Selling Your Home Category

One of the sayings from the “gold-rush” days–“Them that’s got the gold, sets the price!”–is also a principle that applies to real estate. We say that a house is only worth what someone will pay for it, even though the owner, the bank, and the agent all have their own opinions about the “market value” of a home. In other words, no sale ever takes place until the buyer agrees with the price.

How can sellers arrive at the maximum “fair” price that buyers are willing to pay? Buyers (and appraisers) make their decision based on comparisons. While shopping for a home, buyers will visit many similar homes in their price range and measure the features of each one against the price. They decide which house offers them the maximum value for the price. Buyers do not expect a home to be a “steal” or dramatically under-priced, but they do expect it to be a fair value.

Sellers must determine the value that their home offers in order to arrive at the right price. The real estate agent will advise the sellers what buyers should be willing to pay for their home, but the asking price is set by the seller.

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We hear a lot of talk about which months are the most lively ones for getting our listings sold. Many people think the ideal time to put a house on the market is when the azaleas are in bloom and the grass is the greenest. In many parts of the country, the “spring market” is thought of as the real estate industry’s Christmas season.

There are important factors that strongly influence the sale of houses. Interest rates, the availability of local employment, tax rates, and the overall economic health of the community all play a large part in determining how quickly homes move and how well the sellers will do at the closing table. Your home may sell quickly during a month when the weather is gloomy but the interest rates are low. Waiting for spring flowers to bloom before planting your “For Sale” sign may improve your home’s curb appeal, but may not have as much effect on the sale of your home as interest rates that go up as quickly as your tulips.

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Pheromones are mysterious little chemical sensors that are supposed to have a lot to do with whether or not we are attracted to people. They may also play a big part in the way people react to houses.

If you have a house on the market, it will be important to ensure that the pheromone factor is as high as possible–so that the prospects who come inside will involuntarily pull out their checkbooks and offer to pay your asking price. A good real estate agent can give you some important hints about maximizing your home’s ability to attract buyers. This could mean completely airing out every room to eliminate musty odors, or allowing enough time for freshly painted walls to lose that telltale toxic smell.

Unless you are already compulsively neat, you may need to make temporary changes in your housekeeping habits to ensure that your home is both fresh-smelling and sparkling clean. Sometimes this will involve hiring a professional cleaning service. Give your real estate agent the space to speak candidly about what you need to do to make your house looks its best.

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The best real estate agents in today’s marketplace are becoming even better about marketing the homes they list to the public, as well as to other agents who have potential buyers.

When you are interviewing prospective real estate agents to help you sell your home, ask how they find buyers. In the past, a “For Sale” sign would go into the ground, the basic information went into the Multiple Listing Service, and then there was an occasional Sunday classified ad and an “open house”. If the house did not sell right away, the agent might recommend a price reduction.

Agents today are much more sophisticated and pro-active about getting people into their homes. They rely on computers, direct mail, telemarketing, and just plain clever ideas that no one else has tried. Ask prospective listing agents for two things–a written analysis of what is happening with housing prices in your area and a marketing plan which outlines how they would get your home from “For Sale” to “Sold”.

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Picture this…

Your house has been on the market for four weeks. There have been a lot of showings but no offers, so you are wondering if you should consider a price reduction. You want to get as much as you can for your home, but more importantly you want it to sell!

This may be the time to have a frank discussion with your real estate agent. While price may be a major factor, it may not be the only consideration. Are you making your house easy for agents to show? Have you completed the necessary maintenance and cleaning so that your property is as appealing as possible? Review with your agent the current market conditions and the prices of other homes in your neighborhood before determining that a price reduction is in order.

Even though your price may be competitive, the marketplace may be telling you that buyers just won’t pay what you would like to get. If all indicators point to a price reduction, it is better to do it sooner rather than later.

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Before you list your home for sale, take a careful look around. Are there some items you will want to take with you? There may be a dining room chandelier that has been in your family for three generations, a ceiling fan in the master bedroom, or the bookcases in the den that look built-in but are not.

Normally all fixtures are conveyed to the new owners when a house is sold. This includes anything that is attached to walls or ceilings and, in some areas, all major appliances that are installed in the house. If you have fixtures that you don’t want to convey, tell your agent what you want excluded from the agreement at the time you list your property for sale.

If it is convenient, it is best to remove any light fixtures or ceiling fans you plan to take with you and replace them before the property is shown to prospective buyers. List all items that are not being sold with the house on your home fact sheet to ensure that they will not become an issue when a buyer makes an offer.

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When your home is being shown, you want prospective buyers to feel good as soon as they step into the living room. It pays to give special attention to maximizing the amount of light in your home because dark homes are depressing to many people. When prospective buyers give real estate agents feedback on the homes that we show, they often cite a light, airy feeling as a major attraction.

Begin your preparation for showing your home by cleaning the windows and curtains thoroughly. Open the drapes and blinds to let the sunshine in. Even on a bright day it helps to turn on some lights in the main rooms of the house. If you are using shades or heavy drapes to eliminate a less-than-perfect view, you may want to consider replacing them with translucent curtains in a light color. Sunshine definitely helps to sell homes!

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No matter how much storage space a home provides, most people feel that it’s never enough. Buyers typically place storage space high on their list of priorities for a new home. Sellers must often face the minor indignity of having prospective buyers open all of their closets to determine the size and capacity of each one.

Even an enormous closet looks small if it is cluttered. Your closets should be as organized as possible while your property is on the market. If you have excess belongings stuffed in your closets, hold a yard sale, rent a storage unit temporarily, or make a tax deductible donation to a local charity. When you finish cleaning and organizing all of your closets, move on to the other storage areas. Your home’s storage spaces will look more impressive if they are neat and well-organized.

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Ideally, real estate agents want the properties we market to look spotless, but even the most impeccable housekeepers find it difficult to keep the house in prime showing condition all the time.

Keeping the beds perpetually made, dishes washed, bathrooms spotless and the closets neat is a lot of work. Is it worth it? Yes, it is — if you want to get your house sold in a reasonable amount of time for the best price.

Often when buyers see normal household clutter, what registers is “this place hasn’t been maintained.” They see bathtub rings and think “plumber’s bills.” They see lint under the refrigerator and grease on the electric range and imagine having to replace all of the appliances. It isn’t particularly logical, but people often respond with their feelings when buying a house. When making their final selection, buyers may be going on emotion and adrenaline rather than reason and logic. You can help your real estate agent by minimizing the amount of imagination they will need to fall in love with your home.

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Some things are hard to measure, and others are easy. Success in a real estate sale is easy. It occurs when the “SOLD” sign is in your front yard. And having that occur as quickly as possible is the goal of every real estate agent and every home seller.

You have undoubtedly heard that old saying about the “hard way” and the “easy way” to do something. The hard way to get the “SOLD” sign up is to try and sell it yourself. The easy way is to use the services of a real estate sales professional, someone who is not only trained to get it sold, but to get as much for your home as the market will bear.

Remember, the agent doesn’t get paid until your home is “SOLD”. And the amount they earn in commission is dependent upon the amount of the sale. That’s a lot of genuine motivation to do the job right. Save yourself headaches and frustration when you are ready to sell–call a professional real estate agent.

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