Curb Appeal Problems And Easy Ways To Fix Them
Just how important is curb appeal? Real estate industry legend Barbara Corcoran has said, “Buyers decide in the first eight seconds of seeing a home if they’re interested in buying it.” What are buyers going to see in the first eight seconds after driving up to your place?
If you’ve walked around the perimeter of your house recently, you’ve probably seen at least a couple of issues that need to be addressed before you sell. And your plan probably depends on how much time you have available. If you’re listing your house today and expect immediate interest, you may have to pick from a few quick tips to get it in the best shape you can. Have a little more time? You can make a real impact in improving the curb appeal so potential buyers will drive up and want to see more.
Everything just looks a little shabby
It may be time to bite the bullet and repaint the house, or, at least, address some peeling trim. If your windows, walkways, and ornamental details are looking drab, a power washer can help transform the area easily and inexpensively. This is a relatively easy DIY task and the rental will only cost you about $40 a day from Home Depot.
Your open house is today and your yard is looking pretty boring
You may not have time to do any new plantings, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make the yard look tidy and pretty. Fresh flowers in pots placed near your front door will bring the eye up from the street to your entry and give the impression that your home (and your yard) is well cared for. Add a new welcome mat to finish the look.
Your front door is janky
If you’re looking at making a few smart updates before listing your home, don’t ignore your front door. A new door can return between 75–100 percent of your investment, and it’s a relatively low-cost project,” said Houselogic, with a “national median cost of around $2,000 installed.”
You have a last-minute showing and the landscaper hasn’t done his thing in the yard yet
Get in the car, drive to Lowe’s, and pack up the trunk with mulch. It’s one of the easiest ways to transform your yard and make it look fresh and neat. Lawn and bushes a little overgrown? Nextdoor is a great resource for finding last-minute landscape help or, in a pinch, a neighborhood kid with some developing gardening skills and a need for pocket cash.
Leaves. Everywhere
Get out the hose and spray those suckers away from sidewalks and walkways. Even if the hardscape is wet when the prospective buyers arrive, the area will look nice and clean. Now corral everyone in the house for some fire drill leave-bagging fun. An abundance of leaves in the yard can be a turnoff to those looking to buy as it may make them think the home is unkempt or that the yard is hard to take care of.
Your mailbox is…wow. How did you never notice that?
If it’s old, worn, rusty, or has just seen better days, buyers will notice. This seemingly little thing can make them question the quality of your home. Thankfully, it’s an easy fix that you can do yourself for almost no money. “It doesn’t matter if you have a regular mailbox by the road or if you have a box mounted to your house, adding a new mailbox can add curb appeal. You can find a new mailbox starting around $20,” said DIY Network. “When you install your mailbox, make sure that you are following the regulations that are set forth in the city that you live in. If you have a simple mailbox mounted on your house, this home improvement project should take less than an hour to complete. If you have a full-size mailbox at the road, plan for at least two hours or so to complete the project.”
Written by Jaymi Naciri
Detach To Sell Your Home
Selling their home can feel like they’re cutting off their right arm for some sellers. They feel a sense of loss and go on an emotional ride that takes them plummeting into the uncertainty of a move and another new home. Even if there’s excitement building about the new place, leaving behind their home and its memories can cause some turmoil.
While having deep emotions about the home you lived in for a short or long time is normal, it can cause a lot of trouble if you unleash your emotions during the process of the marketing and sale of your home.
Telling sellers to detach to sell their home is like telling the kid whose cat has a litter to stay emotionally reserved from the kittens. Sellers are ready to take the leap into the new home, but you lived there, cared for it, and now you’re being told to detach from it. Families who have raised their children and watched many firsts happen in their home stay a little more connected. These are the sellers that often put a greater value on their home simply because they have a strong emotional attachment.
Selling a home is a business transaction. For buyers, it’s likely the largest financial commitment they will ever make. Understanding how to not get caught up in the emotional turmoil will help you keep your home as a real estate transaction, not an emotional roller coaster ride.
First, make sure you price your home based on comps of other homes sold in the area. Sounds sensible, but a lot of times emotions come into play causing sellers to overprice their home. Instead, turn to a reliable and expert real estate agent for advice and guidance. Pricing your home to sell is critical. Homes for sale usually get the most traffic in the first two weeks of being listed. If you price it too high, you’ll turn off potential buyers.
Aside from the emotional attachment they may have, the fact that they paid top dollar for it might make them want to price it too high. However, in today’s market, a home that was purchased at the peak might not fully recoup that price.
Give buyers space. There’s a term for parents who tend to over-parent. It’s called helicopter parenting — appropriately named because these parents hover over their children and essentially smother them. This could apply to sellers who tend to linger while buyers are viewing their home. This can make buyers uneasy and they might feel like they must cut short their visit to the home. They don’t feel comfortable talking openly about the things they like or don’t like about the home in the presence of the owners. The lesson here is don’t hover.
Consider all offers. There can be a tendency to turn away the initial offers because sellers think they might not be asking enough since the offers came in so quickly. Yes, it’s a catch-22. Sellers want to sell but when the early offers come they’re a bit uncertain. Be diligent and review all offers with your agent. You never know which one will be satisfactory until you see all of them.
Emotionally detach; remember, when you’re selling your home it’s just a product to a potential buyer. They will see the things you loved about your home, but they also will see the things they don’t love about it and they’ll share those things with their agent. They might criticize the very things you love. Here’s where you detach and let the criticism wash over you. If you need to repair something, do it. If it’s just a matter of opinion, don’t become emotionally caught up in it. This isn’t personal, it’s business. Sometimes that’s hard to remember because with real estate, the home we buy is going to be our personal sanctuary but at the time of the sale –it’s business. Keep the emotions out of it and detach to sell your home.
Written by Realty Times Staff
Maximize Your Listing Price While Minimizing Your Expense
It’s almost spring and in many parts of the country the housing market is already starting to thaw. Some markets like Denver, Seattle, and Portland are red hot. According to the S & P CoreLogic Case-Shiller National Index, prices nationwide are up 5.6 percent as of November 2016. Pricing your house correctly and increasing appeal with low-cost, high-value upgrades can mean more offers.
The Price is Right
There’s generally two schools of thought in regard to listing price. One philosophy is to list at top price and lower the price progressively until it sells. Sellers who choose this strategy are usually in less of a hurry and more risk averse. A second strategy is to list slightly under expected sales price. These sellers are usually trying to sell faster and hope to bring multiple offers, boosting the final selling price. The latter is, counterintuitively, the better strategy for getting the most money for your home. Here’s how to do it:
Price Under a Typical Search Limit
If you home is worth $400,000, set your listing price at $399,000. This way, you capture everyone who might be setting their search ranges at $400,000 or less. Like how products are priced at retail stores, psychologically, a price that ends with 99 appears to be a better value. Better yet, such that it deviates from both, such as $397,400 which studies have shown also increase the perception of value.
Create Demand
It might seem risky to underprice your home — what if your home is worth $400,000, you list for $375,000, and the offers all come in at only $375,000? First, that’s your home’s actual market worth. Two, if you receive offers you don’t like, you can counteroffer or decline them. Listing your home under value creates a psychological sense of urgency. You want buyers to visit your home and become attached enough to put in an offer. If enough people do this at once, you have created a buyer frenzy and increased your chance for multiple offers and escalated prices.
Use Comprehensive Comparables
Your agent should create a comparative market analysis of recently sold homes but also those currently active, expired and off-market. What is selling is as important as what is not. According to Zillow, ensure your home is priced within 10 percent of the average home price in your area. If there are few sold comparables nearby, price your home 10 percent under any currently active or expired listings.
Home Improvements Before Listing
There are many home improvements that might enhance your home’s value, such as putting in an expensive new kitchen or bath, but stick to the lowest cost for the highest possible value. Your goal is to make a positive first impression and sell your home quickly.
Replace Tired Flooring
If your carpet is more than five years old, has unsightly stains or is starting to buckle, it’s time to replace it. You can replace carpet with carpet but today’s buyers see more value in hard floors. Buyers with kids or pets tend to prefer engineered floors, bamboo, or cork for their sustainability. One continuous floor of the same material also creates the appearance that the home is bigger, creating an impression your home is worth more.
Paint, Paint, Paint
A coat of paint can cover scuff marks and dirt and brighten a room. Did you love flamingo pink for your hallway and forest green in your kitchen? That’s great! But chances are buyers won’t have your tastes so instead opt for neutral colors such as grays and earth tones when readying your home to sell.
Revitalize Your Kitchen
Fully remodeled kitchens are a great return on investment but don’t spend the money if you are looking to sell. Instead, paint them with Annie Sloan chalk paint. Chalk paint looks so good the buyers will barely be able to tell it’s not the original finish. For about $500 you can transform your kitchen in a weekend.
Written by Realty Times Staff
Tips For Getting Your Home Sold In The Winter
So you’ve decided to list your home this winter. Perhaps you’ve had a job change, need to relocate out of the area, or have financial or family reasons for moving. No matter what is driving the move, you may be concerned about selling at this time of year. But just because you missed the boat on the spring selling season doesn’t mean you can’t get your home sold quickly, and for a profit. A few tips can help get it moving.
Take photos early… or late
If you can take photos before the trees become barren and the grass goes dormant, do so! The last thing you want is for your home to look blah and depressing in photos. If you can capture a snowy day (with perfectly scraped walkways, of course), that works, too. It never hurts to have your home looking like a winter wonderland.
Go easy on the holiday décor
“Deck the halls, but don’t go overboard,” said HGTV. “Homes often look their best during the holidays, but sellers should be careful not to overdo it on the decor. Adornments that are too large or too many can crowd your home and distract buyers. Also, avoid offending buyers by opting for general fall and winter decorations rather than items with religious themes.”
Always mind your curb appeal
Just because it’s winter doesn’t mean you can let things slide out front. Potential buyers won’t give you a pass on chipping paint, a fence that needs repair, or a front door that’s seen better days just because it’s frigid outside.
Safety matters
Shoveling the walk from the street to your home is necessary to make it reachable, make it inviting, and also make it safe. The last thing you want is a slip and fall that could result in an injury, and a lawsuit. “Continually shovel a path through the snow, especially if snowflakes are still falling,” said the balance. “Footprints on freshly fallen snow will turn to ice if the temperature is low enough, so scrape the walk. Sprinkle a layer of sand over the sidewalk and steps to ensure your buyers’ stable footing. Remember to open a path from the street to the sidewalk so visitors aren’t forced to crawl over snowdrifts.”
Get a good indoor mat
Perhaps you never use a mat for indoors or yours is grubby or tattered from 10 straight years of winter wear. This one super easy move may not be noticed by visitors – but it sure will if it’s missing or not in good shape. Little things like a $10 mat can give buyers the impression that your whole house is well cared for, or just the opposite.
Clear the front door clutter
If you live in a climate where there is likely to be snow or rain, there are a few more steps you’ll probably have to take in order to keep your house looking great inside. How does your coat closet look? If it’s stuffed with jackets, scarves, boots, and gloves, relocating some to make room for potential buyers to put their stuff away while touring your home is a good idea – plus, a tidy coat closet gives the impression that there is plenty of storage space in the home. It goes without saying that winter wear and shoes that tend to stack up in the entry should be banished while your house is on the market.
Make sure everything is functional
Imagine you live in a climate that stays relatively temperate year-round, and then you have a cold spell. You turn on the heater for the first time the night before your first showing, and…nothing. Same for the fireplace in the living room. Your freezing cold house is probably not going to make a great impression on buyers. As soon as you decide you’re going to sell your home, go through it room by room, checking all major appliances and home functions and looking for little things that may escape notice on an everyday basis – cracked light switches, chipped baseboards, light bulbs that need to be replaced – so your home is perfect for showings.
Light it up
Shorter days with earlier sunsets limit the amount of natural light in your home. Turning on all the lights before showings is more important than ever. Think about the exterior when it comes to lights, too. If you only have a porch light, you might want to consider adding some landscaping lighting, which will help accentuate your outdoor space.
Listen to your REALTOR® when it comes to price
Will you be able to command top dollar for your home and get the same price you would have had you listed in spring or summer? That depends on so many things, including your neighborhood, the available inventory, the condition of the home, and, of course, your listing price. A trusted real estate agent will take all mitigating factors into consideration and use comparables in your area to develop a pricing strategy.
When it comes to offers, remember this tidbit from Realtor.com: “Just because your home’s on the market during the slow, chilly months doesn’t mean you have to accept a lowball offer. If you make your home attractive in all the right ways, qualified buyers will come.”
Written by Jaymi Naciri
Curb Appeal Problems? Easy Ways to Fix Them!!
Just how important is curb appeal? Real estate industry legend Barbara Corcoran has said, “Buyers decide in the first eight seconds of seeing a home if they’re interested in buying it.” What are buyers going to see in the first eight seconds after driving up to your place?
If you’ve walked around the perimeter of your house recently, you’ve probably seen at least a couple of issues that need to be addressed before you sell. And your plan probably depends on how much time you have available. If you’re listing your house today and expect immediate interest, you may have to pick from a few quick tips to get it in the best shape you can. Have a little more time? You can make a real impact in improving the curb appeal so potential buyers will drive up and want to see more.
Everything just looks a little shabby
It may be time to bite the bullet and repaint the house, or, at least, address some peeling trim. If your windows, walkways, and ornamental details are looking drab, a power washer can help transform the area easily and inexpensively. This is a relatively easy DIY task and the rental will only cost you about $40 a day from Home Depot.
Your open house is today and your yard is looking pretty boring
You may not have time to do any new plantings, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make the yard look tidy and pretty. Fresh flowers in pots placed near your front door will bring the eye up from the street to your entry and give the impression that your home (and your yard) is well cared for. Add a new welcome mat to finish the look.
Your front door is janky
If you’re looking at making a few smart updates before listing your home, don’t ignore your front door. A new door can return between 75–100 percent of your investment, and it’s a relatively low-cost project,” said Houselogic, with a “national median cost of around $2,000 installed.”
You have a last-minute showing and the landscaper hasn’t done his thing in the yard yet
Get in the car, drive to Lowe’s, and pack up the trunk with mulch. It’s one of the easiest ways to transform your yard and make it look fresh and neat. Lawn and bushes a little overgrown? Nextdoor is a great resource for finding last-minute landscape help or, in a pinch, a neighborhood kid with some developing gardening skills and a need for pocket cash.
Leaves. Everywhere
Get out the hose and spray those suckers away from sidewalks and walkways. Even if the hardscape is wet when the prospective buyers arrive, the area will look nice and clean. Now corral everyone in the house for some fire drill leave-bagging fun. An abundance of leaves in the yard can be a turnoff to those looking to buy as it may make them think the home is unkempt or that the yard is hard to take care of.
Your mailbox is…wow. How did you never notice that?
If it’s old, worn, rusty, or has just seen better days, buyers will notice. This seemingly little thing can make them question the quality of your home. Thankfully, it’s an easy fix that you can do yourself for almost no money. “It doesn’t matter if you have a regular mailbox by the road or if you have a box mounted to your house, adding a new mailbox can add curb appeal. You can find a new mailbox starting around $20,” said DIY Network. “When you install your mailbox, make sure that you are following the regulations that are set forth in the city that you live in. If you have a simple mailbox mounted on your house, this home improvement project should take less than an hour to complete. If you have a full-size mailbox at the road, plan for at least two hours or so to complete the project.”
Written by Jaymi Naciri
Inside North Indy Real Estate with The Platinum Realty Group! 