Dear Elaine,
I know I need to move to a senior citizen apartment complex. I just can’t keep up with the yard, snow and everything else around my house. The problem is, I have had my house for sale by a real estate company for the past seven months and it isn’t selling!!! What can I do?
Rose
Dear Rose,
Although we are experiencing a sluggish housing market, homes are still selling as long as the seller and listing agent are sensitive to the demands of the market and do the proper preparations necessary to make a good and lasting impression. Since you did not go into detail as to if you are getting traffic or not, I will assume you feel that the agent is providing adequate exposure via advertising and open houses to encourage traffic. So based on that assumption, the following is a list of areas that you may wish to look very closely at, if you have not already done so, to be sure that your home is positioned correctly in the market and ready to be shown.
Pricing your home:
The most important is price. No matter how valuable your home is to you especially with the memories and history you have within this home, when it comes to pricing your home, your home is only worth what someone else is willing to pay for your home. Your agent should be able to share with you what other homes in your area have sold for. You and your agent should focus on those homes that have sold in the last 6 months to get the most current feel on the market and to price your home correctly. Don’t be afraid to question your agent if you feel that your home is priced to low or to high. Keep in mind, if you overprice your home, it will not sell or the buyer may not qualify for the bank financing or may only qualify for a portion of the financing needed which will cause problems at closing.
Make the house accessible:
This means your home should always be ready to show. Make it easy for the perspective buyer to tour your home. Many agents won't bother showing a house that takes 24 hours to get in.
Preparing your Home for Sale: Very thoroughly clean your home. Clean the floors as well as carpets, walls, windows, woodwork and light fixtures including the globes and covers. Get rid of cobwebs high up in the corners at the ceiling. Scrub and really focus on getting into the corners everywhere!
Pre-pack and reduce clutter throughout your home. Buyers love to snoop and will open closet and cabinet doors. Go through all your closets, cabinets and drawers; take this opportunity to “lighten your load” for your move to your new home. Anything that you will be not using in the next few months pack it up and put into storage. Pack up those personal photographs and family heirlooms. Buyers can't see past personal artifacts, and you don't want them to be distracted. You want buyers to imagine their own photos on the walls, and they can't do that if yours are there! Clear off the kitchen and bathroom counters…less is more in these rooms. If you’re like most people, you will come across a number of belongings that you don’t need to move to your new home, I would suggest you give these items to friends or family that may need these items, have a garage sale or make donation to a charitable cause (check your tax adviser for potential tax write-off). The rooms will show better and larger, but more importantly the closets will appear organized as well as larger.
Use brighter light bulbs and open drapes. Allowing the natural light in and enhancing the natural light with your own lighting will allow the rooms to appear brighter, larger and warmer. Temporarily switch to higher watt bulbs (be sure not to go over the stated recommended maximum for each individual fixture) to make the room feel full of light. Some rooms may benefit by the warmer or softer color light bulbs, so test it to see what looks best. When your agent notifies you that someone will be touring your home, leave all curtains, shades and blinds open and all lights turned on for the visit from the potential buyer.
Make necessary repairs and paint touch ups inside and outside of your home. Make all needed repairs unless you want the house to be regarded as a fixer-upper. Don’t do any major remodeling or cosmetic updates, just address items in need of repair such as replacing cracked floor or counter tiles, patch holes in walls, fix leaky faucets, fix doors that don’t close properly, re-caulk tubs, showers and sinks and bleach discolored grout. Anything that's obviously broken gives potential buyers a reason to offer you a lower price, especially if it's one of several repair hot spots that worry buyers the most. Walk in and around your home and touch up paint where ever needed. If a potential buyer sees that you have neglected simple things like peeling paint, they may assume that you have not taken care of the heating system or appliances either. Consider painting your walls neutral colors, especially if you have grown accustomed to purple or pink walls. Important note: The smell of fresh paint is offensive to some people. Also your potential buyer may suspect that you are covering up a problem by painting over it. Most importantly appraisers are taught to be suspicious and investigate if they smell fresh paint. A seller's secret is to use water based latex paint and mix in 3 drops of REAL vanilla extract with each gallon. With most paint brands, this will neutralize 90% of the paint smell. Check with the paint manufacture for best results.
Rent a storage unit. Almost every home shows better with less furniture. Remove pieces of furniture that block or hamper paths and walkways and put them in storage. Open each room up by removing any pieces of furniture that defines a limited path. Remove extra leaves from your dining room table to make the room appear larger. Leave just enough furniture in each room to showcase the room's purpose and plenty of room to move around. Be sure to define the function of each room, you don't want buyers scratching their heads and asking themselves, "What is this room used for?"
Check Curb Appeal.If a potential buyer won't stop the car to get a closer look, they will never go inside your home. Be sure the sidewalks are cleared, the lawn is mowed, bushes trimmed, flower beds weeded and gutters cleaned. Be sure that the house number is visible, you’d be surprised how often a buyer can’t find the house they are looking for due to not being able to see the address.
Scrutinize. Go outside and open your front door. Stand there. Do you want to go inside? Does the house welcome you? Linger in the doorway of every single room and imagine how your house will look to a buyer. Examine carefully how furniture is arranged and move pieces around until it makes sense. Make sure window coverings hang level and that windows are clean. Make sure your home smells clean and inviting, no lingering odors.
Now, each time someone is scheduled to tour your home, make a quick run through your home and think about anything that you might have neglected, just use common sense. Also, turning on some soft background music never hurts.
Good luck!
Rose
Dear Rose,
Although we are experiencing a sluggish housing market, homes are still selling as long as the seller and listing agent are sensitive to the demands of the market and do the proper preparations necessary to make a good and lasting impression. Since you did not go into detail as to if you are getting traffic or not, I will assume you feel that the agent is providing adequate exposure via advertising and open houses to encourage traffic. So based on that assumption, the following is a list of areas that you may wish to look very closely at, if you have not already done so, to be sure that your home is positioned correctly in the market and ready to be shown.
Pricing your home:
The most important is price. No matter how valuable your home is to you especially with the memories and history you have within this home, when it comes to pricing your home, your home is only worth what someone else is willing to pay for your home. Your agent should be able to share with you what other homes in your area have sold for. You and your agent should focus on those homes that have sold in the last 6 months to get the most current feel on the market and to price your home correctly. Don’t be afraid to question your agent if you feel that your home is priced to low or to high. Keep in mind, if you overprice your home, it will not sell or the buyer may not qualify for the bank financing or may only qualify for a portion of the financing needed which will cause problems at closing.
Make the house accessible:
This means your home should always be ready to show. Make it easy for the perspective buyer to tour your home. Many agents won't bother showing a house that takes 24 hours to get in.
Preparing your Home for Sale: Very thoroughly clean your home. Clean the floors as well as carpets, walls, windows, woodwork and light fixtures including the globes and covers. Get rid of cobwebs high up in the corners at the ceiling. Scrub and really focus on getting into the corners everywhere!
Pre-pack and reduce clutter throughout your home. Buyers love to snoop and will open closet and cabinet doors. Go through all your closets, cabinets and drawers; take this opportunity to “lighten your load” for your move to your new home. Anything that you will be not using in the next few months pack it up and put into storage. Pack up those personal photographs and family heirlooms. Buyers can't see past personal artifacts, and you don't want them to be distracted. You want buyers to imagine their own photos on the walls, and they can't do that if yours are there! Clear off the kitchen and bathroom counters…less is more in these rooms. If you’re like most people, you will come across a number of belongings that you don’t need to move to your new home, I would suggest you give these items to friends or family that may need these items, have a garage sale or make donation to a charitable cause (check your tax adviser for potential tax write-off). The rooms will show better and larger, but more importantly the closets will appear organized as well as larger.
Use brighter light bulbs and open drapes. Allowing the natural light in and enhancing the natural light with your own lighting will allow the rooms to appear brighter, larger and warmer. Temporarily switch to higher watt bulbs (be sure not to go over the stated recommended maximum for each individual fixture) to make the room feel full of light. Some rooms may benefit by the warmer or softer color light bulbs, so test it to see what looks best. When your agent notifies you that someone will be touring your home, leave all curtains, shades and blinds open and all lights turned on for the visit from the potential buyer.
Make necessary repairs and paint touch ups inside and outside of your home. Make all needed repairs unless you want the house to be regarded as a fixer-upper. Don’t do any major remodeling or cosmetic updates, just address items in need of repair such as replacing cracked floor or counter tiles, patch holes in walls, fix leaky faucets, fix doors that don’t close properly, re-caulk tubs, showers and sinks and bleach discolored grout. Anything that's obviously broken gives potential buyers a reason to offer you a lower price, especially if it's one of several repair hot spots that worry buyers the most. Walk in and around your home and touch up paint where ever needed. If a potential buyer sees that you have neglected simple things like peeling paint, they may assume that you have not taken care of the heating system or appliances either. Consider painting your walls neutral colors, especially if you have grown accustomed to purple or pink walls. Important note: The smell of fresh paint is offensive to some people. Also your potential buyer may suspect that you are covering up a problem by painting over it. Most importantly appraisers are taught to be suspicious and investigate if they smell fresh paint. A seller's secret is to use water based latex paint and mix in 3 drops of REAL vanilla extract with each gallon. With most paint brands, this will neutralize 90% of the paint smell. Check with the paint manufacture for best results.
Rent a storage unit. Almost every home shows better with less furniture. Remove pieces of furniture that block or hamper paths and walkways and put them in storage. Open each room up by removing any pieces of furniture that defines a limited path. Remove extra leaves from your dining room table to make the room appear larger. Leave just enough furniture in each room to showcase the room's purpose and plenty of room to move around. Be sure to define the function of each room, you don't want buyers scratching their heads and asking themselves, "What is this room used for?"
Check Curb Appeal.If a potential buyer won't stop the car to get a closer look, they will never go inside your home. Be sure the sidewalks are cleared, the lawn is mowed, bushes trimmed, flower beds weeded and gutters cleaned. Be sure that the house number is visible, you’d be surprised how often a buyer can’t find the house they are looking for due to not being able to see the address.
Scrutinize. Go outside and open your front door. Stand there. Do you want to go inside? Does the house welcome you? Linger in the doorway of every single room and imagine how your house will look to a buyer. Examine carefully how furniture is arranged and move pieces around until it makes sense. Make sure window coverings hang level and that windows are clean. Make sure your home smells clean and inviting, no lingering odors.
Now, each time someone is scheduled to tour your home, make a quick run through your home and think about anything that you might have neglected, just use common sense. Also, turning on some soft background music never hurts.
Good luck!
