Category: Sellers

To sell your house faster in a buyer’s market, there are a few things that you could do. Here are 9 home improvement techniques to help you sell your house more quickly.

1. Make sure you sell your house at the right price

I know it’s very difficult to sell your house for less than what you bought it for a few years ago. It’s even harder if you’re upside down on your home loan.  But you can’t insist on an unrealistic price if you want to sell your house in a down market. Although you can’t compete with banks that are selling foreclosed homes, you’ll be in a much better position to compete against other sellers who aren’t as flexible on price.

2. Remove clutter from your house

No one wants to buy a messy rat hole. So make sure your house is clean and organized. Remove as much clutter as you can, even if you have to store your stuff in storage. You can get an idea of how your house should look by browsing through magazines or even IKEA catalog. And here are some general tips to help guide you:

• Tables, desks, and countertops should be mostly clear to show as much surface space as possible.
• Remove family photos from walls, shelves, and fireplace mantle (if you have one). You want the potential buyers to picture themselves living in the house, not looking at your family history.
• Remove any unnecessary furniture and put it into storage to give your house more living space.
• Remove unnecessary electronics, extension cords, and power strips. Most buyers don’t care about your mega entertainment system. And you don’t want it to be obvious that your electrical system is old and lacking.
• Remove clothing from your closets and put it into storage to make the closets feel bigger.
• Remove all the extra clutter throughout the house to make it feel bigger and more spacious. You will sell your house faster!

3. Improve your house curb appeal

First impression means a lot, and when you are trying to sell your house the name of the game is curb appeal. The goal here is not to spend a lot of money to improve your house, rather you’re trying to do inexpensive things (that may require some sweat equity) to improve the appearance of your house. You want your house to look better than other houses in the area and in a “move in ready” condition. You will sell your house faster than your neighbors with a little curb appeal.

Here are a few things you could do to improve your house curb appeal:

• Trim hedges and mow your lawn.
• Clean all windows and surfaces.
• Repaint walls, doors, and trims in neutral colors.
• Replace old window blinds or drapes, and update the window treatments.
• Power wash or paint the exterior.

4. Fix problems around the house

Now go throughout the house room by room, and take notes of all the things that need fixing. Little things matter and they could turnoff your buyers. Remember, you are trying to sell a dream house to someone. If you noticed them, the buyer will too. Take the time to go around and fix those things one by one. Remember that fixing these small problems doesn’t have to be expensive, but it will take time and effort.

5. Learn the Art of House Staging

House staging is not de-cluttering and cleaning. House staging goes beyond that and happens after the steps above. It involves much less tangible things that include:

• Making the house smells fresh and airy. Some will even go as far as baking cookies before a showing to give the house a pleasant aroma.
• Making sure the temperature is right. You want the potential buyer to feel comfortable.
• Making sure rooms are properly lit by adjusting the window treatments and turning on/off lights.
• Arranging pieces of furniture in an appealing manner.
• Putting vases of fresh flowers on tables, or a small fruit basket on the dinning table.
• Showcasing various fabrics, decors, and knickknacks.
• Arranging items on shelves, bookcases and fireplace mantels to draw attention to predetermined areas.

6. Get a good real estate agent to help you sell your house

In general, it’s better to work with a real estate agent than trying to sell the house on your own. It’s their full time job to find buyers and show your house. This is harder than it looks and it’s generally better to leave this to the pro. Remember, you’re not just trying to show everyone that you have a great house, but you want ton actually sell it!

7. Be creative

This is a buyer’s market, but even so, a house is still very expensive for most people. If you have a buyer that needs help to close the deal, consider offering some sort of incentives to make the deal happens. For example, you can offer to cover some parts of the closing costs. This works especially well with first time home buyers.

9. Don’t be there!

When your real estate agent is trying to show and sell your house through an open house, leave the house. It’s uncomfortable for you to have strangers in your home, and likewise, it’s uncomfortable to be in other people’s home. So why create any more tension? Leave the house and let your real estate agent takes care of business. Let your buyers look around at their leisure without your scrutiny.

Selling your house in a down market isn’t easy, but you can do some work to make your chances better.  In the end your house will show better, and you’ll be able to sell your house that much quicker. For more information, please contact us.

Bright and early Saturday morning a real estate agent with prospective buyer in tow pulls into your driveway. As you cordially approach to greet them, the prospective buyer puts down his tool box and ladder, then extends his hand to greet you. The tool box reveals the following items:

• flash light

• ice pick

• magnet

• marble

• electrical tester

• binoculars

• compass

Your heart sinks. This buyer is up to something but you have no idea what. You rightly suspect that whatever it is, it may likely result in an offer lower than you’d like. Fortunately, this uncomfortable situation is avoidable. Had you prepared in advance, you’d have welcomed the inspection, knowing the purpose for all the items:

• 6-foot stepladder: attic access

• flash light: crawl space and attic inspection

• ice pick: to indicate wood rot and termite infestation

• magnet: to determine if plumbing pipes are iron

• marble: to note if the floors are relatively level

• electrical tester: for checking electrical ground connection, particularly in kitchen    and bathroom

• binoculars: for a closer look at the roof and roof-mounted structures

• compass: to determine the building’s exposure (helpful in evaluating various structural elements and components)

Before any potential buyer inspects your home, go beyond the obvious tasks of cleaning out closets, drawers, and removing extra furniture. Inspect items and areas you may have overlooked, such as interior and exterior walls, electrical switches and outlets, crawlspace, attic, foundation, plumbing, roof and roof structures. To get the highest offer possible, you have to learn how to prepare your Orlando home for sale.

Below is a checklist designed to systematically draw your attention to often overlooked items. This is not a complete list, nor is it designed to replace the services of a competent home inspector. We strongly urge you to educate yourself regarding home inspection and obtain the services of a professional inspector in the Orlando area. A home inspector will check all areas of interest and recommend needed repairs. You won’t have to worry about what a potential buyer might find and use to his advantage. You yourself can prepare your Orlando home for sale.

Worthwhile Repairs

Making small but necessary repairs will increase the value of your home and help you get a good offer. Making last-minute capital improvements, such as adding a room, probably won’t be economical and is not a great way to prepare your home for sale. Capital improvements may be economical, however, when improving the kitchen or bathroom. Ask your real estate agent about which repairs and improvements are worthwhile.

Pre-Sale Inspection Checklist

When your inspection, organizing, preparing, cleaning, polishing and repairing of the following items is complete, check it off.

Interior

___ Windows, Doors and Door Frames

___ Floors

___ Carpets

___ Ceilings

___ Paint and Wallpaper

___ Light Fixtures, Wall Switches and Plugs

___ Kitchen Cabinets, Exterior

___ Kitchen Cabinets, Interior

___ Kitchen Appliances

___ Kitchen Counters

___ Bathroom Counters and Wall Fixtures

___ Bathroom Plumbing Fixtures

___ Bathroom Tile, Ceilings, Walls & Floor

___ Mirrors

___ Fireplaces & Heaters

___ Crawl Space – Overhead and Under the House

___ Basement

___ Stairs

___ Attic

___ Closets & Pantry

Exterior

___ Paint, Color, Siding and Trim

___ Porches

___ Decks

___ Gutters

___ Roof

___ Windows

___ Doors

___ Garage or Carport

___ Garbage Cans and Garbage Can Space

___ Rubbish & Refuse

___ Outdoor Sheds

___ Pool or Spa

Foundation and Infrastructure

___ Foundation

___ Supports

___ Slab

___ Plumbing & Pipes

___ Heating, Furnace, Air Conditioning

___ Electrical

___ Water Heater

___ Water

Safety Issues & Devices

___ Detectors

___ Asbestos

___ Lead, Formaldehyde, Radon

Landscaping

___ View

___ Boundaries & Fences

___ Walls

___ Soil

___ Ponds

___ Driveways & walkways

___ Landscaping

___ Drainage

___ Sewer & Septic

Additional Considerations

The first impression is the most important. Make the front of your home a standout in every way. Take a little extra time to prepare this part of your home. The living areas must be open, spacious, well lighted and fresh smelling. Remove and rearrange furniture as needed, turn on the lights, open a window and bake an apple pie! The kitchen must appear, above all else, spacious and spotless. Store some of your overflow to make the shelves look roomier. Grind a lemon peel in the garbage disposal. Master bedroom and bath must give the impression of space and flow. Thin your closets and remove all extra furniture. Create enough space so that a potential buyer can imagine filling it with their own possessions.

Don’t forget to ask your real estate agent for additional tips on “staging” and decorating! If you learn how to properly prepare your Orlando home for sale, you will likely reward yourself with higher offers. Contact us today for more information on preparing your Orlando area home for sale.

It’s tough to keep your Orlando home in top-notch, showing condition all the time. Kids, pets, and your own living habits tend to create messes. Also, the real estate agent’s call informing you that he’s coming by with a potential buyer often comes at the last minute. So you need to take a moment to learn how to show your Orlando home.

Here is a list of last-minute items to attend to between the real estate agent’s call and his arrival to show your home.

1. Clean up all messes around the house.
2. Clean and put away dirty dishes.
3. Clear tables of un-necessary items.
4. Send kids and pets outside to play, or have them visit a neighbor. You should also be prepared to step out for a few minutes. It is better if you are not at home while it is being shown.
5. Turn off your appliances, including the tv and radio.
6. Turn on quite a few lights. Your home will appear brighter and the shadows will be reduced. During the day, open curtains and blinds. At night, turn on any outside lights.
7. Close your garage door.
8. Put away kid’s toys.
9. Open some windows unless there are noise considerations. (Weather permitting).
10. Remove any ashtrays and evidence of tobacco.
11. Eliminate any bad or stale odors. Use air freshener, especially if you smoke, have pets, or the house has been sealed for some time. Gingerbread cooling in the oven is a great touch! Other good fragrances are cinnamon and spices.
12. In Winter, light a fire in the fireplace. In Summer, have the wood stacked neatly beside the fireplace.
13. Be sure your plants have been watered and look healthy. If not, remove them.
14. It is best to leave your home whenever possible. If you can’t leave, greet your guests politely and retreat to another room. By staying out of the way, your real estate agent can expertly show prospective buyers around, answer their questions, and more effectively sell your home.

By following these guidelines on how to show your home, you’ll know you’ve done your part in helping to elicit an offer for your home. This may help you receive a better offer and a quicker offer!

Contact us for additional tips on how to show your Orlando home!