Selling In Tight Markets - Timely Advice
Whether you're a seller in a "hot" housing market, or a "cooling" one, put your home's "best foot foward" to maximize saleability and return on investment. Get the most for your home. It's important to remember that buyers do judge books by their covers. Sellers, before putting your home on the market, consider a home facelift!
To make your house look as neatly presented as possible, roll up your sleeves and clean and scrub diligently. If fancy renovations and repairs that often make resale prices jump are just out of the question, one thing's for sure: a sparkling clean home is one of the finishing touches than can give your return a potential boost.
Think "curb appeal", or the details that make a model home. Bright, clean, squared-away presence. If your home has cobwebs in the eves, door has a hole and the paint on the fence is peeling, your bargaining power drops.
But, if your flowerbeds are tidy, and everything is clean and fresh and bright, you'll likely be rewarded with buyers who want to come in and see more. Why?
Because a prospective buyer can get a very clear impression of how well the home has been maintained by the first sight of it as he drives by. Clean, neat, cultivated, squared-away is everything, and curb appeal hits the buyer's hot buttons like nothing else. Think model home. When a buyer sees a model home, it makes a huge difference in what they're willing to pay.
To get your home in the best possible shape for sale, consider tackling a few of the projects below.
Find your green thumb or hire one!
A scrupulously well-kept, green lawn decorated with colorful, healthy seasonal flowers makes a great first impression -- and in the World of Real Estate, first impressions go a long way-- they can make or break you.
If the lawn and landscaping looks good, a buyer will walk into the house and be automatically in it. That first impression is a lasting one, and will carry a buyer right through the front door.
Mow the lawn and keep it mowed. Trim your shrubs-- a "buzzcut" can work wonders for making the landscaping look sharp. Weed those flowerbeds! Even a few errant weeds/grass in a flowerbed can send negative signals of neglect that you DON'T want to make the crossover to impressions about neglect of the home! A few pretty flowers can work wonders, and remember to mulch and water. Be sure that the first impression of your home is one of ongoing care.
Consider planting flowers both in beds and in containers. Don't miss the opportunity of expanding your colors and depth and sight-of-eye perspective. Using containered flowers is a great way to lead the buyer's eye. Lining porches and walkways with flowers in containers is a welcoming touch and expands your range of colors and form to create a great first impression for a buyer.
Remember, landscaping work yields a dollar-for-dollar return!
Learning to add and subtract
Hoarders listen up! Reducing clutter is essential -- less of your "stuff" means more space, and buyers like to see space. Remember, they're imagining where their "stuff" will go-- so move your's out, pronto! Piles of trunks and boxes, towers of books, shoeboxes, bags, boxes in your closet must go. Go visit Katie Hamilton, co-author of "Home Improvement for Dummies" and co-creator of Do it Yourself...or Not?, a website to help homeowners decide whether to tackle home improvements, for invaluable tips.
Ms. Hamilton advises: "Take at least half the junk in your closet out. The more you can take out the better, especially in storage spaces," she said. "That also goes for furnishings, if you're a pack rat. People have a hard enough time visualizing space as it is."
Remember, all buyers want to know they'll have plenty of room, so clean out cabinets and closets, any and all storage areas, and will appear to the buyer that there is just nothing but space!
Wipe out everything? No! There is the "coziness factor". Little touches that let the buyer know he's "home". Nothing like a pretty welcoming wreath on the door, a fresh, new welcome mat, etc. Do avoid "personal statement" types of decorations-- keep your homey touches generic and warm. Avoid humorous or off-color decorations such as, those painted wood cutouts of people bending over...
Repaint your home
A simple paint job can make a major. Doing it yourself can be tough and frustrating. But, with patience, you can do it. And, you'll get good exercise, plenty of fresh air and sunshine! (Tanned and healthy-looking sellers doesn't hurt, either!) Painting the outside of your house can raise your home's resale value by 10 percent it has been estimated. And, a freshly painted home, or a possible 10% increase in sales price, aint' too shabby!
And don't forget the inside paint! Touch-ups or fresh-all-over paint can work miracles for your bottom line. Some say it doesn't compete evenly with what an outside paint job can mean, but still, a mini-facelift with interior paint is a very good idea. It can only help.
Fresh, clean scents-- take a whiff!
"Looks good, smells good!" Be sure that your home smells clean and fresh. Don't load up on potpourri or scented floral/cinnamony candles, but rather ensure that the home smells fresh. And avoid antiseptic odors. Even though you've become used to pet odors that you no longer detect, buyers will. Make sure your air filters are pristine and clean-- when the air conditioner turns on, it cannot smell dirty or musty. Eliminate pet odors, too.
Get carpets steam-cleaned by a professional and get a professional house cleaning from top to bottom. The cost will come back to you!
Steam cleaning uses a hot water extraction that goes up to 200 degrees and helps extract the dirt more easily. What needs to be done will depend on your carpets and how much traffic they get, if you have pets, if you eat in your TV room, and, becoming more and more important, if you smoke. You should consider limited your smoking to outdoors several months prior to putting your home up for sale. Make sure that when buyers enter your home, they get a breath of fresh air! Makes quite a difference in their attitude towards your home.
Kitchens and bathrooms
Within the home, the first places potential buyers check are kitchens and bathroom(s). Major renovation projects in the kitchen yield the biggest bang for your buck in resale value. But tiny upgrades in the kitchen and the "convenience" go a long way as well.
Restain or repaint your cabinets for a great face-lift.If you don't want to refinish your cabinets, be sure to clean the doors completely. Make sure all smudges and fingerprints on high-use cabinets are gone.
Bathrooms need your attention. Installing new faucets or retiling a surface is an easy way to add some gleam and glam. Faucet sets start at under $100 at hardware stores. Tile prices can vary widely, from $3 per square foot to as much as $30 a square foot. And, you'll need adhesive and grout.
Tiling isn't something everyone can do. So, if you've gained a little know-how and confidence over the years-- go ahead and DIY. If not, consider hiring a professional-- a poor tile job is the worst. So, if you can't do a professional-looking job, bring in the experts!
To make your house look as neatly presented as possible, roll up your sleeves and clean and scrub diligently. If fancy renovations and repairs that often make resale prices jump are just out of the question, one thing's for sure: a sparkling clean home is one of the finishing touches than can give your return a potential boost.
Think "curb appeal", or the details that make a model home. Bright, clean, squared-away presence. If your home has cobwebs in the eves, door has a hole and the paint on the fence is peeling, your bargaining power drops.
But, if your flowerbeds are tidy, and everything is clean and fresh and bright, you'll likely be rewarded with buyers who want to come in and see more. Why?
Because a prospective buyer can get a very clear impression of how well the home has been maintained by the first sight of it as he drives by. Clean, neat, cultivated, squared-away is everything, and curb appeal hits the buyer's hot buttons like nothing else. Think model home. When a buyer sees a model home, it makes a huge difference in what they're willing to pay.
To get your home in the best possible shape for sale, consider tackling a few of the projects below.
A scrupulously well-kept, green lawn decorated with colorful, healthy seasonal flowers makes a great first impression -- and in the World of Real Estate, first impressions go a long way-- they can make or break you.
If the lawn and landscaping looks good, a buyer will walk into the house and be automatically in it. That first impression is a lasting one, and will carry a buyer right through the front door.
Mow the lawn and keep it mowed. Trim your shrubs-- a "buzzcut" can work wonders for making the landscaping look sharp. Weed those flowerbeds! Even a few errant weeds/grass in a flowerbed can send negative signals of neglect that you DON'T want to make the crossover to impressions about neglect of the home! A few pretty flowers can work wonders, and remember to mulch and water. Be sure that the first impression of your home is one of ongoing care.
Consider planting flowers both in beds and in containers. Don't miss the opportunity of expanding your colors and depth and sight-of-eye perspective. Using containered flowers is a great way to lead the buyer's eye. Lining porches and walkways with flowers in containers is a welcoming touch and expands your range of colors and form to create a great first impression for a buyer.
Remember, landscaping work yields a dollar-for-dollar return!
Hoarders listen up! Reducing clutter is essential -- less of your "stuff" means more space, and buyers like to see space. Remember, they're imagining where their "stuff" will go-- so move your's out, pronto! Piles of trunks and boxes, towers of books, shoeboxes, bags, boxes in your closet must go. Go visit Katie Hamilton, co-author of "Home Improvement for Dummies" and co-creator of Do it Yourself...or Not?, a website to help homeowners decide whether to tackle home improvements, for invaluable tips.
Ms. Hamilton advises: "Take at least half the junk in your closet out. The more you can take out the better, especially in storage spaces," she said. "That also goes for furnishings, if you're a pack rat. People have a hard enough time visualizing space as it is."
Remember, all buyers want to know they'll have plenty of room, so clean out cabinets and closets, any and all storage areas, and will appear to the buyer that there is just nothing but space!
Wipe out everything? No! There is the "coziness factor". Little touches that let the buyer know he's "home". Nothing like a pretty welcoming wreath on the door, a fresh, new welcome mat, etc. Do avoid "personal statement" types of decorations-- keep your homey touches generic and warm. Avoid humorous or off-color decorations such as, those painted wood cutouts of people bending over...
A simple paint job can make a major. Doing it yourself can be tough and frustrating. But, with patience, you can do it. And, you'll get good exercise, plenty of fresh air and sunshine! (Tanned and healthy-looking sellers doesn't hurt, either!) Painting the outside of your house can raise your home's resale value by 10 percent it has been estimated. And, a freshly painted home, or a possible 10% increase in sales price, aint' too shabby!
And don't forget the inside paint! Touch-ups or fresh-all-over paint can work miracles for your bottom line. Some say it doesn't compete evenly with what an outside paint job can mean, but still, a mini-facelift with interior paint is a very good idea. It can only help.
"Looks good, smells good!" Be sure that your home smells clean and fresh. Don't load up on potpourri or scented floral/cinnamony candles, but rather ensure that the home smells fresh. And avoid antiseptic odors. Even though you've become used to pet odors that you no longer detect, buyers will. Make sure your air filters are pristine and clean-- when the air conditioner turns on, it cannot smell dirty or musty. Eliminate pet odors, too.
Get carpets steam-cleaned by a professional and get a professional house cleaning from top to bottom. The cost will come back to you!
Steam cleaning uses a hot water extraction that goes up to 200 degrees and helps extract the dirt more easily. What needs to be done will depend on your carpets and how much traffic they get, if you have pets, if you eat in your TV room, and, becoming more and more important, if you smoke. You should consider limited your smoking to outdoors several months prior to putting your home up for sale. Make sure that when buyers enter your home, they get a breath of fresh air! Makes quite a difference in their attitude towards your home.
Within the home, the first places potential buyers check are kitchens and bathroom(s). Major renovation projects in the kitchen yield the biggest bang for your buck in resale value. But tiny upgrades in the kitchen and the "convenience" go a long way as well.
Restain or repaint your cabinets for a great face-lift.If you don't want to refinish your cabinets, be sure to clean the doors completely. Make sure all smudges and fingerprints on high-use cabinets are gone.
Bathrooms need your attention. Installing new faucets or retiling a surface is an easy way to add some gleam and glam. Faucet sets start at under $100 at hardware stores. Tile prices can vary widely, from $3 per square foot to as much as $30 a square foot. And, you'll need adhesive and grout.
Tiling isn't something everyone can do. So, if you've gained a little know-how and confidence over the years-- go ahead and DIY. If not, consider hiring a professional-- a poor tile job is the worst. So, if you can't do a professional-looking job, bring in the experts!
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