Posts with tag 'Selling tips'

Congratulations, you've found the ideal buyers, the ink has dried on the paperwork, and our real estate agents are helping you finalize the process. Essentially, it's a clean break! All you have to do is hand over the house keys to the new owners, walk away, and celebrate, right?

Well, not just yet! While it's tempting to skip out on the last few cleaning chores, not observing seller's etiquette could actually compromise the sale of your home.

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Times have changed. From birthday presents to a new pair of shoes, shoppers seek the items they desire online, avoiding brick-and-mortar stores. The same holds true of home sales, shifting the focus from driving through the neighborhood to looking at houses online. Our real estate agents will assure you that if you want to sell your home quickly and easily, you'll invest in a series of listing photographs that will show your house to its greatest advantage. Here are a few things to keep in mind before your house is photographed.

• Make it sparkle!
  The camera lens is far more critical than the human eye, allowing viewers to enlarge a photo with the swipe of a finger. And you can be assured that they will do exactly that. Every streak on the baseboards will stand out. Smart sellers won't just clean the house the best they can. They will hire a service to deep clean all of the places they didn't think about. Make sure all windows are cleaned and drapes pulled open to show off both the view and the natural light.

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Which is better, carpet or hardwood? This is a common question many homeowners have when trying to find the best flooring choice for their homes. The "right" decision for you will depend on your situation, budget, and taste. If you're planning to put your home on the market, you'll also need to consider the preferences and traditions in your neighborhood. Our real estate agents take a look at the difference between carpet floors and hardwood floors.

• Care and Cleaning
  Hardwood
  Of the two materials, hardwood flooring is easier to clean and maintain. The floor can be swept, vacuumed, or damp mopped to remove loose dirt, dust, surface stains, and other debris. Also, it's easier to spot dust and dirt on a hardwood floor.
  
  Carpet
  Keeping the carpet clean typically involves simple but frequent vacuuming. However, some people feel that keeping the carpet fully clean is a little tougher because stains soak in and settle permanently. Also, dust, pollen, micro-bacteria, and other allergens are easily trapped in the fibers. Carpet is a hard choice in high traffic areas and for people with pets or those who suffer from allergies.

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So you've listed your home, found a buyer, and accepted an offer. Congratulations! You're almost closing the sale, but you still have to make it through the home inspection before you start packing. The home inspection process can be nerve-racking for a seller. You don't want the deal to fall through, be stuck with the cost of major repairs, or lower the price to account for repairs. With that in mind, it's important to show your home in the best possible light and have the inspection go as smoothly as possible. Our real estate agents provide tips for how you can get ready for a home inspection.

• Work With Your Real Estate Agent
  Depending on how many houses you've sold before, you may have little to no experience with home inspection preparations and negotiations. Now is the time to trust your agent to help you navigate the process. Your real estate agent can explain how the home inspection works, help you understand the types of home maintenance problems that are common in your area, develop a plan for repair requests, determine whether you're in a seller's or buyer's market, and help you with negotiations based on the findings.

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Our real estate agents know that sellers are always looking for ways to impress buyers and make them notice all their home has to offer. Getting ready to sell always means completing a few projects around the house. When you're redoing a room, deciding on a look for the walls is a must. The walls are usually the largest surface and most noticeable part of a room. So it's a good opportunity to really catch a buyer's attention.

1. Repair and patch. This is a big must when you're selling and it's the first step in any wall-related project.  Life happens, and your walls may have dents, cracks, gouges, or nail holes to prove it. They may seem small, but buyers will notice, and repairing them will make a dramatic difference.  For nail holes and other small blemishes, spackle and a putty knife will do the trick. For large holes mesh patches or a piece of drywall and some joint compound will be necessary. Sand afterward to blend the repairs into the rest of the wall.

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