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Buying or selling a home can be a challenging, time-consuming process. Protect your family's assets by taking some of the following precautions when you are buying or selling a home:
1. Call on an expert
Before making important decisions like the 'asking price' for your home, or an appropriate offer to make on your next property, make sure you are seeking the counsel of a seasoned expert. Few other transactions in your lifetime will have as significant of an impact on your family's financial health and future. We are professionals who have established themselves as top performers in their industry; they can apply their expert knowledge to save you time and money.
2. Know the pace of the market
Your associate will help you to establish realistic expectations of how long it will take to sell your home or to find and purchase an appropriate new property. In fast-paced markets, for example, the most desirable properties often receive multiple offers within days of being listed for sale. Making the decision to become a homeowner or to change residences are processes that require significant time and attention. Once those decisions have been made, however, you will need to be prepared to act at, or ahead of, the pace of your local market.
3. Identify your priorities
As a seller, your agent will conduct a CMA, or comparative market analysis, to determine a realistic sale price of your home. Your agent will also help you to evaluate the results of that CMA within the framework of your own needs and priorities.
4. Ask questions
You should interview your real estate agent in the same manner as you might interview any other trusted professional - from doctor to dentist, attorney to financial advisor. Make sure you understand what your agent will do for you and how he or she will be compensated.
As a homeowner, you can play an important part in the timely sale of your property. When you take the following steps, you'll help your us sell your home faster, at the best possible price.
The easiest and most reliable way to improve the appeal of your home is to enlist a quality home service professional. The right professional can help you get everything in order - from repainting the kitchen to providing a thorough cleaning - so you can stay focused on more important things.
Make the Most of that First Impression
A well-manicured lawn, neatly trimmed shrubs and a clutter-free porch welcome prospects. So does a freshly painted - or at least freshly scrubbed - front door. If it's autumn, rake the leaves. If it's winter, shovel the walkways. The fewer obstacles between prospects and the true appeal of your home, the better.
Invest a Few Hours for Future Dividends
Here's your chance to clean up in real estate. Clean up the living room, the bathroom, the kitchen. If your woodwork is scuffed or the paint is fading, consider some minor redecoration. Fresh wallpaper adds charm and value to your property. If you're worried about time, hire professional cleaners or painters to get your house ready. Remember, prospects would rather see how great your home really looks than hear how great it could look "with a little work."
Check Faucets and Bulbs
Dripping water rattles the nerves, discolors sinks, and suggests faulty or worn-out plumbing. Burned out bulbs or faulty wiring leave prospects in the dark. Don't let little problems detract from what's right with your home.
Don't Shut Out a Sale
If cabinets or closet doors stick in your home, you can be sure they will also stick in a prospect's mind. Don't try to explain away sticky situations when you can easily sand them away. A little effort on your part can smooth the way to a easy closing.
Think Safety
Homeowners learn to live with all kinds of self-set booby traps: Roller skates on the stairs, festooned extension cards, slippery throw rugs and low hanging overhead lights. Make your residence as non-perilous as possible for uninitiated visitors.
Make Room for Space
Remember, potential buyers are looking for more than just comfortable living space. They're looking for storage space, too. Make sure your attic and basement are clean and free of unnecessary items.
Consider Your Closets
The better organized a closet, the larger it appears. Now's the time to box up those unwanted clothes and donate them to charity.
Make your Bathrooms Sparkle
Bathrooms sell homes, so let them shine. Check and repair damaged or unsightly caulking in the tubs and showers. For added allure, display your best towels, mats, and shower curtains.
Create Dream Bedrooms
Wake up prospects to cozy comforts of your bedrooms. For a spacious look, get rid of excess furniture. Colorful bedspreads and fresh curtains are a must.
Open up in the Daytime
>Let the sun shine in! Pull back your curtains and drapes so prospects can see how bright and cheery your home is.
Lighten up at Night
Turn on the excitement by turning on all your lights both inside and outside when showing your home in the evening. Lights add color and warmth and make prospects feel welcome.
Avoid Crowd Scenes
Potential buyers often feel like intruders when they enter a home filled with people. Rather than giving your house the attention it deserves, they are likely to hurry through. Keep the company present to a minimum.
Watch Your Pets
Dogs and cats are great companions, but not when you're showing your home. Pets have a talent for getting underfoot. So do everybody a favor: Keep kitty and spot outside, or at least out of the way.
Think Volume
Rock-and-roll will never die. But it might kill a real estate transaction. When it's time to show your home, it's time to turn down the stereo or TV.
Relax
Be friendly, but don't try to force conversation. Prospects want to view your home with a minimum of distraction. Most agents will not want the seller to be visibly present throughout the length of the showing.
Don't Apologize
No matter how humble your abode, never apologize for its shortcomings. If a prospect volunteers a derogatory comment about your home's appearance, let your experienced C21 Associate handle the situation.
Keep a Low Profile
Nobody knows your home as well as you do. But we know buyers- what they need and what they want. We will have an easier time articulating the virtues of your home if you stay in the background.
Don't Turn Your Home into a second-Hand Store
When prospects come to view your home, don't distract them with offers to sell those furnishings you no longer need. You may lose the biggest sale of all.
Defer to Experience-It's the Experience
When prospects wants to talk price, terms, or other real estate matters, let them speak to an expert - your real estate agent.
Help Your Agent
We will have an easier time selling your home if the showings are scheduled through his or her office. You'll appreciate the results!
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