Home Sellers
When you show your house. It is important that the house appears attractive and clean. The following tips will help ensure a smooth showing.
- Please allow any agent who calls to show your home at the suggested time. If you are not frequently available it is best to allow a lockbox to be installed on your door. If a lockbox is not installed, we will keep a house key in our office to use when you are out.
- Open all draperies and window shades during daylight hours. Your home will look bright, cheerful and sunny. Turn on bathroom lights. Turn on lights in any poorly lit room.
- For an evening showing, turn on every light in the house, especially in the bathrooms.
- Fresh flowers in abundance on the kitchen table, a fire in the fireplace on chilly days, sparkling bathrooms and kitchen, home aired and fresh smelling, your favorite pet confined or restricted. All are important for creating a pleasing first impression.
- Keep your yard and bushes neatly trimmed and well-watered.
- All jewelry, small valuables, etc., should be stored in a safety deposit box or in a locked closet.
- If possible, try to step outside while your home is being shown and take your dog with you. If the agent has questions, she or he will find you.
- Let your agent know where you can always be reached. If you plan to be out of town, please leave a number where you can be contacted.
- Replace any items, such as chandeliers, not included in the sale or tag them with, “to be replaced with…”, or “does not convey.”
How to Sell Your Home in a Slow Market
Even though the real estate market has slowed down in recent months, there are still plenty of homebuyers eager to make a purchase. Knowing how to prepare your home for sale, when to allow access for showings, and how you can offer buyer incentives will help you find the right buyer, even in a declining market.
Before you even put your home on the market, make sure that all basic repairs are completed. Nothing can turn off a prospective buyer quicker than loose railings, torn screens or missing hardware on cupboard doors. These easy repairs do not cost a lot of money. If a homebuyer sees that the little things are not attended to, they are likely to believe that the larger things are neglected too. Let buyers know that you have pride in your home by making sure that all of the small repairs are taken care of.
Keep your home clean throughout the time it is on the market. In a slow real estate market, it is important to have your home available to show at a moment’s notice. The more often your home is shown, the likelier it is that your home will sell. Keep your home available to your realtor and they will be able to show your home quickly to any buyer that shows interest.
Have your home staged by a professional. Home staging has become a booming business and a professional home stager will help you remove clutter and depersonalize your space. Prospective homebuyers want to picture their family in the home, not yours and a home full of personal clutter will not show off the potential of your home.
Keep pets contained during a real estate showing and make sure that your cat litter box is always clean. Pet owners tend to get used to the odors caused by litter boxes and it is important that you remember to clean it every day. Nothing will turn off a prospective home buyer like a home that smells. Many people are fearful of dogs, especially ones that they do not know. Make sure that you either take your dog with you for a showing or put them on a leash outside.
Be realistic in your expectations of the price you will be able to sell your home. Forget about what could have been if you had sold it last year and focus on what your home is worth now. In a buyer’s market, buyers don’t have to negotiate much. Buyers know that you want to sell your home and a home that is priced too high is likely to be looked over. Ask a fair price for your home to avoid the need for too much negotiation.
In a slow market, hiring a real estate agent is crucial to get your home sold in a reasonable amount of time. Yes, there are ways you can list your home for sale by the owner using the internet, but nothing beats the experience that comes from a real estate agent who is able to take care of everything in order to sell your home.
Selling your home can be a stressful time, but you can be successful in selling your home if you remain patient, reasonable and flexible. There are buyers out there and the key is to find them and get them to fall in love with your home.
QUESTIONS FOR SELLERS
- What is the primary reason buyers give for purchasing a home?
- Desire to own a home
- Job relocation
- The desire for a larger home
- Affordability of homes
- What do buyers look for the most in finding the right neighborhood?
- Convenience to job
- Affordability of homes
- Quality of the school district
- Quality of the neighborhood
- What do home buyers cite most commonly as a benefit that real estate agents offer them during the purchase of a home?
- Pointed out unnoticed faults with the property
- Negotiated better sales contract terms
- Helped understand the process
- Shortened the home search
- What is the most common incentive that sellers report using to try to lure buyers?
- Closing cost assistance
- Home warranty
- Credit toward repairs
- None
- What’s the biggest compromise reported when purchasing a home?
- Size of home
- Price of home
- Distance from job
- Style of home
- What’s the first step that buyers most often take in the home-buying process?
- Contacting a real estate agent
- Visiting homes for sale
- Searching for properties online
- Getting pre-approved for a mortgage
- What do buyers particularly value when visiting a real estate Web site?
- Virtual tours
- Photos
- Detailed information about listings
- Interactive maps
- What type of mortgage is most popular among first-time and repeat buyers?
- Adjustable-rate mortgages
- Subprime loans
- Fixed-rate mortgages
- Didn’t need a mortgage
- What was the primary reason given for selling a previous home?
- House is too small
- Can’t afford the mortgage
- Neighborhood less desirable
- Job relocation