by Patricia Feager, 11/12/2017
For Debbie Reynolds AR Contest
At this time of the year, I give thanks for the people I serve in Real Estate. The following photo tells a story. It is the story of previous clients (3 times) and their past, present, and future.
PAST
My past clients were originally Buyers. They were from out of state. Adjusting to a new job, location, and cultural diversity is often challenging. After months of looking, and not finding what felt like home, they settled on a home that had potential. Sometimes, you have to understand new construction takes time (which may not be on your side). The expectations of finding the Perfect home, may not exist (it takes time). Thinking about what improvements you can make that will make the home an investment and an enjoyable place to live (over time) may be realistic and smart.
BUYERS STORY
From the perspective of the Buyers, they decided, rather than go big, they'd go small. They looked at homes that had the following criteria:
- Bigger than an apartment
- Less expensive than paying rent
- Adequate space for the size of their family
- Acceptable drive to and from work
- Investment opportunity
- Affordability (below their actual budget)
- No major projects
- Well maintained and good functionality
- Their goal was to move in before Thanksgiving Day 2015
FIRST IMPRESSIONS DO MATTER
The home they bought didn't meet the BEST first impression but it had great POTENTIAL. The first room you saw when you stepped inside was the dining room. My buyer's first impression was, I can't live with red walls. This is what it looked like from the previous owner days before Thanksgiving Day, 2015:
PRESENT
In the Fall of 2017 my Buyers put their home on the market. Between 11/2015 and 11/2017 their goal was to be in their new home before Thanksgiving Day 2017. Their criteria was the following:
- Give the home a GREAT first impression
- Create a sense of family
- Use neutral colors
- Keep the home simple but homey
- Let there be no clutter
- List fair market value
FIRST IMPRESSIONS REALLY MATTER
As Sellers, they focused on new landscaping, painting the front door from red to brown, painting all the rooms to keep it neutral (but add variations that match), keep the home clean (immaculate) for the entire duration of living there, and well maintained from the exterior to the interior with all moving parts operating successfully without fooling anyone. The sale was a success:
- Multiple offers
- Offers came in on Day 1
- Sale was more than list and successful
Here's a photo of the Dining Room on the day it listed:
FUTURE
Once again, they are celebrating Thanksgiving 2017 in their new home. This is the photo of what their previous Dining Room looked like when they moved. Note red wall was the first to go. The message on the neutral wall color kept them focused on their goals and made a different to the current new owners.
"Having somewhere to go is Home
Someone to love is Family
Having both is a Blessing"
IN SUM
I feel blessed. Listening helps everyone to achieve important goals. This is the time to celebrate the blessing of family. What my client wrote on her previous dining room wall is true! I am blessed for my own family and my clients who treat me like family. Celebrating the joy and the love of family + friendship is truly a blessing.
Patricia's Tip for the Day:
©The greatest First Impression of all is trust and following through.
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