions that may come along. After awhile we get used to our space and stop noticing things like the smell and it may need a fresher air scent to make it more neutral to a buyer? This is why some people like a fresh coat of paint it moves a house to a more neutral scent.
10. Don't forget to check under the beds, attic and garage for things that can be put away. If it isn't used weekly, put it away. It will keep and be fun to find later!
11. When you get to the kids rooms you will need them (the kids) and four bins. I like the number four! One for the most important I love this toy box, One for I could let someone else enjoy this toy now box, (you could use this to say goodbye to school friends-let them take a toy with them to remember each other.) We should sell or donate this box (Garage sale if you have time and interest or drop it at Goodwill or your favorite charity-church?). This has been broken for a long time and we are missing parts box. (Trash for sure) Take this opportunity to cycle their clothes, too. They may actually enjoy putting colors together and helping you to do it, too.
Whenever we plan a trip we plan outfits and pack them in a stack for the day. For the ladies this would include jewelry and shoes (slipped into a grocery bag to keep the clothes tidy) and socks/stockings. For girls maybe a hairclip or scrunchy?
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