Thanks for joining us for another day of news and information on the Real Estate and Rent to Own Market. Today, as always, it's my goal to provide you solid news and information that will help you in all of your real estate endeavors.
The topic for today covers some tips on preparing your home for sale (or even for Rent to Own). John Ruzicka, a person that has worked as a buyer's agent in California since 2004, and has heard a lot of feedback from potential buyers, tells us that there are three top things a seller can do to prepare their home for a quick sale, which he says are, "Remove clutter - box it up and put it away! You're moving anyway, so why not get a jump on the packing?", "Mow the yard - clean the clutter outside, mow the yard (and keep it mowed), consider planting some seasonal flowers to add some color", and "Make a good first impression - what's the first thing that buyers see when they walk in the door? Is that going to make a favorable impression? If not, consider making a change, which could be as simple as having carpets cleaned, re-painting a single wall, or leaving drapes open to let in natural light."
In keeping with the idea of first impressions, Joyce O'Haus, of LaTorraca Realtors, suggests to Remove any old carpet ("this takes odors out and makes such a better first impression"). She also suggests that you, "Tie back all curtains to let in light - make sure windows are clean". Additionally, she says you should remove, "half of your furniture, make all rooms appear as large as possible.", and says, "please please please, no pet odors allowed."
Jewell Staley, a self-described expert at helping sellers prepare their homes for sale, makes some additional suggestions, the first of which is to consider, "re-glazing the tile in a neutral color (have your contractor scrape the grout and re-grout after glazing). Another option is to add wainscotting over the tile." Staley says that, "An outdated kitchen can be easily updated with a few changes", of which she gives the following examples: "a) update kitchen knobs b) replace an old Formica counter top with at least a pre-cut laminate counter top in a stone pattern or tile the counter top with bright white tiles c) purchase replacement knobs and drip pans for old appliances."
Staley says that you should update outdated fixtures – lights, bath, and kitchen, replace old outlet covers with new covers which can cost as little as 25 cents a piece, and says that if you haven't painted your house in the, "last 10 years, it’s time for a fresh coat." She highly suggests Earth tones.
Jacob J. Gabrie, CEO of Town Center Realty Group in El Dorado Hills, California, says that, "It's ok to ask questions. Ask many questions of your agent, their broker and others in the industry even...you may be surprised by how much you can learn simply by asking questions." Gabrie also suggests that you follow up with your agent, and, "If the agent is not returning your calls or emails, it may be that they are not returning the prospect calls either. Keep tabs on the agent and voice your concerns if they don't follow up." Finally, Gabrie suggests that you do inquire, "regarding the marketing of the home; specifically asking the agent what they are doing to market the home on a regular basis. There are many ways today to market a home besides the newspaper and open houses. Ask for "copy" of the marketing that is published and the links to the on-line marketing."
Joan Gale Frank, a real estate investor, a home seller, an author, has made some great "out of the box" suggestions, such as to, "Install a brass or polished metal kick plate to your front door to make a home look richer (as you'll often see on the doors of expensive financial advisor or lawyer's offices.)", to, "Change the elevation of your furniture in a room to include highs and lows, so house hunter's eyes are delighted by seeing something usual, rather than having all of the furniture fall within the typical range of 1 1/2 feet to 3 feet off the ground. (Leaving the top half of the room looking empty.), and says that she does not, "I don't advocate dropping money into major repairs, but some inexpensive updates to lighting, bath and kitchen fixtures and small items such as door pulls, new light switch plates and throw rugs can make a home much more memorable. Of course coming up with a price that attract home buyers is also a critical aspect of attracting buyers."
Have you recently prepared a home for sale? What did you do that we could all learn from?
Have a Great Week, and Happy Rent-to-Owning !
Regards,
Rob Eisenstein
HomeRun Homes Blog http://blogging.lease2buy.com
HomeRun Homes Website http://www.lease2buy.com
