Selling your home is one of the most stressful situations in life. Whether it's a move across country or just across town, it all starts with selling the house that you've made into your home.
Making Plans
One of the most frustrating things about selling your home is the uncertainty factor. You usually don't know when it will sell, and for how much money. You can help shorten the listing time and maximize your sale price by planning ahead and following certain steps before your house goes on the market. Put yourself in the shoes of a potential buyer and take a tour of your house, inside and out. It's often the little things that help buyers make up their minds to buy your home... or to pass on it.
Outside -- First impressions are often lasting impressions. A house that looks well-maintained looks better, and better means more valuable. In addition, buyers will assume your house has been looked after if it appears so. Take the time to touch up the paint. Make those minor repairs that you've been putting off. A general clean-up around your property does wonders to make your house look like a home someone would like to live in.
Inside -- Organizing clutter can help visually expand the size of rooms. This is a great time to throw away or give away things you don't use--it's either that or take them with you to your new home. Cleaning windows lets sunlight in while improving the view out. Bathroom tubs and kitchen sinks are difficult to clean but think of the higher price a sparkling-clean house will sell for. Got pets or smokers in the house? Bad smells turn off buyers like a light switch. A great idea is to bake a pie or a tray of sticky buns when you know people will be coming over!
Get an Agent on Your Side
A good real estate agent is well worth the commission they're paid, which is usually in the 5%; range. Your agent will arrange showings of your home when you're away, and they will work with other agents to bring in potential buyers who are looking for a home like yours. By listing your home with a Multiple Listing Service (MLS), an agent will add your home to a huge database that's accessed by other agents. They will advise you on how to make your home more saleable, and will help you negotiate with buyers. An experienced agent can also assist you with legal issues and home inspections, and can recommend moving companies.
The Price is Right
How do you know what price to set for your home? A price that's too high will scare off buyers and cause your house to linger on the market for months. Then when you reduce the price, buyers will worry that there's a problem with the house. An experienced appraiser will be able to view your home objectively and set a realistic value on it. Some of the factors to consider are the location, area schools and recreational facilities, the prices other homes in your area have sold for recently and any extra amenities your home possesses such as a swimming pool, air conditioning and/or renovations.
Closing the Deal
An attorney specializing in real estate law will help you draw up the final agreement for the sale of your home once you've accepted the buyer's offer. The sales agreement or sales contract should cover the following:
The agreed closing price of the home and the down payment;
The particulars of the mortgage loan and interest rate, if applicable;
A determination of which closing costs are the responsibility of the buyer and which are of the seller;
A list of fixed items that will remain in the house and are included in the sale price--for example drapes and window blinds, carpets and flooring, electrical and plumbing fixtures, built-in bookcases and so on;
The closing date and date of possession by the buyer;
Contingencies such as required inspections, any required or agreed-upon improvements, a legal review of the contract by the buyer's attorney, etc.
Happy Sales to You!
The process of selling your home is a long and often trying process, but it has its rewards. A successful sale is a great way to begin your new life in your new home.
By Steve Levenstein
Your Home Is a Stage
Staging tips for readying your home for the market
By Gayla Moghannam
Would you like to increase your home's value by tens of thousands of dollars? Would you like to receive multiple offers the day your home goes on the market?
Of course you would, and you can do this by using home staging techniques, the process of decorating your home for sale.
According to Peggy Selinger-Eaton, a leading home staging professional and author of Peggy's Corner, The Art of Staging, "Homeowners can use their existing furnishings and accessories and turn them into something very chic, trendy or elegant." Moreover, staging can be fun and inexpensive.
"I have never walked into a home and not found the necessary items to turn an average home into a model home," says Selinger-Eaton. If you're preparing your home for sale or if your home has been overlooked by prospective buyers, Selinger-Eaton offers these ideas:
1. Think clean and open spaces for your home as you stage: Don't be afraid to let in the light and clear out the dust. The better it looks, the better the sale.
2. Take a tour of your home: Pretend that you've never seen the house before, and give it a critical look. Examine the exterior, interior, and smell around for odors. Get picky. Make a list of things you'd like to improve.
3. Clear off all surfaces and keep only a few decorative accessories.
4. Think of ways to clean, eliminate clutter and modernize. "When in doubt," Selinger-Eaton advises, "pack it out. You'll be happy to have your home packed up when it sells faster than expected."
5. Eliminate odors from smoking, pets and cooking: If possible, send your pets to grandma's house. Keep your place smelling clean, fresh, and new.
6. Remove all personal items and photographs: Homebuyers have an easier time envisioning themselves in your home if personal items are removed from the home. Don't forget to remove diplomas and certificates from office walls.
7. Let the homebuyers see rooms: If you're using the family room as the twins' bedroom, consider returning it to its original state by adding a borrowed sofa and coffee table. A dining room should be a dining room and the living room should be a living room.
8. Clean your carpets and touch up the paint. Keep out only a few essentials to give your home generic appeal-throw pillows, candles, and fresh cut flowers are all nice touches. The goal is making every incoming homebuyer feel like they immediately belong. Homebuying is an emotional process, and getting people to feel attached to your home helps bring you more money on the sale.
9. Clean your exteriors: Sweep and dust the front door entrance. Put out a new doormat and clear away cobwebs and dust. Landscaping should be cleared of dead brush and overgrown plants.
10. Clear off the countertops in your kitchen and bathrooms. Bring in new towels and finish the look with a vase of fresh cut flowers and candles. They add color and great aroma.
"You don't need to be a decorator to stage a home. Check out leading department and home furnishing stores to see what colors they are using and copy them," says Selinger-Eaton. Bringing in trendy colors immediately modernizes any home, as will fresh linens in the bedroom and bathroom.
That first impression on prospective buyers should be a lasting and positive one.
Remember, says Selinger-Eaton, "Homebuyers will be in a home for three to four minutes. You want to make those moments memorable and profitable."Peggy Selinger-Eaton is President of Peggy's Corner, Inc. http://www.peggyscorner.com/
Tom & Ida Donahue Mother and Son Team
630-297-8389
522 S. Washington Suite 113
Naperville, Illinois 60563