| |
| |
|
Real Estate Information |
|
|
|
How to Make a Buyer Fall in Love with Your Home
If you are thinking of selling your home, there are a number of things you can do to improve the "showability" of your home. But first, let's look at your home through the eyes of the buyer. Inside: 1) Open the window coverings and let the sun shine in. Window coverings should be cleaned so that they are not dusty. Have your windows professionally cleaned - you won't believe the difference! 2) Turn on all lights - day or night. Clean all light bulbs, light fixtures and chandeliers. Wherever practical, install higher wattage light bulbs to further brighten your home. 3) Create the illusion of spaciousness, remove all clutter from each room to visually enlarge them (imagine a builder's model home). Improve traffic flow and create a feeling of spaciousness by removing unnecessary furniture, knick-knacks, hobby items, children's items, etc. Organize your closets and cabinets, remove unnecessary items and put them in storage. Rent a storage area if needed, or pack it in the garage. You're going to move anyway -- start now! 4) Light your fireplace during the winter. 5) Keep your home dusted and vacuumed. 6) Have a family "game plan" to get the home in show condition quickly - everyone should have an assigned task. 7) Remove all smoke odors, pet odors, and odors resulting from hobbies. When possible, air out your home before the showing. Lightly spray room freshener so that it has a chance to diffuse before the buyer arrives. 8) Make sure that beds are made. 9) Bathrooms should be kept clean, toilet lids down, no hair in the sink. Do not leave dirty towels out; wipe down the shower areas after each use. Repair or replace broken tiles on walls, floors or in showers/tubs. Recaulk if the caulking is chipped and/or stained. Put out fresh towels and decorative soap for showings. 10) Fix dripping faucets, remove rust stains from basins. 11) The kitchen should be kept clean. Remove all grease from range hoods, ovens, stovetops, walls, etc. Expand your counter space by removing small appliances - everything except those items used on a daily basis - remember: picture a builder's model home. 12) Shampoo all carpets and vacuum as necessary. If the carpet does not clean up well, ask your agent if you should replace it. 13) First impressions: Does the doorbell work? Invest in a new doormat. Make sure the front door, screen door, etc. open easily and are visually appealing. If necessary, paint all entrance doors. 14) Create the feeling of a spacious entry area by using decorating accents, mirrors, rugs, etc. and by removing all unnecessary clutter. 15) Remove any excess extension cords and exposed wires. 16) Clean and shine all accessories (door knobs, knockers, lamps, mail boxes, address numbers, etc.) 17) Paint inside walls with a neutral colored paint. Usually, all walls should be painted, not just washed. This will brighten the home and make it look bigger and cleaner. Depersonalize teenager's rooms and decorate in a more neutral manner. Remove posters and adhesive from walls and doors and putty any holes resulting from nails or other mishaps. An investment in painting your home can make a big difference. Where necessary, repair or replace doors, closet doors, and/or windows and screens so that they open with ease. Outside: Remove dying plants or keep them out of sight. Keep the yard mowed, raked, weeded, fertilized and watered. Trees and shrubs should be pruned and trimmed. Use plants and flowers on porches and front walk way - create curb appeal! Hoses and garden equipment should be kept neatly out of sight. Remove all toys, bicycles, tools, unattractive patio furniture, trash, etc., from the yard. Outdoor furniture should be kept clean. Porches, steps, verandas, balconies, patios and other extensions of the house should be kept uncluttered, swept and in good condition. Keep trashcans deodorized, covered and out of sight. Highlight your pool area, water garden, etc. with lighting, benches, planters, flowering plants, etc. Create an outside living/dining area with furniture and plants. Don'ts: Don't volunteer information Do: Enlist the service of a professional Realtor to market your home in trade magazines, newspapers, call capture 24 hour hotline, Internet sites, Virtual Tour, etc. Make your home look like a model even if isn't - contact a Realtor that provides complimentary home staging as part of their bundle of services. Phyllis Harb, a California native is a Realtor/Marketing Specialist at RE/Max Tri City in La Canada, California. RE/MAX Tri-City offers additionally offices in Glendale, La Crescenta, Los Feliz and Pasadena. Harb has been assisting local home sellers and buyers since 1989 and offers over 10 years experience in real estate lending. Phyllis may be contacted at 818 790-7325.
MORE RESOURCES:
Real-Estate - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
NAR® Broker Will Swear It - Real Pro' Agents Share It - FSBO Truth For posting the "Truth" on your website, some FSBO's will not like you. These prospects would not have listed with you anyway. How to Buy a Home When Your in Your Twenties A Single's Game of Real Estate (Getting started in your twenties)Due to the fact that most of us grow up in either a rented apartment or our parent's single family home, it stands to reason that most people, when beginning to ask themselves the question of purchasing their own dwelling, will come to the conclusion that a condo or small house is probably the way to go. That's a result of conditioning and it's a hard mindset to break! After taking the time to talk to or personally guide a respectable number of people in their twenties, I have come to find that firm, direct and accurate information can really adjust the reality of how real estate can be acquired and used to their best advantage starting with property that sets the tone for a much more profitable and rewarding future. Investing in Real Estate & REITs Real estate investing runs the gamut in terms of risk and investment success. The first rule of real estate investing, even before location, location, location, is be very careful with whom you are dealing. Good Tenants - Learn Twelve Ways Landlords Keep Them Happy, Long-term Good Tenants Paying On Time How to Create a Win-Win Relationship for the Both of You!After you've found your tenants, how do you keep them? Establish a friendly, pleasant, business-like relationship with your tenants, so they'll want to renew again each year. By using one or a few ideas below, you will learn how to keep good tenants. Selling Your Home on Your Own - Examples of Problems and Solutions What can go wrong? About a gazillion things, but this is true if you're working with a broker, too. A broker is probably more experienced than you, and may well have confronted and solved your problem on a previous home sale. Real Estate Investing - House Problems Houses can have lots of problemsReal estate investing requires expertise in recognizing these problems and the costs for repair.Sometimes you stumble onto a jewel investment by discovering a house where mom was an excellent housekeeper, and all that's necessary is minor cleanup of the premises to prepare for selling. Finding the Right Buy to Let Mortgage for Your Investment Property Finding the right buy to let mortgage is crucial to your success as a property investor. Unlike other forms of investment, a lot of the money you put into a buy-to-let property is likely to be borrowed. How To Get Started In Preconstruction Investing? Through our website the most common question that we receive is "How do I get rapidly started in preconstruction investing". Realistically, you only need to take three steps on your path from being a "beginner" preconstruction investor to one that is extremely savvy. Should You Buy Real Estate Now I have been seeing the market on fire for a long time and have started telling my friends, "don't buy now". No one can accurately determine exactly when it will happen, but it is definately on the way. Dramatic Profits From Preconstruction Real Estate Investing The preconstruction process is an innovative real estate investment opportunity in which you buy tomorrow's property at today's price. Preconstruction investing is a boon for the investor or buyer as well as the developer or builder. Property Investing - Port Melbourne Life on the Edge Property investing prices pick up following a cooler winter last year. Susannah Petty Reports. Basic Real Estate Valuation Given the current interest (dare I say hysteria) associated with investing in dirt and buildings, I thought it might be interesting for our readers to have a quick, dirty manual on real estate valuation. My perspective comes from years in the industry as well as some time learning at the knee of some of the better real estate minds in academia. Real Estate Remains A Strong Investment Opportunities to make big, quick profits in residential real estate tend to come and go in cycles. When a local market is hot, families may find it possible to buy a house at an attractive price, fix it up, and watch its value rise in just a few years. How Real Estate Investors Use Mortgage Note To Purchase Properties Many of you may not be aware of the various ways notes can be used. The average person's understanding about notes is that people create them because they are desperate to sell a property. Selling Your Home: The Power of a Great Sales Flyer Even though its importance is often overlooked, a great sales flyer is one of the most effective tools for selling your house. Whether your home is listed with an agent or not, make sure that you have a dazzling flyer. Home Buying - School District Issues A good school district is a key factor in home buying if you have kids. It can also be a positive selling point when it comes time to sell your home. Real Estate Investing with No Cash and No Credit Lots of folks think it can't be done.How in the world can you buy a piece of real estate property without cash or credit? How is it possible to buy a $50,000 house or a $1 million dollar house if I don't have an abundance of cash or an excellent credit rating?Nothing stops a would-be investor cold in his tracks like "no cash or credit. Using Color Psychology to Sell Your Home When painting your home for resale, choosing the right colors can make a huge difference in your paycheck at closing. For instance, did you know that the exterior color of houses selling most quickly is a certain shade of yellow, but that choosing the wrong shade of yellow can kill a sale?You'll find many brochures in paint stores, showing various combinations of exterior paint colors. Tax Assessment/Appraisal: How Do I Know What My Home is Worth? If you are in the home buying or selling market, it's important to understand the difference between tax assessment and appraisal value. Concentrate on the appraisal value because this determines your asking price. Let the Broker Show the House Of course you're curious, and you'd like to see what goes on when potential buyers come into your home.But real estate brokers are just about unanimous in asking that you be absent when they bring people in.
|
 Home  Contact
|
| Real Estate Information © 2006 |
