listing preparation: 3 Things You Can Do Now To Help Your House Sell Later - 05/18/23 03:09 PM
It is my experience that people are often ready to sell their home when they are sick and tired of taking care of it. The endless maintenance and upkeep is usually what pushes them to contact me and begin the process of getting their home on the market.
Given how often I see this scenario, I though it might be helpful to provide some tips for you to consider BEFORE you get to this point.
Clean out. Clean out. Clean out. The more space you have, the more stuff you will accumulate. Start the process of getting rid of the things that … (4 comments)

listing preparation: 5 Ways Deferred Maintenance Can Affect Your Sale - 07/26/17 07:51 AM

When I am called in to discuss a potential listing, I often hear my seller's saying things like, "We are just getting tired of maintaining this house," or "Taking care of this house is becoming too much for me."   As a Realtor, that often means to me that there are some big ticket items that the seller knows they need to tackle and they just don't want to take them on. If you find yourself in this boat, this is what you might expect.  Buyers will notice the deferred maintenance and it will be reflected in the price. If they don't … (2 comments)

listing preparation: 10 Ways to Sabotage Your Home Sale - 02/09/14 07:03 AM
If you really don't want to sell your home, here are 10 things that you can do to sabotage the sale (based on my real world experience working with buyers).
1. Make it difficult to see your home. If you really want to turn off the buyer, agree to a time and then don't show up (no lockbox, obviously). 

2. Don't clean off the front walkway and front porch. This is especially a deterrent if it has been snowy or icy.
3. Keep your Holiday decorations up all year round. 
4. Don't remove the dead trees and shrubs on your … (82 comments)

listing preparation: Advice for Sellers: Pay attention to the little things - 04/16/13 01:45 AM
After years of considering a sale, you have finally reached the point of listing your home.   You have likely cleaned out closets and fixed those little things that  were never a priority. You may have even spent some money to spruce up your home (and wondered why you waited until you were selling it to do so!).   Before you pat yourself on the back, however, do one final walk around. This time, give it a look as if it is a house that you have NEVER seen before. This is the time to be very critical of that paint … (3 comments)

listing preparation: 5 Ways to Make Your Home Stand Out from the Competition! - 10/23/12 07:57 AM
It has taken a while, but, finally, your house is ready to go on the market.
  You feel pretty comfortable with your price, but you really don't want your listing to languish--you would like it to go under contract quickly!   There are some things you can do that will help buyers choose your home over another.   Do a 'Front Door Makeover.' Buy the nicest door mat you can find. Make sure it is proportional to the size of your door. Place pretty pots near the front door and fill them with seasonal flowers. Make sure the door is freshly … (0 comments)

listing preparation: What to Spend Your Northern Virginia House Prep Money on When There is A Limit - 12/06/10 09:59 AM
You are a Northern Virginia homeowner preparing to list your house for sale. What do you spend your money on and how do you prioritize the projects?
We have all learned the value of being thrifty over the past several years. So it rubs many the wrong way to have their Realtor® tell them they need to make improvements to sell their house.  After all, you want to maximize your return...not shell out more money.
Any Realtor®  who has been around the market will tell you that this is definitely a case of, you have to spend money to make money.
Buyers are a fickle group. They want … (2 comments)

listing preparation: Educating the Savvy Seller - 08/27/10 04:19 AM
Most of my clients have bought and sold several homes. They have obviously done this successfully as it has brought them to the point where they have yet another home to sell.They often tell me that they are very comfortable preparing their homes for sale and that they have always done very well selling their homes. I let them know that I am glad to hear this. It  will make the process easier for everyone as we identify those things that will need to be done. Because there WILL be things that need to be done.Decorating your house and being on … (2 comments)

listing preparation: Is Your (Lovely) Wallpaper Costing You a Sale? - 02/21/10 08:06 AM
One of the hardest conversations I have with clients, and potential clients, is that they need to remove the wallpaper prior to listing their homes (and yes, borders count).  I know that your wallpaper is lovely and I can tell that is designer quality, but the number one complaint I get from buyers is that they don't want to deal with wallpaper removal!
Sellers don't want to remove it because
They paid to install it Removal can be time consuming and/or costly Walls often need to be repaired After the paper comes down, the walls need to be painted Buyers … (12 comments)

listing preparation: Why You Should Start Now for Spring Move - 12/02/09 02:33 AM
For many of us, the time between mid-November and January 2, is a blur of activities, events, and family gatherings.  Surprisingly, it is also a great time to begin planning for a move in the Spring.  You may find yourself needing to use up some stockpiled vacation. What better way to use it then to begin planning for your next big investment? For Buyers: This is a great time to pull your credit report, review your findings and begin the process of correcting any problems.  Contacting a reputable Lender at this time also makes sense. They can review your credit report, … (4 comments)

listing preparation: Sell Your Home: A Series of Posts, Part 3 - 11/15/09 01:09 AM
If you are planning to sell your house, the time to put in the work is BEFORE the property is listed. In my previous post, Sell Your Home: A Series of Posts, Part 2, I discuss how important it is to look at every aspect of your home with a critical eye. The posts below deal with very specific areas and may help you to get started with this process. Getting Your House Ready to Sell Series:What the Mailbox Might Be Saying About Your Home Getting Your House Ready to Sell Series: Plants & Shrubs by Front Door Getting Your House … (3 comments)

listing preparation: A VERY Simple Piece of Gardening Advice - 05/29/09 07:22 AM
We have all walked by those beautiful container gardens at the local plant and garden center.  Not only are they usually in pretty (not spectacular) containers, but they have such stunning visual variety that we often instantly covet them for our own decks or patios. What makes them special is the variety of textures and colors. This is easily achieved for VERY little money by following a simple formula:
Pick a pot that is large enough to hold 3 plants (not large ones). I am partial to plain clay pots, but fancier pottery or urns work well, too.  Pick a … (6 comments)

listing preparation: Help Out Your Neighbor! - 03/12/09 01:56 AM
This is a challenging market in which to sell your house.  When I meet with a potential seller, we put together an extensive plan to prepare the house for marketing.  It is not a quick or easy process, but I find that good preparation can be instrumental to getting a house under contract--and receiving a fair market price.
The one thing that we cannot control in this process is the neighbor's house.  This is a plea to all of those folks who live in a neighborhood where there is a house for sale.  Take some time to care for the outside … (1 comments)

listing preparation: Getting Your House Ready to Sell Series: What the Mailbox Might Be Saying About Your Home - 02/15/09 02:44 AM
This morning I walked the neighborhood where I will be holding an Open House this afternoon. I always like to invite the neighbors (who presumably like where they live and have friends and family) to come in and see the listed property.  As all Realtors know, Open Houses are primarily attended by curious neighbors.
My plan was to personally invite each neighbor by knocking on the door and giving them an invitation yesterday afternoon. Of course, real life got in the way and I wasn't able to to that. My alternate plan was to string each of these postcard invites with … (4 comments)

listing preparation: Unwitting Ways You May Be Sabotaging Your Sale - 01/13/09 06:38 AM
The first thing to remember when you list your house is that this is a business transaction. You must vow to remove your emotion from it and listen to the advice that you receive (easier said than done, I know!) about how you can make your house more attractive to the most number of buyers. Make sure that you trust your listing agent because the advice that he or she provides for you will not always be easy to take; it is much easier to implement, however, if you trust their motivation.I do not have any clients right now that have … (1 comments)

listing preparation: Getting Your House Ready to Sell Series: Sell Your House in 2009 - 01/01/09 02:17 AM
I just spent a couple of minutes reviewing the listings in my local area and I have a couple of observations for sellers that, hopefully, will help you to sell your house in 2009.You have probably heard all of these things from your Broker and/or the media, but if you have a house to sell, it is time to listen.
Price matters.  If you have not received a contract--or at least serious interest-- on your home after 2 months, the price is too high (and, really, it should be the first month, but I think the current rules have to modified … (2 comments)

listing preparation: Getting Your House Ready to Sell Series: A Letter to My Seller after our Pre-Listing Walk Through - 08/15/08 07:31 AM
This is a generic letter to a client after a pre-listing walk through.  It is a combination of many situations I have come across in these walk throughs over the years. I would, obviously, never address my clients this way.  But for fun, I put this letter together to showcase some of the situations that I run in to again and again.
If you are an agent, I am sure you will recognize these scenarios. If you are a seller, keep in mind that I am satirizing the situation, but that there is a grain of truth in each of my comments.
Dear Seller,
… (3 comments)

listing preparation: Preparing Your House For Sale (The Getting Your House Ready Series) - 07/05/08 05:01 AM
I have been doing a series of blogs about preparing your home for sale.  I thought it might be helpful to put all of the links in one place.
If you have a question about getting your house ready, and I have not addressed it in one of my blogs, please let me know and I would be happy to let you know how I handle it with my sellers.
 
Help! I have been in my house Forever (http://activerain.com/blogsview/559358/Getting-Your-House-Ready) What to do with an Empty Room (http://activerain.com/blogsview/554693/Getting-Your-House-Ready) Deal with the Paint Cans! (http://activerain.com/blogsview/542140/Getting-Your-House-Ready) Plants and Shrubs by the Front Door … (0 comments)

listing preparation: Getting Your House Ready to Sell Series: Help! I have been in my house forever! - 06/20/08 09:17 AM
As I knock on the door, I notice the lovely, well-tended and mature gardening around the front door.  I meet my potential client and I can tell they are more nervous about the listing appointment than usual.  It turns out they have been in their house for 30+ years.  This is not an unusual situation.  The question is always, 'where and how do I begin?'
There is an organization that formed in 2002 called National Association of Senior Move Managers.  This organization provides resources to help seniors make housing transitions. Sometimes the preparation can be overwhelming, and having a 'manager' can … (0 comments)

listing preparation: Getting Your House Ready to Sell Series: Deal with the Paint Cans! - 06/08/08 08:29 AM
I was walking with a friend today and lamenting the fact that my husband decided yesterday was the perfect day to sort through our many cans of paint. Yesterday, it was close to 100 degrees in the garage!
I bring this up because part of the reason we have so many different cans of paint--besides the fact that I am a serial room-color-changer--is because as a Realtor® I am often the last resort for sellers who need to get the paints out of their garage. Most movers won't take paint cans, they can't be thrown away (without drying them out first) and many … (1 comments)

listing preparation: Getting Your House Ready to Sell Series: Handicapping Your Home Sale - 05/19/08 11:56 PM
You've cleaned out the hall closet, painted the front door and selected your Real Estate Broker.  Tomorrow the sign goes up and then your listing will be activated on the Multiple Listing Service.  The Buyers will arrive soon after.
Or will they?  Getting the buyers in to your house has become a contest.  Not only does the price have to be right, the marketing material attractive, but the house has to be accessible.
Of course, if you've listed your home with a brokerage firm, that becomes their problem, right?  Maybe or maybe not.
If you have opted for a 'By Appointment … (0 comments)

 


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