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When it's time to MOVE
Whether you have an empty
nest, or are just starting out
Here's how you get started.....
1) Has anyone ever accused you
of being a packrat? If so, it's time to clear away the clutter. Have a
garage sale, rent a storage space and get yourself down to the bare minimum.
2) Once your home is free of all
excess stuff, take a look at the walls and flooring. Are there
fingerprints, stains, marks, etc.? If so, paint is one of the most cost
effective ways to get top dollar, followed by flooring/carpeting. Of
course, some touch up paint and carpet cleaning might be all that's
necessary, if anything.
3) Look at your house as you
drive up and walk up to the front door pretending that you never saw it and
are considering it as your future home. How is the lawn, landscaping,
paint, trim...
Stand by the front door for a
couple of minutes (like buyers with an agent opening a lockbox may do) and
look around. Is it inviting, fresh and well taken care of or is there
chipping paint, weeds & bare dirt in the "flower bed" ? All of these
details go into potential buyers minds either consciously or unconsciously
and play a major part in their decision about which home is the best value.
4) Clean everything until it
sparkles; especially kitchen, bathrooms and windows.
5) Call me. I'll prepare a
market analysis that shows all of the market activity in your neighborhood
including homes "for sale", and "sold" as well as the homes that didn't
sale. We'll preview your home, go over the entire sales process and
review the market analysis to determine the best asking price for your home.
This will give you the
opportunity to meet me and ask any questions you may have.
There is no cost for this
meeting, nor is there any obligation.
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Is it better to change the
carpet and paint now or offer an allowance for the buyers to do it?
Although the
buyers may have a different idea of what they want, when the first
impression is of fresh paint and carpeting, this is a first impression
of a home taken care of. That makes it seem more valuable than a
home that has an undetermined number of repairs necessary right from the
beginning.
To you, that means
that by investing some inconvenience and a few thousand dollars in paint
and carpet (if needed), you'll avoid tens of thousands of dollars
in price reductions and weeks or months of extra marketing time waiting
for those special buyers who can "look past" the necessary repairs.
Many sellers as
well as agents are truly surprised to find out how many buyers do
not have the ability to see past a dirty wall, stained carpet or stray
clothes, paper or clutter.
What about those
companies that advertise
to put the house on the MLS
for a small fee?
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