Hot Seller Tips

While we’ve all been busy out planting flowers and enjoying the spring I thought it would be fun to talk about the difference between decorating your home and staging your home for sale.

If you are not going to be selling your home in the near future, you’ve just purchased or you plan to stay a while then you’ll most likely be decorating your new dwelling. Decorating is when we create spaces that you are comfortable with and enjoy being in. That might mean that you hang your children’s awards, paint the walls in our favorite shade of color and make a music area in the “spare” room. While all of those things are great for living and should be “your style” while you intend to live in the property that is not the truth for how it should appear when you sell your home.

If you are thinking of selling the truth is it may take you several months to prepare the house for the market. Like a good play you will want to make sure that everything is perfect for when you “reveal” your home to the buyers out there. Staging a home is the process by which you prepare your home for sale and will ultimately make the buyer feel most comfortable. Did you know it only takes 8 seconds for a buyer to form their opinion of the property? Staging is a process of de-cluttering, de-personalizing, painting the walls with neutrals, clean carpets, old dated fixtures should be replaced and if you have pets it is best if you can keep them at a friend’s home until yours is sold to keep odors at bay. Staging will play up all of the best assets of the property. All of these things can be done on your own or you can hire a professional. Professional stagers know exactly how to get the most money out of the property and to help it sell quickly.

So decorating is for your comfort and enjoyment and staging is for the buyers comfort and desire to make it their own. Whatever your situation, relax, enjoy the place you are in and seek a reliable experienced professional to assist you whenever you are thinking a change might be on the horizon.

Well, we’ve been talking about selling in a buyers market and I think it’s important to talk about all of the emotional ups and downs that happen when we decide to sell our property. Even from the get go, if we are honest meeting with the Realtor can be a difficult time. We worry that they might pass some kind of judgment about our property that they might want to know too much about our financial situation that they’ll want to put a lockbox (gasp) on our home. Well, no worries… you’re normal.

Buying and selling property is one of the most stressful emotional things you can do. Having an experienced, educated Realtor who is not afraid to help educate you also, is priceless. The Realtor will know the market, they’ll help you to see the big picture and give you facts to make your decisions easier. The Realtor should be able to negotiate strongly and help separate the emotions of buyer and seller and create a win-win contract to buy and/or sell. This is a business transaction and should be treated that way.

Ok, so let’s talk about that awful feeling that someone will be forming an opinion directly about you. It is not about you personally. It is about getting your property (if you’re the seller) SOLD for the highest amount of money in the shortest amount of time. The best thing a seller can do BEFORE meeting with the Realtor is to mentally move out of your property. Realize that the small discomfort in your routine being upset is just a minor inconvenience compared to the joy you will experience when you achieve the “next step.”

A Realtor should be someone you trust enough to give a clear picture of your finances in regards to your motivation for selling and what that “next step” will be for you. They will need to have your permission to open “pre-escrow” so that you can find out ahead of time exactly what is owed against the property and make sure there are not any surprises. This can relieve loads of stress when the offer comes in because you’ll know exactly where you are from where you want to be.

Finally, a lockbox is really a beautiful thing. The lockbox has hours that can be set for access and provides a reporting system to the Realtor that is available online showing what agents have accessed the home and at what time and date. The lockboxes and their electronically monitored keys are only available to licensed approved individuals who’ve passed strict guidelines. If for some reason you still have an adverse reaction to the thought of a lockbox, talk to your Realtor… I am sure together you can come up with a plan that is more suitable for you and your situation.

So, get excited about the prospect of moving on, up, out… whatever the case may be for you. (The theme song for that old sitcom “The Jefferson’s plays in the background) Do yourself a favor and mentally move-out in preparation for the future.

One thing I’ve noticed is that sometimes do it yourself home improvement does not pay off. I mean, it is self explanatory that do it yourself would mean you did just that but it often looks like it. When a house goes on the market and the “improvements” that have been made are not well done, it can actually detract from the price of the home. Immediately buyers wonder what else was not done correctly and what other problems they may encounter.

Too many times I have seen tile that is uneven, laminate floor that is cut funny around the corners, sheetrock work that is less than easy on the eyes and paint that is on the ceiling, spattered on the moldings as well as on the intended wall area. These are things that buyers see as work and equate dollars off when they are offering on your property.

If you are not handy, and you know who you are, then you should seek the advice of a professional remodeling contractor. You wouldn’t perform your own brain surgery so why would you sacrifice one of the most important investments a person makes in their lifetime. Real Estate can be a lucrative investment if you treat is as that. Keep up the maintenance on the property, update as necessary and hire a professional when needed. The end result should be a property that is easier to market and sell with more of the bottom line in your pocket.

Well, if the longer days and warmer temperatures have you enticed by the outdoors you are not alone. Spring is here! The big super stores have natures color spots sprawling out into the parking lots, the aroma of it all is intoxicating. It makes me just want to bring it all home and plant the roots deep beneath the dark rich soil so that I can daily enjoy the beautiful bounty that is Spring. I think the flowers remind us to be thankful for the renewal and change life brings.

If there is a change for you coming soon, such as selling your home, remember that flowers evoke a feeling of freshness and energy and you too should think about sprucing up your curb appeal with an array of color. Don’t forget to trim the bushes, mow the grass and sweep the walk too. Clean and refreshing will put a buyers mind at ease and give a sense that all has been maintained and cared for.

Enjoy your weekend!

As a seasoned real estate agent you should know that I think we are seeing a change towards a buyers market.  That being said, there is still plenty of buying and selling of properties going on. 

One of the most important things sellers can do to position their home to sell quickly is to price the property competitively. 

A seller can offer incintives such as including the appliances with the home and taking advantage of the opportunity to upgrade at your new residence.  Often for first time homebuyers this is very enticing because they may be putting all of their resources into trying to get into the property in the first place. 

If the carpet is worn and the walls are dingy invest the time and money to spruce it up in neutrals.  Generally this will help to bring the value of the home up but if you don't have the funds handy or just don't want to hassle with it, offer the buyer a decorating allowance.  This will probably help a buyer to "overlook" the flaws by compensating their financial bottom line.

Make sure you have staged the property from the exterior to the inside.  Homes that have been staged typically appeal to a broader range of buyers meaning less time on the market and more money in the sellers pocket.  There are many professional staging companies who you can hire for this specific purpose.  The basics would be to de-clutter, de-personalize, organize, and play up the properties best assets.  For the exterior of the home make sure the toys, bikes, etc are all out of sight and that the grounds are mowed, bushes trimed, walkways cleaned.  Yellow flowers lend themselves to a buying mood. 

Place flowers on the table, play some light classical music, OPEN all of the blinds, curtains and window coverings and leave all of the lights on.  This will evoke a sense of brightness, cheeriness and cleanliness.

Finally, be patient.  It may take a little longer to get an offer but if you follow these tips you should receive an offer in a reasonable amount of time for a reasonable price.