May 21, 2013 | Home Selling Tips
It can be very difficult to determine what your property is worth in the current marketplace, because you are biased by what the property is worth to you. These emotions can get in the way of impartially evaluating a property and often cause sellers to overprice their home.
When pricing your property, you need to be objective and reasonable so you can come up with a selling price that will capture the interest of buyers.
Here are a few examples of common mistakes people make when pricing their house for sale.
Reading Too Much Into Online Comparable Properties
Avoid relying too much on online pricing information of sold houses. They can be a perfect place to start for getting a general idea of how much real estate is worth, but they are not always accurate.
Overestimating The Market
Don’t assume that you can sell your house for the same price at which you purchased it. Unless you bought your house a few weeks ago, the real estate market may have changed — sometimes significantly — and the purchase price will not reflect the appropriate pricing for today. (more…)
May 15, 2013 | Home Selling Tips
Everyone knows that first impressions are important. By carefully staging your home, you can positively influence the feelings your potential buyers have when they are viewing the property.
Staging is the art of decorating and arranging the spaces within your house to make it more appealing to buyers. If you can adapt the rooms to create an attractive and welcoming zone that home buyers can see themselves in, they will be more likely to buy your property.
One of the most important rooms to stage is the living room, because it is such a central part of the house. This is where a lot of the social activity occurs, so it should appear comfortable and welcoming.
Here are some tips to keep in mind when staging your living room before the next showing of your home:
- Clear out the clutter. The most important step is to de-clutter, because a mess will turn off potential buyers. Clear away any papers, toys and other items to make your living room as clean and minimalist as possible.
- Go zen. The main purpose of a living room is for relaxation, so make the space look as comfortable as possible. Try a soft throw on the sofa, plush cushions and a big chair that is just begging you to come curl up with a book.
- Strategically place furniture. Arrange the living room furniture to create areas of conversation, such as two sofas facing each other with a low coffee table in the middle. (more…)
May 14, 2013 | Home Selling Tips
When deciding to sell a piece of Massachusetts real estate, there are certain things you must disclose about the property to the buyer before the sale can go through.
Disclosure laws are put in place to protect the buyer from unknowingly purchasing defective property. Not disclosing certain information about the property can jeopardize the sale, or worse, invite a lawsuit.
This has become more of an issue lately as some sellers are tempted to gloss over deficiencies in the home they are selling in order to try to get a higher sales price. In fact, a recent poll of real estate agents showed that 75% of agents ranked non-disclosure among the “top three current and future issues.”
What You May Need To Disclose
The main items that need to be disclosed are any defects with the home. This includes, but is not limited to, plumbing problems, water leaks, cracks in the foundation, insect infestations and toxic materials in the home — such as lead, asbestos, carbon monoxide or mold.
Be sure to fully disclose anything that may be pertinent to the buyer before purchase. Some disclosure laws include reporting issues with neighbors and whether the home has a criminal or notorious past.
If you are unsure about some information regarding your real estate, one option would be to state that you do not know that specific information. Remember though, if you knowingly withhold information, it may cause the sale to fall through or could be used against you in a lawsuit.
Does It Make Sense To Have A Pre-Inspection Done?
Sellers can also have their home inspected prior to placing the property on the market to prevent any surprises of unknown problems with the home. This way, defects can be fixed before listing the property, and the disclosure form can state the problem has been fixed. Buyers will almost surely want an inspection prior to closing, and a pre-inspection may suffice. (more…)
Apr 19, 2013 | Home Selling Tips
Selling a house in the current market can be tricky, but there are certain mistakes an owner can make that will cause a Worcester County area home to sit still without a decent offer and cause the listing to go stale.
In order to prevent that from happening, make sure you are not making one of the following mistakes when putting your property on the market.
Overpricing
While your home may hold sentimental value, many times that value does not translate into dollars.
Be realistic about your asking price and know the details about your current market.
Look at the list price of similar houses on the market to get a rough idea of what you should ask for your property.
Make special note of the actual closing sales price as well as the time on market and listing to sales price ratio.
A licensed real estate agent can provide these details as well as give you their expert opinion based on experience and comparable properties.
Neglecting Repairs
Glaring problems with a property will cause the buyer to think the home was not properly maintained.
While it may cost some money, repairing things like holes in the walls, broken light fixtures or missing tiles can change a buyer’s entire attitude about a property.
Ask for help if you aren’t comfortable doing these things yourself.
A real estate professional will have a whole list of qualified referrals who they trust to help you get things fixed up.
Ignoring Curb Appeal
Overgrown and unweeded yards can cause potential buyers to drive right by.
Also, having junk in the front of your house or peeling paint can deter someone from considering the property.
Step across the street and take an honest look at your house – and then make necessary adjustments.
Fixing these items may be as easy as one weekend day of clean up and a little elbow grease.
And even though it’s not expensive to fix these issues, it can make thousands of dollars difference in the sale of your home.
Creating Or Allowing Foul Odors
Odorous foods, pet dander and the smell of smoke can be extremely distasteful to buyers.
Even if you are used to the smell, others entering your house will not be.
Make sure you air out the house, smoke only outdoors, and put away the litter boxes before an open house or showing.
Also, ask someone who isn’t at your home often to come in and give it a smell test.
Brutal honesty here might hurt a little bit, but it’s a lot better than allowing this problem to prevent a quicker sale of your home.
Without even realizing they’re sabotaging a potential sale, homeowners can make several mistakes when first trying to sell their home.
To find out what you can do to make your property really stand out to potential buyers, contact me, I can introduce to some of the finest Real Estate Professionals in our area. 978-728-5104
