10 Reasons To Use a REALTOR
- When selling your home, do it right. Be prepared for surprises like a failed inspection, erroneous survey or miscalculated associated costs.
- A home that does not sell in a reasonable length of time raises a red flag in the buyers' minds.
- You need the right paperwork and forms to protect you legally.
- "For Sale By Owners" (FSBO) ads seldom get preferred placement in the local newspaper and end up costing owners more than what a REALTOR would pay with their discounts from frequent placements.
- Simply not knowing the "how" or "why" creates unnecessary work, which can lead to costly mistakes.
- Securing a loan, locking in rates, points, terms, and types of mortgages can be confusing.
- Homeowners ten to view their home with a biased opinion, thus preventing an honest assessment of their property.
- It is much easier to speak frankly with a REALTOR than to risk insulting a potential buyer.
- Unqualified buyers can waste your time, not to mention they expose you to dangers of unscreened prospects. Don't risk it!
- Negotiations on price and other related bargaining matters can put you and all parties involved in a tense situation. Leave it to the professionals.
Preparing Your House for the Market
You know the feeling well. You see a beautiful house, and you just know that you'd like to live there. That's the feeling you want prospective buyers to feel when they see your home. The deciding factor in most home sales is the "Curb Appeal" and attractiveness of the house. Do the repairs that are necessary in order to make your home look its best. Be careful not to invest in overly-expensive or large scale improvements like room additions and new plumbing systems. Making these major repairs will only return you a fraction of their cost. It would be much better to disclose the problem and adjust the sales price accordingly. Instead, you should invest your improvement dollars are energy into cleaning and painting. You will definitely realize more cash at closing time than you will have spent for the cleaning and painting supplies!
Be as objective about your property's appearance as a buyer will be. Does that little crack in the wall really need to be fixed? Yes! It may cause doubts about how well built the house is. How your home is decorated in not as much a factor as being clean, neat, and in good repair.
The first look a prospect will have at your home is when they pull up in the driveway. Be sure the landscaping and general appearance is attractive and neat! A trimmed lawn, cut shrubbery, tress free of dead limbs, weeded flower beds, a swept and stain-free driveway, clear sidewalks and gutters, etc. will assure a pleasant first impression. Put in plenty of flowering plants. It's the easiest, least expensive way to beautify the exterior of your house.
As they approach the front door, little things mean a lot. A clean, freshly painted front door, polished door knob and knocker, clean surrounding windows, screens and window sills will all be noticed. Once inside, the senses take over. The prospective buyer will notice odors and light. If possible, open curtains and drapes, blinds and windows to brighten and freshen the house. Make sure all the rooms are clean and neat. Fingerprints, cracked plaster and clutter should be eliminated everywhere. Fresh paint and polished woodwork will always improve the look and value. Kitchen and bathrooms are the rooms that can really sell a house - or turn a buyer off. Make them sparkle! Fresh, plush towels, cut flowers or silk flower arrangements, new shower curtains, etc. will ass luxury and glamour to the most ordinary bathrooms. To make the dining room, living room, and bedrooms look big and airy, remove some furniture. The rule of thumb is to remove approximately 1/3 of your furniture. Also, consider putting away cluttery looking knick-knacks, collections, toys, and other unnecessary items. They just draw attention away from your home's other features and make the house appear smaller and messy.
Put away dishes and store counter-top appliances. Have carpets cleaned. Remove throw rugs and area carpets if possible. Visit a local model home tour for other ideas. Do everything possible to make your home look its very best. It doesn't really take mush money, just your time and energy. Get rid of the junk and anything you have stored in closets and the garage. Have a garage sale if necessary or give the stuff away to friends or charity. You will probably be glad you did it now rather than having to move it all to your new home! Turn on all lamps and chandeliers to make the house glow even in daytime. Also, whenever possible, pets and children should not be around. An important point to remember is to never have to apologize for the appearance of your home. Keep it "ready to show" all the time!
Be as objective about your property's appearance as a buyer will be. Does that little crack in the wall really need to be fixed? Yes! It may cause doubts about how well built the house is. How your home is decorated in not as much a factor as being clean, neat, and in good repair.
The first look a prospect will have at your home is when they pull up in the driveway. Be sure the landscaping and general appearance is attractive and neat! A trimmed lawn, cut shrubbery, tress free of dead limbs, weeded flower beds, a swept and stain-free driveway, clear sidewalks and gutters, etc. will assure a pleasant first impression. Put in plenty of flowering plants. It's the easiest, least expensive way to beautify the exterior of your house.
As they approach the front door, little things mean a lot. A clean, freshly painted front door, polished door knob and knocker, clean surrounding windows, screens and window sills will all be noticed. Once inside, the senses take over. The prospective buyer will notice odors and light. If possible, open curtains and drapes, blinds and windows to brighten and freshen the house. Make sure all the rooms are clean and neat. Fingerprints, cracked plaster and clutter should be eliminated everywhere. Fresh paint and polished woodwork will always improve the look and value. Kitchen and bathrooms are the rooms that can really sell a house - or turn a buyer off. Make them sparkle! Fresh, plush towels, cut flowers or silk flower arrangements, new shower curtains, etc. will ass luxury and glamour to the most ordinary bathrooms. To make the dining room, living room, and bedrooms look big and airy, remove some furniture. The rule of thumb is to remove approximately 1/3 of your furniture. Also, consider putting away cluttery looking knick-knacks, collections, toys, and other unnecessary items. They just draw attention away from your home's other features and make the house appear smaller and messy.
Put away dishes and store counter-top appliances. Have carpets cleaned. Remove throw rugs and area carpets if possible. Visit a local model home tour for other ideas. Do everything possible to make your home look its very best. It doesn't really take mush money, just your time and energy. Get rid of the junk and anything you have stored in closets and the garage. Have a garage sale if necessary or give the stuff away to friends or charity. You will probably be glad you did it now rather than having to move it all to your new home! Turn on all lamps and chandeliers to make the house glow even in daytime. Also, whenever possible, pets and children should not be around. An important point to remember is to never have to apologize for the appearance of your home. Keep it "ready to show" all the time!
