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After 7 years in new construction and now 2 years in traditional real estate, I have heard this same question over and over again from people who are frustrated with selling their existing home (builders included).
So what is the number 1 MUST DO, to sell your existing home? It is really simple, but most agents don’t spend enough time on it. You must understand your competition. Personally visit with your agent, every home in your community that is on the market that compares in size and price you have set. Make sure your home outshines the competition in every way. Landscaping must be better, the home must be cleaner, smell better, be decorated better, and highlight the features that make your home unique from the other ones the buyers are looking at.
Remember, when a buyer is looking for a new home, they are going to look at all the offerings in their price range that meet their requirements. As a seller, you have a good chance of selling faster, if you completely understand the competition. Your selling agent should do this for you, but it helps if you visit a few to understand why your agent is asking you to do certain updates, decluttering, etc.
Article by NewHomeGal, also known as Teresa Robinson. Contact the Robinson Team at 972.335.0571. They can help you sell your existing home and find your next one too!
Get a Buyer Specialist and rest easy! The builder pays our service charge from their advertising budget which is built into every home they sell. Since these fees do not come out of the home construction budget, you cannot negotiate one penny of a better deal alone. We also work with preowned homes where the seller pays our fees! Visit www.northtexashomefinders.com for more information.
I just finished up a staging seminar/instruction class and wanted to share what I learned. Here are a few tips to remember when getting your home ready to put on the market.
1. How we live in our home is very different than how we need to sell our home!
2. Clean off everything from the kitchen counter. Only leave 1 item out (coffee pot or toaster). All other items need to be put in the cabinet or pantry. If you don’t have remove, pack some stuff up that you don’t use (like the turkey baster), this way you have a head start on packing for the move.
3. Mow the grass, trim your bushes, plant some seasonal flowers! You only have 1 chance to make a first impression.
4. At the entrance, make sure you have a nice clean welcome mat. If the one you have is faded toss it. No mat is better than a worn out one.
5. In the foyer, remove the rug. You want to showcase your entry floors so buyers will notice.
6. Less is more. Remove all clutter from your home and group accessories in groups of 3. Be sure to vary the height to add interest.
7. Finally, don’t forget about the backyard. Make sure the grass is mowed, trash is removed, bushes trimmed and toys contained.
Article by Teresa Robinson, Owner/Buyer Specialist, North Texas Home Finders Contact Teresa at 972.335.0571 or Teresa@Northtexashomefinders.com and she can help you sell your home or find a new one!
Get a Buyer Specialist and rest easy! The builder pays our service charge from their advertising budget which is built into every home they sell. Since these fees do not come out of the home construction budget, you cannot negotiate one penny of a better deal alone. We also work with preowned homes where the seller pays our fees! Visit www.northtexashomefinders.com for more information.
Teresa Robinson is one of more than 400,000 members of the Real Estate BUYERS AGENT Council (REBAC) of the National Association of Realtors, who have attended the ABR, Accredited Buyer Representative, designation. As the world’s largest association of real estate professionals focusing specifically on representing the real estate buyer, REBAC is the”The Voice for Buyer Representation, ” with more than 44,000 active real estate professional members of the organization throughout the world.
Many first time investors are trying to get out of the real estate game. Especially those that over extended themselves and bought homes using little or no money down in the hopes of building instant equity. In a few cases, families had to move due to job transfers or relocations. Finally, some people simply “right-sized” their home and have already moved into their new one. Now they need to sell the old one!
Selling a vacant home is much more difficult than an occupied home or one that has been professionally staged. Here are some minimum things you need to do to make sure the home is in top showing condition.
1. Clean out the cabinets, closet, garage and pantry. Many tenants will leave behind food and or trash. Be sure you go in after the last one has moved out and throw out any left overs. It is easy to drag out a personal move when you don’t have a time crunch. Last time we moved it took us a month to get the stuff out of the garage and attic. This doesn’t make for a good showing environment.
2. Clean out the refrigerator and put a box of baking soda in it to keep it smelling fresh. I was looking at a $400,000 vacant home over the weekend and the sub zero fridge had some sort of science experiment in it with mold growing out of a subway sandwhich no telling how old!
3. Keep the electricity/power on to the home. You need light to see the home. Remember many home buyers look at property after work. It is impossible for a home to be given a fair look if it is too dark.
4. Have the home professionally cleaned every few weeks. You will need to have a deep clean done when you or your tenants move out, then follow up at least every other week with a good vacuum and dusting. This will help your home smelling clean and fresh and not stale. A stale home isn’t very inviting, thus you will lose money on the transaction.
5. If you turn the water off, be sure to post signs in the bathrooms and around the sinks. Remember, you will need to turn it back on for inspections. If you live in Texas, turning off the water is never a good idea. The foundation needs to be watered in many cases to prevent damage. If you home gets foundation problems, that $50 a month you saved by turning off the water can cost you $1000s in repair costs.
6. Finally, keep up with the landscaping. Hire a service to mow, weed and edge once a week. If you can plant flowers and be sure to water the grass. You only have one chance to make a first impression. Make sure your property is making the best one possible.
The above items are the bare minimums you should do when you are trying to sell a vacant home. If you have a little extra cash, you might consider professional staging. Think of a builder’s model home. It looks like you could just change the photos to your family and settle in for the night.
Article by Teresa Robinson, Owner/Buyer Specialist, North Texas Home Finders Contact Teresa at 972.335.0571 or Teresa@Northtexashomefinders.com and she can help you sell your home or find a new one!
Get a Buyer Specialist and rest easy! The builder pays our service charge from their advertising budget which is built into every home they sell. Since these fees do not come out of the home construction budget, you cannot negotiate one penny of a better deal alone. We also work with preowned homes where the seller pays our fees! Visit www.northtexashomefinders.com for more information.
“8 Major Renovations that Never Pay Off When Selling”
Some major renovations will never pay off. These top 10 don’ts will save you money in the long run! See what they are and save your money for your NEW home!
1. Put in Top-of-the-Line Carpet
If you have dated and dirty carpet, it is a good idea to remove it. But don’t replace it with the best carpet money can buy. Instead, install a mid-grade neutral toned carpet, at a modest price. Anything you choose will make the home look better, and you can save thousands of dollars over the luxury carpet.
2. Install High-end Appliances in Your Kitchen
No one will argue that New appliances are a good selling feature, but don’t go out and buy luxury appliances. Purchase a mid-grade stove and dishwasher if yours are dated, but don’t worry about buying a refrigerator, because many home buyers will most likely buy their own.
3. Retile Your Bathroom with Travertine
The bathroom should look clean and inviting, but it doesn’t have to look like a bathroom in a luxury resort hotel. Simply remove old dirty caulk around the tub and replacing it with fresh caulk. Also, a good cleaning with the proper cleanser will get that old tile sparkling. Buy new bath towels and put away all personal styling products from vanities, and you will be amazed at the transformation.
4. Paint Your Bedroom to Match the Bedspread
When home buyers see pink or purple walls, they can’t visualize living in the space. The buyers will just look at them and think of all the work they’ll need to do as soon as they move in. So, keep the walls neutral to compliment any decor, and show off the room they’ll live in. So if pink is your thing, resist and step away from the paint can!!
5. Install Expensive Custom Draperies
Expensive custom draperies will never match the furnishings of the new owner. If you must put something on the windows, choose basic panels, valances, or blinds. The look will be consistent throughout the home, and the buyer will see a clean slate to decorate to their own taste when they move in.
6. Paint the Outside a Color to Make Your House Different
You want your house to make a statement, but not because it’s painted with a trendy bold color. It should attract buyers by how well it fits into the neighborhood, not by how it sticks out like a sore thumb. The exterior might need touching up and a good power washing. Re-painting the front door will give your home a quick facelift, since that’s the first thing a buyer will see.
7. Cut Down All the Trees So People Can See the House
If “George of the Jungle” is swinging from your trees, then it might be time to cut them back. Also, if buyers cannot see your home from the curb, it’s costing you offers. Big mature trees are worth their weight in gold, so hire a tree-trimming service, so buyers can get a wonderful view of your home. Trees and shrubbery should enhance or frame your home, not cover it up.
8. Fill in Blank Walls and Fridge With Family Pictures and Artwork
You should remove as many family photos/pictures as you possible can. For one thing, you don’t want a lot of strangers looking at pictures of you and your children. Buyers might also feel like they are intruding on your space, and that is the last thing you want to happpen. In addition, home buyers should be able to visualize their own family pictures on the walls, not yours.
For help in finding your dream home in North DFW, please contact:
Amy Underwood (a)my@northtexashomefinders.com
Buyer Specialist/Realtor
North Texas Home Finders, LLC
Call: 940-464-7530
www.NorthtexasHomeFinders.com Put “AMY” in the ‘How did you hear about us section.”
“Staging to Sell Your Home Tips”
Since North Texas is pretty much a buyer’s market now, it is crucial that your home stands out from the rest of the homes in the subdivision.
Studies have shown that most buyers make a decision about a house within 10-15 seconds of walking in the front door, and many will make a decision without ever getting out of the car. Also, remember that first impressions are crucial when selling your home.
Home Staging Tips for the Outside of Your Home
“Curb appeal” and home staging tips to improve it:
1) Eliminate all clutter. Trim back overgrown bushes, and generally do a thorough clean-up.
2) A fresh coat of paint goes a long way to making a house look good. Be careful not to pick too strong of a color. The idea is to appeal to the greatest number of buyers as possible.
3) Fresh sod or landscaping can make a major difference.
4) Eliminate any other negatives like oil stains on the driveway, and broken fence boards.
5) Putting out some some simple flowers in a pot on the front porch, and a new doormat can create an inviting feeling to buyers.
Home staging tips to improve the inside of the home also:
1) Eliminate all clutter. Homes look larger and more liveable without toys, magazines laying around. Many professional stagers have their clients move out entirely, and the stagers bring in their own items. Take all of the pictures off of the refrigerator, remove any stacks of paper on your desk, etc. Also, having a professional house cleaning service come in and do a thorough once-over is almost always well worth the cost.
2) Fresh paint can make a real difference. It is the frosting on the cake. Use colors that will appeal to the greatest number of people. You may prefer something bolder for yourself, but when selling a house, neutral-colored interior paints work best. Also, replace any worn carpets or other flooring. If you have hardwood floors that are in rough shape, having them refinished can often return many times the cost of the refinishing, and sell the home much faster.
3) In many parts of the country homes are shown with no window coverings at all. This creates an open and airy feeling.
4) Make sure there are no unpleasant pet or cooking odors. Some sellers now bake cookies for the open house, creating a warm feeling in they buyer’s mind.
5) Use size-appropriate furniture. If you have a small bedroom, don’t put a king-sized bed in there. If you have a huge master bedroom, putting a single bed in there would look out of balance, as well.
6) Leave the lights on even during the day to make the home as bright as possible.
All of these home staging tips are really geared towards making the whole package seem as pleasant as possible. One would think that buyers buy with their heads, but it’s often their hearts that make the decision.
Written by Amy Underwood, New Home Specialist and Owner.
Contact North Texas Home Finders if you are ready to buy a NEW home! Or visit www.northtexashomefinders.com for more information!
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