Apr 21, 2015 | Home Seller Tips
Depending on where you live, selling your house in the spring could take a few weeks to a few months. Although people are in the market to buy a home all throughout the year, spring time appeals to buyers who may be planning to use an income tax refund to help with the down-payment or closing costs. If you want to sell fast make sure you pay attention to the details like curb appeal, freshening the interior, and pricing your home right.
Curb Appeal Basics
Selling your home quickly in the spring depends on a buyer’s first impression when they see your house. If you want to sell in the first couple of weeks it is on the market make sure to clean up debris that has collected and plant some flowers for a pop of color. You may also want to power wash the exterior and touch up paint around windows and doors to help get top dollar for your home.
Clear Out The Clutter
Freshening the interior of your home will give buyers an opportunity to imagine their own belongings in the house. Over the holidays you and the children may have collected new items that need to be packed away and stored out of sight. Once the clutter is cleared out make sure to clean the windows and baseboards to offer spring buyers a fresh clean view of your home.
Sell For The Right Price
Pricing your home right for the spring market is essential to make a quick sale. You may even want to set the price below market value to bring in multiple offers and drive the price up. If you are looking for a quick closing make sure your real estate agent uses this as a bargaining tool with potential buyers.
So how long should it take you to sell your house in the spring? It really depends on the market in your area and how well you prepare your house in advance. Curb appeal will make sure buyers stop in at your open house instead of driving by because the yard looks trashy. Giving the interior of your home a clean non-cluttered look will also help buyers envision a move in ready home. Finally, pricing your home in line with comparable homes in your neighborhood will help ensure you get the right buyer quickly so you can move on to a new adventure.
Apr 7, 2015 | Home Seller Tips
One of the more common steps that homeowners will take when preparing to list their home for sale involves repainting the walls. Walls can easily give the home a worn, drab look when they have visible signs of dirty, smudgy fingerprints and other unsightly blemishes.
While repainting the walls can have a whitewashing effect that instantly makes the home look cleaner, brighter and more appealing, the color combinations that you choose for your home should be considered with care. You have a rainbow of possibilities for your space when preparing your home for sale, but you want to choose colors that will have broad or universal appeal to buyers and that will showcase your home in the best possible light.
Neutral or Muted Hues are Ideal
Many homeowners love to paint their walls stylish or trendy colors, and they may dislike the banal look of beige walls throughout their home. While this may or may not be what you prefer for your home, keep in mind that you are trying to transform your home so that it has broad appeal to the buyers. The colors you choose should not reflect personal taste or preference. Instead, they should be selected based on colors that may be more likely to appeal to most and that may go well with the color of furnishings most already own. Neutral or muted hues are ideal. These lighter colors can also make smaller rooms seem larger, and they can make your entire home seem cleaner.
Avoid Bold, Dramatic Color Combinations
You may have some colors on your walls that you absolutely love, and you may be sad to see them go. However, when you have a bold, dramatic color combination in a room, a buyer may instantly be taken aback by such an intense color scheme. The buyer’s attention may then be focused on your interior design efforts rather than on the home itself, and this is not beneficial to your goal of selling your home. In addition, some may love your bold choices, but many may not. They may think about how those colors would not go well with their furnishings, and they may instantly start thinking about how they would need to work hard to repaint the walls after moving in. The last thing you want is for a buyer to think about your home as needing work.
If you are preparing your home to list for sale, repainting one room or several may be at the top of your to-do list. When you are selecting your paint colors, lean toward neutral hues that may have better appeal toward a larger group of home buyers.
Mar 26, 2015 | Home Seller Tips
Your home may be one of your largest assets, and you certainly want to take steps to get the highest price possible for it when you list it on the market to sell. In addition, you may have plans to purchase a new home or to take other similar steps when list your home, so you may need to your house to sell quickly. Staging your home is a great way to present it in the best possible light for potential buyers to see. While there are dozens of staging tips and ideas that you may use, there are a few that are rather simple and affordable for most to complete.
Give Each Room a Single Purpose
If your home is like most, there may be several rooms that have multiple uses. For example, you may have a work desk placed in the master bedroom, or a section of the living room may be designated as a kids’ play area. While this may be functional for how your family lives, it can confuse buyers. Buyers need to be able to walk into a room and imagine their own family living in the area. They may not have a need or use for a desk in the master bedroom, and this can confuse the use of the space. In addition, it also can make a room look smaller and more cramped than it is.
De-Clutter Your Rooms
In addition to defining a single use for each room in your home, you should also de-clutter your rooms. Depending how long you have lived in your home and how significant your periodic spring cleaning sessions have been, this can be a major undertaking. As a good rule of thumb, items that have not been used in more than six months may need to be donated or tossed away. The exception to this rule is seasonal items, like winter coats, pool toys or holiday décor. Keep in mind that buyers will open cabinets, drawers and closets, so your cleaning session should be thorough and not superficial.
Pack Away Personal Belongings
A final step to take is to pack away personal belongings. Everything from religious symbols like crosses to a family photo over the mantel should be packed in boxes. Your goal is to make your home look like any family could live there rather than to make it look like your home. Only decorative items that have a broad or universal appeal should remain.
When a home is properly staged, it may feel as though your home is not your own and even as though you are camping out in your own home. Keep in mind that staging can help you to sell your home as quickly as possible and to get the highest bid possible. Therefore, your effort is well worthwhile.
Mar 3, 2015 | Home Seller Tips
There are several factors that will help you determine the value of your home when you want to sell it. Location, condition, layout, upgrades, and events relating to your home are all important when selling your home.
It’s All About Location
Anyone in real estate will tell you location, location, location is the first thing to consider when buying real estate. If your home is on a busy street, it’s going to be harder to sell unless someone is looking for that exact location.
If a buyer is looking to have a business inside the home, then having more exposure could be important. However, for a family, the most sought after location is in a cul-de-sac or dead-end street where traffic is kept to a minimum.
Your Home’s Condition Is Important
The home you are selling must be in excellent condition to ensure you get top dollar. Buyers are primarily looking for a home that is in move-in condition. If it needs painting, new flooring, a new roof, or new plumbing, it isn’t as desirable as a home that doesn’t need any work. Newer homes typically are in better condition than older homes, unless they have been well-maintained.
Your Home’s Layout
Is your floorplan functional? Most buyers prefer homes with open floorplans and ample kitchens, living areas, and bathrooms. Closets are also important as everyone needs storage space. The number of bedrooms a home has can also be important. Two bedrooms aren’t as popular or functional as three or four bedrooms. It’s also nice to have a flex room that can be a study, exercise room, or a formal dining room if need be. If a smaller home is well-designed, it can be easier to resale than a larger home.
Upgrades And Renovations
If you have an older home, but have upgraded the kitchen and bathrooms, then your home will be easier to sell. Updated appliances can also be a big plus when selling a home.
Natural Disasters And Other Events
If your home has been flooded, been through a fire, or damaged from wind or a storm, then that may cause the value to be less. If a buyer happens to talk to a neighbor who tells them a negative story, that may spook a buyer and cause them to look elsewhere.
Before putting your home on the market, you should call your real estate agent to help you with pricing. They can also suggest making repairs or changes to your home to help it sell.
Feb 4, 2015 | Home Seller Tips
Listing a property is a delicate dance. From the initial marketing to the final price negotiations, everything needs to be tailored to the type of home being sold. However, because of their main differences, this process can look very different when selling a condo versus selling a house.
Reason #1: The Homeowners Association or HOA
As all condo owners will know very well, almost all condos come with some type of HOA, or homeowners association.
The HOA generally handles common areas like swimming pools, the exterior of the building, and landscaping. Sometimes, the HOA is also responsible for holding social events throughout the year.
However, all of this comes at a few costs. The first is money; a HOA cannot operate or pay necessary expenses without charging residents a monthly fee. The second is freedom; most HOAs have rules that need to be followed.
When selling a condo, potential buyers will balance the costs of each HOA with the benefits.
Reason #2: Real Estate Investors
When selling a condo, it’s reasonable to expect a larger number of investors considering the property than when selling a home. After all, renting out condos is a big business.
As a result, selling a condo could mean a faster closing, a cash offer, or even competing bids if the condo is on prime property.
Reason #3: The Type of Buyer
Different types of buyers look at a condo versus a home. For starters, condos are generally smaller, don’t have yards, have all landscaping handled professionally, and frequently come with amenities like a swimming pool or fitness center.
While a good majority of potential buyers with children would love a swimming pool with zero maintenance, they aren’t willing to make the trade for a smaller space. This means that when selling a condo, potential buyers will generally be single adults, newly married couples, or retired professionals looking to downgrade to an easier property.
Reason #4: Location, Location, Location
Every real estate agent knows that one factor, above all others, is most important when selling a property: location. Being close to town versus far away from traffic, near downtown excitement versus in a quiet neighborhood, or near shopping centers versus on the edge of nowhere all come into play for a property’s value and desirability.
Generally speaking, condos tend to be closer to urban areas, shopping, and entertainment. This also means that their price per square foot is frequently higher. As a result, owners looking to sell their condo should carefully consult with their real estate agent about the best way to market their property and a fair listing price.
Feb 3, 2015 | Home Seller Tips
To get top dollar for your home, renovations may be necessary. However, some renovations can prove costly and they don’t always add value to your home. Here are three inexpensive renovations that are sure to improve the resale value of your home.
First Impressions Matter
Your home needs to have curb appeal. If the potential buyer doesn’t see that, it will be difficult to get the price you want. Spend money and time landscaping your yard. Pressure wash your driveway. Paint your front door. Make your porch look welcoming. If you do all of this yourself or with the help of family and friends, the costs will be reasonable.
After a prospective buyer is impressed by your nicely kept lawn, you will want to continue impressing him/her with your interior design. Buyers know what they want when it comes to the number of bedrooms and baths. You have something they want or they wouldn’t be looking at your home. Now, you need to keep their attention.
Freshening Up the Interior
Each room needs to be freshly painted in a neutral color. Old wallpaper and borders should be stripped and walls repainted. Make each room look larger by clearing any clutter. If possible, remove any unnecessary furniture and store it somewhere else. Have any carpets professionally cleaned, and be sure to polish any hardwood flooring. In the bedrooms, de-clutter your closets. Your kitchen and bathrooms should be sparkling. Clean and organize counters and cabinets. Again, most of these suggestions cost little but add great value to your home.
Upgrades
When you think of upgrades, you many automatically assume major costs with little return. However, many upgrades may be within your budget. Consider making some of these affordable upgrades to your home.
Living Areas/Family Rooms – If you’re going for a more elegant touch, add some crown molding. For a more rustic feel, add box beams. Improving the ceilings of main rooms will add value to your home.
Hardware and Fixtures – Painting and changing the hardware on your cabinet doors can change the look of a room dramatically. Add new fixtures such as lighting and doorknobs for a more updated look.
Selling your home may require you to spend a little money, but you’ll likely get the full value of your home. For more information, call a real estate agent in your area.
