GETTING YOUR HOME READY

Enhance Your Home Before You List. Make it easy for potential buyers to envision their belongings in your home!

HOME EXTERIOR

☑ Consider curb appeal

☑ Inspect the exterior and address any problems

☑ Maintain lawn, walkways and outside areas

HOME EXTERIOR

☑ Make every room sparkle

☑ Store or remove clutter

☑ Inspect and repair plumbing, heating,
cooling and alarm systems

☑ Paint in a neutral shade

☑ Consider professional staging for
maximum results

BASIC TO DO LIST—BEFORE YOU SELL

•  Touch up paint —  interior walls
•  Touch up paint — exterior walls
•  Repair or paint the front door
•  Consider replacing the locks and hardware and adding a brass kick plate
•  Consider replacing the mailbox and house numbers
•  Replace old screen doors and storm doors
•  Consider replacing kitchen cabinet hardware and drawer pulls
•  Consider replacing old kitchen and bath fixtures with new faucets
•  Change all bulbs in indoor lights to brighten house
•  Store any clutter or unused items
•  Clean all flower beds and re-mulch
•  Mulch base of trees
•  Clean fireplace and hearth
•  Clean windows (inside is most important)
•  Store all bathroom clutter and personal items
•  Clean any stains on bathroom tile, tubs, toilets or sinks
•  Change furnace filters
•  Polish wood floors
•  Clean gutters
•  Clean rugs and carpets
•  Reseal decks or front porches if weathered

The kids are all moved out, lots of empty space and still much maintenance to attend to.  Home Downsizing has been on your mind and now you may be ready to make that move.  Well Chuck and I are ready to take you through this new journey in your life. We know the concerns you have in this regard and we’ll make sure it goes seamlessly. You will have many concerns during this process; proximity to family, size of the home, climate and more.

These concerns are common for empty-nesters who wish to move into a smaller home and we address these concerns and alleviate any stress that may come with them.  Let us give you a short review of what Chuck and I will do to help you with this new event in your life.

1) Choices – We have access to every home available to fit your needs – from townhomes and condo developments to 55 yrs and over communities.

2) Proximity – We will provide you with driving times, transportation routes, and shopping areas close by.

3) Size – We offer advice on scaling down furniture.  We also can lead you in Estate Sales referrals.

4) Climate – If you desire a home in summer climates we can help find “maintenance free” developments.

Also if you are moving out of the vicinity of the areas we cover, we are part of a Realtor Referral program to assist you in where you are moving to. 

Of course there is much more we do to help you in the process of home downsizing and we do everything we can to make this process seamless and enjoyable for you.  Please contact us and we will be more than happy to assist you in finding a smaller home.

1. Understand what “market value” means.  It’s not what your friend sold his house for two years ago or even two months ago,  It’s not the value your latest tax assessment was based on or what an appraiser said the house was worth a year ago.  It is exactly what someone is willing to pay for your house today.  Hence, price realistically and broaden incentives, such as closing costs and throw-ins like appliances, flat-screen televisions, etc.  There is an old saying:  “There’s nothing wrong with a home that the right price can’t fix.”
2. Don’t be an as-is seller.  That is, unless you absolutely have to be one.  Potential homebuyers aren’t looking for fixer-uppers in the current market unless they are rock-bottom, bargain-basement priced.  Large volumes of foreclosed homes are already being sold in poor condition at auction.
3. Hire a top performer.  These days, you need an agent who outshines the others and routinely posts better-than-average sales numbers year after year.  Agencies may try to steer you toward less-seasoned agents, but if you’re paying the commission, then the hire should be your call.  The best agents have an innate sense for that right price and right marketing plan.  They can suggest the necessary repairs and tweaks while targeting your home to the right buying group.  Caveat:  In selecting an agent, the percentage of listings sold is generally a better performance barometer than a high volume of sales.
4. Know your market’s nuances.  No two markets are exactly alike.  Yes, most sellers are now swimming upstream.  But there are always counter currents to consider.  In many areas, modestly priced homes have bigger buying pools because tighter mortgage qualifications are keeping buyers out of more expensive homes.  A little research and a savvy agent can give you an edge and an education.
5. Use the Internet.  According to compete.com, total time spent online rose 24.3 percent from the fall of 2006 to the fall of 2007.  Yes, people are still scoping out newspaper classified ads and real estate listing magazines, but more and more Americans have been wired to at least start heir home shopping online.
6. Use other people’s money.  You don’t have to sell for a big loss to get out from under your rising mortgage payments.  If you can, rent out your home for a sum that covers your house payments, insurance, taxes and maintenance costs.  Do try to roll in a slight buffer to cover unanticipated expenses.  And realize you’ll need capital to refresh the place when the market stabilizes and you take off your landlord hat to prep the home for sale again.  Or consider offering lease-to-own terms to your renter and you many not have to worry about the future sale.
7. Become a “lender.”  Tough times call for unconventional measures.  Consider carrying part of the buyer’s note with interest, secured by an asset belonging to the buyer.  Do so only after a thorough credit check and only if you can afford to wait for the balance of the purchase price.  This, by the way, is not a game for the faint of heart.
8. Simplify and neutralize.  In this sales environment, you’ve probably already been told to focus on curb appeal, add fresh landscaping and de-clutter the house by removing family photos and heirlooms or other items you don’t need or use on a daily basis.

But let’s take it a step further.  Paint your rooms neutral colors.  Hire a redesign or home-staging firm to help you present your home in optimal condition and give potential buyers a chance to envision their possibilities there.  And while you’re at it, get a pre-listing inspection, which will reveal any defects your home has and allow you time to make repairs.  Then provide a copy of the report to buyers, attaching a list of the fixes you made.