| Home | Qualifications | Action Plan for Buyers |
Action Plan
for Sellers |
Maps | Home Search | Open Houses | Interest Rates | Payments Calculator | Freddie Mac Calculations |
|
1. My first suggestion before you start showing your house is to
rent a storage
unit. You are going to be moving any
way, so why not get stated early. You have to
de-clutterize your house. You want pathways open in your
house and by storing unnecessary items you will be making your house look larger
and more open. An furnished house usually sells more quickly than an unfurnished
house, and one that is not cluttered sells more quickly than one which is.
This process not only will help you sell your house but it will save you time
later on when you have to move. One other point here, you will be having open
houses and don't want to lose valuable items - store those items and you won't
have to worry about someone with sticky fingers. 2. Price your house correctly. If it is priced too high you will be attracting buyers who are looking homes which are worth more than yours. All you will be accomplishing is making the other houses in that price range look like a better deal. You will also make the houses in your neighborhood priced correctly look like a better deal. Real estate agents with houses in this area priced appropriately will love you. But your goal is not to have other agents like you, it is to sell your house. Click on "What is your house worth" in the menu to the left. 3. Do a home inspection to see what the "buyer" will be seeing. I can provide you with inspection forms. Fix as many problems as you can. One or two obvious problems will make a potential buyer start asking, "what else is wrong with this house". This doesn't mean remodel the whole house, but sometimes some minor remodeling is necessary. Check out the "what remodeling costs vs. what you will get back out of the project when you sell section above" (recovery-remodeling). You will be required to fill out the state disclosure form before you sell so now would be a good time to fill it out. |
Buyer Information
Finance Information
Selling A Home
|
|
4. Clean and organize - Potential buyers look at a house and ask, "Will I feel at home here"? If the house is very clean and things are in the right places it will make people feel comfortable. Clean all the windows and open all the blinds, we want an open sunny look to the house. 5. Curb Appeal - good show, great idea. The first impression your house will make is when the potential buyers pull up in front of the house. If you don't have the time to get your yard in shape then hire a lawn/landscaping service. Get several bids, but get the weeds out, make the house look nice from the outside. If things need painting then paint them, but with neutral colors.6. Make things neutral (not boring). My wife painted out dining room purple, it is very pretty. If we decide to sell we will probably paint it in a neutral color. Why? Because "neutral" means it doesn't offend anyone's color tastes. Neutral colors tend to be lighter and make rooms appear to be larger. Make sure rooms that are connected are the same color, it gives the appearance of making the entire area flow together and seem to be larger. Neutral also means smell, if you have pets which have created odor problems or have other house problems which cause odor, correct it as soon as possible. You can have the neatest house in the world but if it smells it isn't going to sell. 7. The four most important areas in the house to make an impression on buyers: (1) The front exterior (curb appeal) (2) the entryway (3) Kitchen (4) Bathrooms. If you have to prioritize expenses make these your most important areas. 8. Staging your house. You've already got rid of clutter, now arrange everything in your house so the house will appear large, open, and well lighted. (a) Spread furniture (easy to do now that some of the extra furniture is being stored). (b) Don't group things to close together and avoid the straight line effect. (c) Put large furniture against large walls so that it doesn't look crowded. (d) Keep large furniture away from doorways and walkways. It should not block the traffic flow and make the area appear small. (e) In small rooms angle furniture on corners to make the area appear larger. (f) Use area rugs to define an area, not just fill in the middle of the room. (g) If an area doesn't have a light or window access get one. Borrow lights from friends or relatives, but when people come into your house it needs to be well lit. (h) Closets should also be neat and uncluttered. You don't want someone to look at a crowded closet and say. My cloths won't fit in there. (i) Flowers and Plants - Absolutely, inside and out. (j) Unless you have to, don't move out all the furniture. An empty house isn't as comfortable and also gives the appearance that you are desperate to sell. (k) Smell is important - Use flowers which smell pleasant, bake cookies or canned cinnamon rolls just before open houses, use cleaning solutions with lemon smell, and make sure there is no pet smell (clean litter boxes, etc)
9. Open Your House - If you want to sell, you need to get people into your house. That means allowing people to come in with short notice. If you make it difficult for people to see it, you won't have as many potential buyers. Keep your house clean and neat at all times and tell your realtor that you want it shown on the buyers schedule. Some buyers only have certain times they are available so make it convenient. Keep valuables locked up if you want to keep them.
|