Selling Your Home Category

Does your home have more than its share of dust bunnies? Do you have a “noticeable” kitty litter box and closets whose contents tumble toward your feet when opened? If you are planning to sell your home, please don’t be offended by your real estate agent’s suggestions about what you should do to prepare your home for the market.

One of the major challenges that sellers face is keeping their home in top showing condition while it is on the market. Many sellers have difficulty incorporating this necessity into their already busy lives. In such situations we strongly recommend that you get professional help.

If you already have a cleaning person, you may want to increase the cleaning frequency. Remember that not all buyers want to use their imagination to visualize a well-kept home. They usually react emotionally to exactly what they see, rather than to the possibilities that your home represents. If your home looks like it will require a lot of work, buyers may elect to keep looking.

For most sellers, the goal is to get the home sold as quickly as possible, and for the best price. Hiring a professional cleaner can pay high dividends.

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Real estate agents typically want the properties we market to look spotless and wonderful. However, the sellers eventually find that keeping their house in prime showing condition begins to wear thin after a few weeks for even the most impeccable housekeepers.

It is a lot of work to keep the beds perpetually made, the kitchen and bathrooms spotless and closets neat. Is it worth the effort? It is–if you want to sell your house for top dollar in a reasonable amount of time. Buyers often see normal clutter, and what registers is “this house hasn’t been maintained.” They see bathtub rings and think “plumber’s bills.” Dirt under the radiators causes them to imagine having to replace the entire heating and air conditioning system. People are often functioning more on emotion than logic when selecting a house. You can help your broker by minimizing the amount of imagination that buyers will need in order to fall in love with your home.

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Real estate agents are often asked “What is the best way to show and sell a home?” Almost every agent can tell you a story about meeting with a prospective seller who has just completed a lot of work to prepare their home for the market. It can be difficult for a real estate agent to tell the seller that their renovations were not the best changes to effectively market their home.

If you are considering making any improvements prior to selling your home, the best advice is to consult with your agent before you make any changes. An experienced real estate agent can provide you with information that can help you decide what kind of improvements will set the stage for a sale. Whether it is paint and wallpaper, remodeling the bathrooms, or updating the kitchen, your real estate agent can guide you toward “neutral” choices which can assist the buyer’s imagination.

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Most buyers rate an attractive kitchen very high on their priority list when they are looking for a new home. The layout of the kitchen, the amount of counter space and storage, and the age and overall condition of the appliances are all important to them. The kitchen area is basically viewed as the center of nourishment and an important place of family interaction.

Take a discriminating look at your kitchen and consider what you can do to make it a real asset. Repair any plumbing leaks or broken appliances. Scrub the room thoroughly, paying special attention to the range and oven. Clean the refrigerator and place a box of baking soda inside to absorb odors. Simple improvements can sometimes work wonders. Hang some colorful pot holders over the stove or install a new stainless steel or copper exhaust hood. Brighten the windows with new curtains and clear all clutter off the countertops.

You don’t need a brand new, high-tech kitchen to impress buyers, but do whatever you can to make your kitchen look as efficient and well-maintained as possible.

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It is the little things–both positive and negative–that can make a big difference to prospective buyers. Pay close attention to detail when you prepare your home to sell.

Before you list your home, go through the house with a careful eye. Fix any loose door knobs, popped screen doors, and loose grout around the tub and shower. A coat of fresh paint can work wonders to dress up a house. Wash the windows, hang a healthy plant from the bathroom skylight, and clean out the closets. Arrange the furniture to make the room look larger. If the rooms look cluttered, put your extra furniture into storage. You can brighten up a room by increasing the wattage of the light bulbs.

Going the extra mile to showcase your home will pay significant dividends when it’s time to show it to buyers.

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Although your real estate agent is responsible for marketing your property, it requires a joint effort to get your home sold.

How can you empower your agent? It is very important that you feel absolutely confident in your agent’s ability to produce results–no matter what the market is like in your area! This may sound like stating the obvious, but it is important to let your real estate agent know you trust them to get the job done. Support that trust by putting a realistic price tag on the property and keeping it in prime showing condition. Work out showing agreements that will make it easy for agents to preview or show your home. Meet periodically to discuss any feedback from buyers who have seen your home to determine how you can improve its appeal.

Don’t hesitate to share any ideas you may have about marketing your home. I will try anything that works, and have received some very good suggestions from clients.

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When you get serious about selling your home, the chances of your selling it quickly for top dollar will improve considerably if you list it with a real estate sales professional. If you doubt this, consider the fact that eight out of ten homes sold today–more in some markets–are listed with a professional real estate agent.

Listing your home places it on the local Multiple Listing Service that is subscribed to by a majority of real estate sales professionals. Through the MLS listing, your home is assured of getting the widest possible exposure to the market place.

Some buyers shop the home market on their own, but most save time and money by using the services of a real estate sales professional. Ask yourself which homes the real estate agent is going to show the prospective buyers–homes listed on the MLS or those that are not?

If you still want to try to sell your own home, be aware that you will face stiff competition when it comes to attracting qualified buyers!

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Timing can sometimes be difficult if you have to sell a home before you can buy another one. Most people need the equity from the sale of their first home for the down payment on the new house. If your present home goes on the market first, you may be concerned that it will sell before you find the one you want to buy. On the other hand, if you find the perfect home before your present home is under contract, the sellers may be reluctant to accept your offer, and you may be too nervous to sign a contract.

It is a good idea to sit down with a good real estate agent for some professional advice before you begin your search. It will probably be necessary to be flexible on the closing date, because it can be easier to find a home that you want to buy than to sell your present home. After finding the house you want, you can ask the lender about arranging a short-term bridge loan that can make the purchase possible before you sell your current residence.

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If you are trying to sell your home quickly, some real estate agents may recommend that you offer a bonus to the agent who brings in the buyer. They feel that a monetary incentive will cause an agent to push your house over the one down the street. Do such bonuses work?

You cannot expect a bonus to sell an overpriced house or overcome housekeeping shortcomings that detract from your home’s overall appeal. If your house looks great and is priced right, offering a bonus to the real estate agent could help it sell more quickly. Agents earn their reputations by helping people find homes that they love. When deciding which homes to show prospective buyers, their decision will be based on whether the home will meet their needs. If the Multiple Listing Service indicates that a bonus is being offered, it could encourage more agents to preview the house and result in more showings.

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Having your house on the market involves a certain invasion of your privacy. Real estate agents will be previewing it and showing it to buyers with some regularity. While you want to make your home reasonably accessible to the real estate professionals and their prospects, you don’t want to run the risk of stepping out of your shower just as a broker is ushering in buyers.

In many areas real estate agents use a handy little tool of the trade called a “lock box”. When a property is occupied, the agent first calls to let the owner know when they will be coming by. If no one is at home, the agent can get into the house with a key stored in the lock box.

The other extreme of accessibility is to require a day’s notice before a showing, and to insist that your real estate agent be present at each one. This will eliminate a lot of the inconvenience to you, but it may also eliminate a lot of showings of your house. Whatever arrangements you work out, keep in mind that the easier you make it for real estate agents to open and show your home, the easier it will be to sell it quickly.

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