At least that was the depth of the advice that most agents needed to give their sellers a few years ago. However in today's market if you interview an agent and this is the best they can do then you need to show them the door.
In the current market in Northern Virginia sellers need to step up to the plate and take a look at their homes in a different light. If you are getting ready to put your home on the market you need to take an honest look around you and make what might be some tough decisions. Everyone has heard it before but it is even more important than ever, your home needs to be impecible for a buyer to even consider putting on the top of their list. Some of what you may need to do is simple and depending on your home you may have to make some big decisions.
Everyone has heard it before but it always bears repeating. DECLUTTER your home. This sometimes may be all that your home needs. Cleaning out the closets, the kitchen cabinets, the bookshelves and the drawers is your first big step. It is amazing how much bigger your house will look just by tackling the clutter. If it is something you are going to need in the future but you don't need today, box it up, label it and store it out of the way.
The next step is next step is repair what you know is broken. We have a tendency to overlook the dripping faucets, the missing door stops and the grungy bathroom caulking in our busy everyday lives. Now is the time to spend a few hours going room by room and taking care of the "honey do" list.
Now clean. If you don't want to clean then hire a team to come in and take care of it for you. In fact if you lead the crazy hectic lives of so many families in Northern Virginia it might be worth a few extra dollars to hire a cleaning crew to keep your house clean while it is listed for sale. Since many showings take place on the weekends you might want to have a cleaning team come in on Friday's so that your house is ready for weekend showings.
For my clients these are the recommended basics before we even set the right price for your home. For clients who are willing to go the extra step I recommend making your home A Certified Pre-Owned Home. For less than $1500 you can right up front take away any questions a buyer may have about the condition of your home and improve your bargaining power when the offers come rolling in.
Stay tuned for Part II. Setting the Right Price for Your Home in 2008
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As an Associate Broker with RE/MAX Allegiance in Northern Virginia and native of the area I can assist you whether you are buying, selling or renting a home anywhere in Northern Virginia. For more information about the area or my services you can check VaRealEstateTalk or my Northern Virginia website.
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