7 Reasons Why It May Be Time To Downsize Your Home

There may come a time in your life, as you approach retirement, or after you retire, where you think it may be time to downsize your home of many years.

Often, as the children move out and you are looking to the future of not going in to work every day, the home you have known for many years may no longer suit your lifestyle.

It could trigger you taking a look at your living situation and if there may be some better options for you.

One couple I had recently helped sell their home of 38 years and downsize to an over 55 condominium community started the process with much trepidation, but were very pleased with the outcome.

So I asked them what they were really enjoying the most about their move.

Both of them said the lack of maintenance…. mowing the lawn, keeping the gardens weeded, power washing the house, general maintenance, etc…

They were spending so much time maintaining the exterior of their home and large lawn. For them, the regular upkeep of a large house and yard weighing them down.

It has given them time to travel and spend with their children and grandchildren.

Seven Reasons To Downsize Your Home

The decision to downsize from a larger home to a smaller one or a different one that may suit your needs better is personal…. very personal. But here are a few of the signs to trigger some to downsize into a new home.

Retirement

Retirement is an event in one’s life that often triggers downsizing into a smaller home. Once you stop the daily grind of working the 9-5 every day. It gives you time to think a little hard about the future.

Thoughts of….

is this where you want to be in retirement?

how downsizing would fit into your overall financial planning?

do you really need all this space?

and more, will get you thinking if downsizing is the right option for you or not.

Feeling Overwhelmed

When you are living in a large home, the maintenance and upkeep can sometimes feel overwhelming.

Now that the family is gone, you may have no need for the large yard and a large house. The motivation to spend hours mowing the lawn, weeding the gardens and maintaining a large home may be gone.

If the maintenance is overwhelming you a condo could be a great alternative. Living in a condo, leaves a lot of the exterior maintenance and lawn upkeep to someone else.

Or, if condo living isn’t for you, maybe a smaller, more manageable home is ideal.

Unused Space

I had a client that had 8 children, all long moved out of the house, with families of their own They have a home that is 6 bedrooms and over 3600 square feet.

Their current lifestyle had them using about a third of the home…. the master bedroom, kitchen and family room and a small office.

Most of their house is shut off. And, while financial concerns are not high on their list, they are still paying a lot of extra money to heat and maintain a home they are barely using to its full potential.

The decision was to sell the home and find a home that suited their current lifestyle. The couple bought a much smaller, new construction, single family home.

The new construction offered a very open concept living area and a first floor master, which is a huge plus to help them age in place. They love the decision they made.

Move Closer to Family

I run into many folks that have decided they want to be closer to family. For some empty nesters, their family has spread out and they want to be closer to their children or possibly move in with one of their children.

The reasons to move closer to family or live with family can be many. I’ll list a few here:

Financial- Living with a family member in a multi generational living situation can save both parties’ money.
Help A Child- Having the free time that comes with retirement now gives you the time to help out one or more of your children with daycare.
Care- Maybe as you age, you want to be closer to your children to give you a hand with some care, rides and maintenance that might be required as you get older.

Community Needs

When we are raising our families and are working hard, our lives are filled with commitments and not much else matters. As children move on, or you slow down at work, you find you may have a lot of time on your hand.

Selling that big house with a two acre lot in the middle of nowhere, could allow you to move closer to important amenities and an area you may want to spend your retirement years in.

Making a move when you downsize can give you the opportunity to move closer to shopping, golfing and other activities you enjoy, family, doctors or even becoming more involved socially. I have known people who move to an adult community for activities and involvement with peers with similar interests.

Financial Need Tops The List of Why It May Be Time To Downsize Your Home

A home is often a person’s single, largest asset. Moving into a smaller, less expensive home could tap into some of your home’s accrued equity to help fund your retirement.

That equity can be used to augment a fixed income from pension payments or social security.

Looking at a large home that requires extensive maintenance while paying for taxes and utilities on space you don’t event use may stretch your monthly budget. You also may be looking at having to pay people to mow the lawn or plow the driveway, tasks you used to do when you were younger.

Years of paying down or off your mortgage can now benefit your retirement years.

Aging At Home

As people age their mobility can wane. And they often want to stay in a home they are familiar with. But a home used to raise a family may not be as suitable as you age. It could be time to downsize your home and think more carefully about your living space.

One of the biggest home features the over 55 community looks for is either single floor living or a first floor master. Navigating stairs becomes one of the biggest problems one needs to navigate as they age.

There are other home features that can help someone age in their existing home. Open floor plans, wider doorways, no step entries, etc… are all features that make navigating a home easier.

Downsize Your Home Summary

Now, downsizing might not be for everyone. There are plenty of people who want to stay put just for the security of what they know.

But I am sure at some point everyone goes through the thought process of what would the benefits be of downsizing be. I listed the 7 most popular reasons why people consider when is it time to downsize, but the list could be much longer and everyone’s circumstances are personal.

As always, if you are considering it may be time to downsize your home talk to a local REALTOR that has experience.

Other Real Estate Resources:

Sometimes moving means making a long distance move. And that move may include transporting your automobiles. Michelle Gibson provides 5 tips for moving your vehicles long distance, starting with choosing the right transportation company.
With interest rates having a drastic increase lately, considering an Adjustable Rate Mortgage may be an option to consider lowering your monthly mortgage payment. Bill Gassett provides all the information you need to consider an adjustable rate mortgage.
This summer, here in New England, it has been pretty darn hot!! Paul Sian helps us stay cool this summer with his article on How To Keep Your Home Cool.
Closing on a home means doing a walk through of the home just prior to closing. Joe Boylan discusses what you should be looking for at the final walkthrough to avoid any issues after the closing.

7 Reasons Why It May Be Time To Downsize Your Home is provided by Kevin Vitali of EXIT Realty. If you would like to sell or buy a home, give me a call at 978-360-0422 and let’s get the process started.

Real Estate Services in the following areas: Northeast Massachusetts, Merrimack Valley, North Shore and Metrowest. Including the following communities and the surrounding areas- Amesbury, Andover, Billerica, Burlington, Chelmsford, Dracut, Groveland, Haverhill, Lowell, Melrose, Merrimac, Methuen, Middleton, North Andover, North Reading, Reading, Stoneham, Tewksbury, Tyngsborough, Wakefield, Wilmington, Westford

The 2022 Real Estate Market- What Should You Expect?

The housing market for 2022 started off strong, with the beginning of the year looking much like the real estate market of 2021.

Let’s take a quick look back at 2021.

2021 showed Massachusetts having an average home price of $515,000, up 12.6% from $450,000 in 2020.

Homes were selling for 103% of the asking price in 2021 versus 101% for 2020.

In 2021, the number of days it took to get an offer on a home was 22 whereas in 2020 it took an average of 34 days.

As of today, there are 5472 homes on the market versus 4132 homes on the same day in 2021.

Now, contrast 2018 which was a more balanced market, there were 12,572 homes for sale.

2021 was a very hot seller’s market. Meaning, the market heavily favored sellers over homebuyers.

But as we continue into 2022, we have seen a few converging forces that could slow the red-hot sellers market of 2021 and the beginning of 2022.

What Is Driving The Local Housing Market 2022?

Of course, no one has a crystal ball and can predict the future of the housing market for Massachusetts, 2022. But much of what has driven the past market is still in effect today.

Housing Shortage

Nationally, we are seeing a housing shortage. The country is about 5 million housing units shy of adequately housing our nation’s population.

The short fall is for a number of reasons. Builders can not keep up with the demand. Much can be blamed on restrictive zoning and recent supply chain issues.

As house prices increase, so do rental prices. Many renters are finding that they can buy a home with a mortgage payment that is roughly the same as their monthly rent. It makes financial sense to buy for many who are ready to purchase their first home.

It boils down to supply and demand. Currently, the demand is far greater than the supply, which will continue to drive up prices and create heavy buyer competition.

Interest Rates Were Extremely Low

Interest rates have been extremely low for most of 2021 and will continue into 2022. 2021 has seen interest rate hovering around the low 3 or high 2% range. This will continue into 2022.

While many believe interest rates will rise, we probably won’t see interest rates above 3.5% to 3.75% by the end of the year.

In reality, while house prices seem high, a $500,000 house today has roughly the same principal and interest payment of a $350,000 in 2007.

The unprecedentedly low interest rates make the rapidly appreciating house prices affordable.

Cost of Construction High

The high cost of construction plays into the cost of real estate overall.

The National Home Builders Association cites construction cost are up over 33% in one year.

It goes without saying, that as list prices on new homes rise, due to the rising construction costs, it makes similar resale homes more valuable as a substitution. Along with the rising cost of construction, that same resale home would cost more to build, dragging up the value.

Massachusetts Housing Forecast 2022- Moving Forward

Since the beginning of 2022, several factors converged all at once, that will alter the remaining course of the 2022 housing market.

Drastic Rise In Interest Rates

Since the beginning of the year, interest rates have almost doubled to around 6. This translates into the buying power of the buyers in the marketplace. A $550,000 buyer at the start of 2022 to maintain the same mortgage payment they were previously pre-approved for can now only afford $405,000.

For many home buyers, they don’t have much wiggle room to put down more money or raise their pre-approval amount.

Significant Inflation

Buyers only have so much money every month. And like everyone, they are feeling the pinch, not only at the gas pumps but at the grocery store and beyond.

There is only so much money buyers have to put towards a home mortgage every month. With rising interest rates and increased living expenses, it will put a damper on what a buyer can afford moving forward into 2022.

Prediction for 2022 Massachusetts Real Estate Market

Remember, real estate markets are local. Rural areas and less popular housing markets can see different results. Consult your local REALTOR to see what is happening in your area.

We are only seeing slight changes in the market. Market times are increasing…. slightly. Some of the craziness is going away.

The market will very slowly cool throughout the rest of the year.

Instead of double-digit appreciation, we will see homes fall back into a more balanced range. While many think we are in a housing bubble, circumstances are much different from the housing bubble of 2005-2007.

The underlying factor still driving the real estate market is a lack of housing inventory rising and rising costs of construction. While rents continue to rise and housing remains in a shortage, we will not see a bubble burst. Waiting on the side lines for the housing bubble to burst is not the way to go.

We can expect a pull back to very modest appreciation of 2 to 5% and a market that is more balanced. Meaning, neither buyers nor sellers have an advantage.

Massachusetts Home Sellers

2022 will still be a great time to sell a home in Massachusetts. But expectations should be different for home sellers. Cautiously optimistic is the way to go.

Don’t expect to be completely in the driver’s seat and demand everything you want. Prepare your homes and work with buyers. It will still be a great market to sell your home.

As a home seller your home will still sell quickly and there will still be plenty of buyers.

Massachusetts Home Buyers

Homebuyers can still expect some chaos to continue, though it should lighten up a bit. There will still be limited inventory, but the competition among buyers will lessen.

Should I Consider Buying A Home or Wait?

As a buyer you may be left with the thought of should I buy a home or wait?

The answer to that is highly personal. But, if you need a home, you need a home. Are you going to continue paying your landlords rent with exorbitant monthly rental rate? Throwing away rent money every month?

If you buy real estate as a primary residence for the intermediate to long term, you probably won’t be disappointed. Even buyers who bought in 2007 the peak of the last housing bubble have seen their homes appreciate 60% in the past 15 years.

Yes, if you bought in 2007 at the peak, you probably didn’t break even until owning your home for 6 or 7 years. But as you start owning for the intermediate or long term, it is a beneficial purchase.

Never mind, the principal that has been paid down over those years. Buying a home is not strictly about money. If you think about real estate in terms of 7+ years you will be able to weather most storms in the real estate market.

Massachusetts Housing Forecast Beyond 2022

Year over year appreciation will slow to a more modest pace of 3 to 5% a year.

The housing shortage and the cost to build will keep the housing market from any serious dip in prices. Instead we will see a far more balanced market where buyers have time to make informed decisions, yet sellers will still realize appreciation in their homes, just not the double-digit appreciation we have been seeing.

Summary of The Real Estate Market 2022

If I had to predict the future state of the real estate market in 2022 for Massachusetts, I would say we are still going to see much of the same with a slight cooling. The negative factors in play are mitigated by other forces like a housing shortage and high cost of construction.

Things will calm down slightly in certain market segments, but if you are buying around the median house price or under, things will stay pretty heated. There are more buyers than there are houses available. Supply and demand.

Other Real Estate Resources

Check out Paul Sian’s real estate round up for December 2021. Find the best articles on homeownership, home buying and home selling.
While it may be tempting to do work on your home without a building permit…. don’t!! Vicki Moore explains everything you need to know about building permits.
At this point, everyone knows it is a seller’s market and most sellers can expect multiple offers. Given sellers are in the driver seats, Scott Russell has expounded on some terms sellers should negotiate when there are multiple offers.

Sorry we are experiencing system issues. Please try again.

The 2022 Real Estate Market- What Should You Expect? is provided by Kevin Vitali of EXIT Realty. If you would like to sell or buy a home, give me a call at 978-360-0422 and let’s get the process started.

Homebuyer Turnoffs-17 Things Buyers Will HATE About Your House

No doubt, the 2022 home buying market is still a white-hot market. Local open houses are flooded with buyers, multiple offers above asking seem to be the norm and quite frankly sellers have been in the driver’s seat. Quite frankly, home sellers have gotten a little lazy with their take it or leave it attitude. Because they could! But now it may be time to pay more attention to homebuyer turnoffs when selling your home.

There could be change in the air. Rapidly rising interest rates and higher than normal inflation will be eating into consumers pockets.

In the past 2 months alone, interest rates have risen close to 1.5%. This eats into a homebuyer’s affordability.

To put it in perspective, I recently spoke to one of my regular mortgage brokers, and he said if a buyer was pre-approved for $500k at the end of last year, they have lost $109k in buying power!!

Let me get to the point, the market is going to slow maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow but sometime in the near future and sellers are going to wake up and have to fight a little harder for a home buyer’s attention.

Buyers Want Move-in Ready Homes

Societal changes over the last 40 years have had younger generations prioritizing their housing differently than past generations. They are working longer and harder, are saddled with more student debt, and value their downtime.

Today’s home buyers want to move in ready homes. They want homes that are clean and they also want homes with plenty of space and amenities.

17 Homebuyer Turn Offs That Will Leave Them Hating Your Home

Filth and Grime

Filth and grime are a major turn-off for home buyers. First they focus on how dirty your home is and second how much work it will take to clean it. Keep your homebuyer’s attention on your home, don’t distrat them.

A spotless home will impress any buyer.

Solution: Clean it, clean it again, and then clean it one more time.

Dirty Carpets

Dirty, worn carpets can make every home look tired and dingy. Not only do your dirty carpets turnoff homebuyers, they can also hold lingering smells that compound the problem even more.

It is also no secret that carpet has fallen out of favor in most areas of the home. Carpet does not top the list of many homeowner wants and desires.

Solution: At the very least, try to clean your carpets and make them as presentable as possible. If you have hard woods underneath the carpets, even if they need refinishing, show the potential of the hardwoods rather than a dirty carpet.

Converted Rooms

Buyers have a hard time visualizing a home with converted rooms.

What is a converted room? A converted room is taking the original intent of a room and converting it to another use.

Sometimes a homeowner will take a 1st floor dining room and convert it to a bedroom, an office or a playroom. Often it doesn’t make the most sense for the flow of the home and it will leave buyers wondering where the dining room is.

One big conversion, is taking a garage and converting it to a family room or bedroom. This is a huge mistake. Buyers want garages for storage and to protect their car from the elements.

Solution: Consult with a local real estate and understand the impact your conversion will have on the value of a home if it is not something easily irreversible. If you can convert a room back to its intended use.

Popcorn Ceilings

Popcorn ceilings were a cost effective easy way of providing a textured ceiling that fell out of vogue in the 70s. Many home owners continued using popcorn ceilings to cover ceiling repairs. It sprayed on easily and covered fast.

Unfortunately, today’s homebuyers, hate popcorn ceilings and find them a major turnoff…. a question often heard is how do I get rid of them.

Solution: Remove the popcorn ceilings in key areas of your home. And, certainly do not cover problem areas with popcorn ceilings because it is a simple solution.

Clutter

Clutter distracts home buyers. First, most buyers will be turned off by clutter and view the home as dirty and disorganized. It will also close in spaces and make them look smaller than they are.

Your clutter also prevents buyers for fully viewing the home. Remember, you are selling the feature and benefits of your home and it may be hard to see through all your clutter..

Solution: Take a few weeks to remove your clutter and allow the buyers to see your home.

Outdated Hardware And Fixtures

Brass cabinet knobs, hinges and faucets were a very popular choice not that long ago. But today’s buyer prefer brushed nickel or black hardware. Also, porcelain fixtures with an imprinted design or encased in brass is a style choice that turns off homebuyers.

Solution: Change out hardware and fixtures for a more modern look. A small, inexpensive change can have a big impact.

Pets

Not everyone loves your pet like you do. If a buyer knows you have a pet, their nose goes on high alert.

All they think about is smells, filth and damage caused by a pet inhabiting the house. Some, buyers are allergic to pets and will be left wondering how they can get rid of all the pet dander that causes the allergies.

Solution: While you can’t hide all evidence of your pet or pets, try to limit your pet’s presence to one corner of the home. Repair all damage from pets and work to remove all pet odors from your house.

Smells

Bad smells, cooking smells, pet smells, smoke….. or any smell that a homebuyer is not used to can be a real turnoff for home buyers. Buyer’s want to buy your home, not the odors you leave behind.

This also goes for deodorizers. If a home buyer gets a big smell from plugin deodorizers or sprays, they are often left with the thought of what are you trying to cover up.

Solution: The best bet is no smells at all. Try to eliminate smells at the source and work at neutralizing the smells and airing out your house.

Highly Personal Decor Choices

Highly personal decor choices distract buyers. Topping the list is paint colors. Keep your paint colors neutral. A neutral palette lets the buyer work in almost any color scheme of their choice.

Beyond paint, your personalized choices in furniture, artwork, religious artifacts can be highly distracting.

Remember, you’re selling a house, not your stuff. When home buyers view your home, you want them to envision themselves living there, not you.

Solution: Neutralize the decor of your home. This includes paint colors, furniture and decor. I always like to say take the home out of your house when it comes time to sell. What you consider your home, may not be the vision a buyer has for a home.

Wet Basements

Here in New England, sometimes basements get wet. Some homes get a bit of water on occasion, while others can have a serious water issue on a regular basis.

Basements are important for buyers first and foremost for storage. And, secondly, many people want to finish part of the basement for additional living areas.

But a wet basement conjurs up images of mold issues, ruined items and potential ruined finished space.

Solution: Some minor water issues can often be a simple fix. Filling cracks, properly installed gutters, grading, etc… Other larger issues could be a big expense that requires sump pumps or french drains. But it is certainly something to think about or may buyers will just walk away.

Deferred Maintenance

Houses that have been lived in but have remained untouched for 20 or 30 years or more will overwhelm buyers and be a major turnoff. Often, there will be major items all needing replacement at the same time.

This includes roofs, furnaces, exterior maintenance like decks, driveways, walkways, siding and windows as well as lots of little issues like leaky plumbing, old painted walls, sticky doors, cabinets that don’t close, etc…

One or two items a buyer might live with, but a total lack of maintenance will overwhelm a buyer and seem like an unsurmountable project.

Solution: Keep up on maintenance and moderate updating, it is going to cost you either now to do the work or later when you sell and you have to discount your house to compete with homes in great shape.

Lack of Light

You want home buyers to walk into a well lit home. It is just cozier and welcoming. You don’t want buyers wondering what’s lurking in the dark corners.

Not every buyer can view a home during the day. Often, showings occur after the sun sets, especially in the winter months.

Solution: Swap out heavy drapes for sheers or remove them completely. Add lighting to rooms that are lacking.

Unfinished Projects

Don’t bring a project to 80% completion and then leave it unfinished. And, on top of it, expect a buyer to pay for your project like it’s completed.

Many homebuyers today are expecting turnkey homes. They don’t want to be saddled with the cost of large projects or even spend the time on them.

Poor Workmanship from The DIY’er

Are you weekend warrior? Before tackling a DIY project around the home, assess your skills and abilities. There is nothing worse that a seller spending big bucks on a renovation project and expect to recoup their costs for poor workmanship.

One project that seems so easy but can go so wrong is installing laminate floors. A new installation of laminate floors can fail quickly if done poorly. All that time and money wasted, only to scare away potential home buyers.

Solution: Do the work properly to begin with and if you can’t hire the right professional.

No Curb Appeal

The impact of great curb appeal can be immeasurable. Curb appeal can make a home go from blah to FABULOUS!!

It can be the difference of a home buyer feeling indifferent about approaching your home to be excited to find out what’s behind the front door.

Start your buyer off with a great first impression, and that will carry the whole showing. But if they start off unimpressed or even turned off, every little issue becomes a problem.

Solution: Spend some time and money on increasing your home’s curb appeal before putting it on the market.

Mismatched Flooring

There is nothing that drives a homebuyer crazier than mismatched flooring. Ceramic tile in the foyer, hardwoods in the living room, laminate in the dining room, linoleum in the kitchen…….

It visually impedes the flow of your home. Homebuyers will see a barrier between each finish, even if it is an open floor plan.

Solution: Plan your flooring for continuity and flow. Limit each level to just a couple of flooring finishes. And, when you transition from one floor finish to another, have them visually blend.

Outdated Kitchens and Baths

Per square foot kitchen and bathrooms are the two most expensive rooms to renovate. As a matter of fact, great kitchens and baths sell homes.

Many homebuyers do not want to get into the expense of big renovation projects. And with the prevelance of home buying shows many home buyers have the expectation of glamorous kitchens and baths.

Solution: Keep your home updated over your years of ownership. If it comes time to sell your home with severely outdated baths and kitchens consider using a home stager to soften its age and give a homebuyer the vison of what it could look like.

Many areas of your home that can turn off home buyers can often be avoided with some careful upfront thought. Or, many of these items can be a simple, inexpensive fix that can go a long way in impressing homebuyers rather than having them turned off.

Mismatched Appliances

No homebuyer wants a hodgepodge of appliances, a black fridge, a stainless micowave, a white stove and an ovacado dishwasher.

A home buyer will view that as hideous as well as a significant expense.

Solution: Condider replacing your mismatched appliance with an appliance packgage of all the same color.

Other Real Estate Resources:

How long should a seller respond to an offer? Kyle Hiscock provides advice. While there is no hard and fast rule a home seller should take into account the market and how confident they are in their pricing. But, it is usually best to respond in a timely manner.
An appraisal and a Comparative Market Analysis is often thrown aroun interchangeably. While both can aid a home seller in determinging fair market value of a home, there are differences between an appraisal and a CMA as Joe Boylan explains.
Buying a new home is a big deal. Before you move into your home it is a great opportunity to clean your home from top to bottom. Paul Sian provides some great tips on cleaning your home.

Homebuyer Turnoffs-17 Things Homebuyers Will HATE About Your House is provided by Kevin Vitali of EXIT Realty. Are you thinking of selling your home? Call Kevin at 978-360-0422.

Is My Real Estate Agent Really Working for Me?

When it come time to buy or sell a house, most people call a real estate agent to aid in their home sale or purchase.

Whether you are buying or selling a home, understanding real estate agency is critical.

Buying a home and looking at homes is fun. Talking about the legal aspects is not. Do yourself a big favor and decide on how your real estate agent is going to work for you.

The only type of real estate agent that works soley for you that protects your interest is a buyer’s agent!

Secondly, you can run into other agents along the way and is important you understand the relationship you have with each agent.

Real Estate Agency is at the core of every real estate transaction, but is also the most overlooked aspect of purchasing a home by buyers. It is also what trips up home buyers the most and where critical mistakes are made by a homebuyer.

Homebuyers in particularly ignore real estate agency and how “their” real estate agent is supposed to interact with them. I use the term “their” loosely as the agent they are working with may not truly be “their” agent. A real estate agent can ac in several capacities.

Home buyers, I encourage you to read this article on understanding real estate agency. There are more options on how you work with an agent than you think. I am going discuss how a Massachusetts Real Estate Agent can work for you.

If you don’t know what anyone of them means you need to take the time to understand:

Selling Agent, Buyers Agent, Facilitator, Dual Agent, Designated Agency, Non Designated Agency

Note: agency laws vary from state to state, so check with your particular state, though most states have very similar agency laws to Massachusetts. Wheather your a first-time homebuyer in Massachusetts, a move-up buyer, a downsizer, etc… using a buyer’s agent can save you a ton of aggravation.

Understanding Real Estate Agency

What Is Agency in Real Estate?

First and foremost Real Estate Agency is to protect the consumer. It is at the crux of how an agent interacts with you. When you hear real estate agency you usually think about your local real estate office.

But, the the term goes much deeper from a business sense. Real Estate Agency is about a legal relationship that is formed.

Typically in the business world if some one is an agent, they have a fiduciary responsibility to a principal. An agent is obligated to act on behalf and for the best interest of their principal.

So in the real estate realm, agency is a legal relationship formed between the agent (real estate agent) and the principal (home buyer or home seller).

Along with an agency relationship comes some basic fiduciary responsibilities an agent has to a client.

Fiduciary Responsibility- A fiduciary responsibility is the highest standard of care. Your needs, as the real estate client must come before anything else.
Confidentiality- Anything that is known about you or discussed with you is confidential. Nothing can be disclosed without your explicit permission.
Obedience- Your agent must lawfully carry out your instructions.
Accountability- Your agent must always give you a complete accounting of your transaction.
Loyalty- Your agent must put you before a others, their own company, and their own beliefs. They must do what is best for you.

So when you are in an agency relationship with an agent their responsibilities are much like a lawyers responsibility to you. Realize just because you are talking to an agent an agency relationship is not formed.

A Real Estate Agents Obligation To Disclose Their Agency Relationship With You

A real estate agent is obligated, by law to disclose their agency relationship to you at the first face to face meeting to discuss a specific property.

This disclosure is done through the MASSACHUSETTS MANDATORY LICENSEE-CONSUMER RELATIONSHIP DISCLOSURE. Every state in the country should have some mandatory disclosure on how you and your agent are working together.

The disclosure covers the different agency and non-agency relationships. Their is a check box to pick the relationship and both agent and consumer sign.

If you call an agent about a property to schedule a showing, the first thing they must do is disclose the relationship to you upon meeting you at the property.

Both the real estate agent and the real estate client must sign acknowledging the disclosure has been presented. If a real estate agent does not present you with the agency disclosure , they are acting above the law and it is wrong!!

Do you really want to work with them? Where else will they short change you along the way if they are ignoring one of the basic real estate laws of informing you about agency relationships.

The one and only situation where the agency disclosure is not required is when you attend an open house. Then a sign must be prominently displayed stating the agent is working for the seller. This means the attending agent is most likely the listing agent and has a real estate agency relationship with the seller.

The sole job of the agent at the open house is to sell you the house for the price the seller wants. Period. They are not their to help you buy the house and guide you through the process to your benefit. They are there to get the best deal they can for the seller.

Of course they will be nice and appear helpful, they would love to sell their own listing to an unrepresented buyer and scoop a double commission.

Understanding Real Estate Agency- How Can Your Agent Work For You?

Here we are going to discuss the different agency and non-agency relationships in which an agent can work for you. In most cases a seller contracts a sellers agent. It has been the way it has been done for many many years. But over the years a buyer has many choices.

Sellers Agent

When a seller engages a real estate agent to as a Sellers Agent there is an agency relationship formed. The sellers agent owes the seller the basic fiduciary responsibilities spelled out above. It is the seller’s agents job to give an opinion of value, help prepare the home, properly market the property, expose it to the most amount of buyers, secure an offer, help negotiate the offer, negotiate repairs after a home inspection and bring the transaction to a smooth closing all to the benefit of the seller…. not the buyer, not themselves, but the seller.

Bear in mind there is one case where a sellers agent may not always act in the best interest of the seller and that is when it comes to property disclosure. A real estate agent is bound by law to disclose any material defects in a home even if it goes against the sellers wishes.

Buyer’s Agent

A buyer can engage the services of an agent to act on their behalf as a buyer’s agent. Again, when the agency relationship is formed the buyer’s agent owes the buyer the basic fiduciary responsibilities laid out above. A buyer’s agent can offer a whole slew of services from helping to set expectations arrange financing on a home, provide tools to find a homes for sale, prepare and negotiate an offer, help arrange professionals like home inspectors attorney etc…, negotiate an home inspection issues and bring the transaction to a smooth closing to the sole benefit of the home buyer.

Facilitator

A facilitator is a non- agency relationship as the real estate agent works for neither the buyer or seller. There job is to assist buyer and seller in putting an agreement together. There duties are more of a ministerial nature rather than consultive. A facilitator is bound to act honestly and fairly but has no loyalty and owes neither party confidentiality or even obedience.

Designated vs. Non Designated Agency (at the office level)

Designated Agency is a newer agency relationship that has been created. It allows two real estate agents from the same office to each represent a seller or a buyer in the same transaction. It is important to understand this agency relationship as it comes into play when one agent from the same office brings a buyer to a listing from another agent in the same office. Note that the mandatory state disclosure discloses whether the agents firm is a designated office or a non-designated office.

In this case each agent can represent their client fully as a buyer’s agent or a seller’s agent. At the end of the day the real estate broker of the designated office is a dual agent, but they rarely get involved with the buyer or seller so it is generally a non-issue.

A non designated agency, it is implied that all agent of the firm work for the client.

Dual Agency

Dual Agency happens in two ways. The first is if one agent is in an agency relationship with both the buyer and seller. Or, if two agents in a non-designated agency office represents a buyer and seller individually. Dual agency must be disclosed to both buyer and seller prior to the offer being tendered. And, both parties must agree.

When in a dual agency relationship an agent or agents cannot favor one party over another. They must remain neutral. A dual agent cannot satisfy all of their obligations to a party if the interest conflicts between buyer and seller. For example an agent cannot give the either the buyer or seller opinion of value, recommend vendors, give negotiating advice, etc….

When a buyer and seller are in a dual agency situation they are giving up many services and rights that are available to then from a buyer or seller’s agent.

Don’t Assume A Real Estate Agent Works For You

Never, ever assume a real estate agent works for you with out having a disclosure signed. Always make sure you understand the relationship the agent your speaking with has with you. For example a home buyer can buy a home with any of these types of agency.

Quite frankly so can a seller, though rare. I have seen sellers list their home with facilitators, knowingly or not, I am not sure.

Why? How you interact and what you tell your buyer’s agent will be very different than how you would interact and tell a seller’s agent or a facilitator. Neither owes you confidentiality and can use information you have disclosed against you.

Another situation is if you go directly to a sellers agent to buy a house with out the representation from a buyers agent, they cannot offer you many of the services a buyer’s agent can.

For example a seller’s agent cannot give you an opinion of value, they can only suggest and try to support the full list price. While they must present your offer they cannot negotiate on your behalf as well. They cannot provide you with preferred vendors or counsel you on the best way to negotiate. You are on your own.

I cannot tell you how many times as a sellers agent buyers have revealed things to me, such as they LOVE the house and they HAVE to get a house under contract by a certain time. As a seller’s agent if that buyer tenders an offer I have to disclose what the buyer said to me and it gives the seller a negotiating edge over the home buyer.

Final Thoughts on Understanding Real Estate Agency

The agency relationship you have with “your agent” is so important and is often overlooked by many home buyers. Why a home buyer would not want to be represented by an experienced buyers agent is beyond me. There is so much to a real estate transaction home buyers don’t even know what they don’t know.

I have seen buyer’s go directly to the seller’s agent to buy a house. They are not represented in any way by an agent. Yet they will call the seller’s agent “their agent”!! EEEK, if that is the case you are not getting it.

When you are selling a home it is usually a given your contracting with a seller’s agent. But it important to understand that the agents showing your home most likely represent the buyer. If you happen to run into the buyer and their agent as you are leaving or forever whatever reason you are not leaving for showings (which I don’t recommend), keep your mouth shut! Do not volunteer information. If you are asked a question direct them to ask all questions thru your seller’s agent.

I will also give my opinion on dual agency here. Don’t do it. While dual agency is legal, I think it is unethical. Can a lawyer act as a prosecutor and represent the defendant… no.

So why should a real estate agent be able to represent a both a buyer and seller in the same transaction their interest lie opposite of each other. In most cases dual agency is not worth it. You are giving up so many rights as either a home seller or home buyer. If you have ever heard it said…. you can’t serve two masters…. well this is the case with dual agency.

Slow down and down and make sure you understand real estate agency, don’t be so anxious to look at pretty houses without making a decided decision of how you want to work with an agent. How an agent works for you and their abilities can make or break you. Real estate agency is where your whole home buying or selling process begins. It can save you a ton of aggravation, time and maybe even money!

Other Resources on Real Estate Agents and Real Estate Agency:

Anita Clark- Top Reasons A Buyer Needs Representation
Kyle Hiscock- Buying a FSBO- Buyers Beware
Teresa Cowart- Using A Buyers Agent is a Smart Move
Joe Samson- Should I Use a Buyer’s Agent
Kevin Vitali- Realtor vs. Real Estate Agent

Is My Real Estate Agent Really Working for Me- Understanding Real Estate Agency, was provided by Kevin Vitali of EXIT Group One Real Estate of Tewksbury MA. If you would like to sell or buy a home give me a call at 978-360-0422 and let’s get the process started.

Real Estate Services in the following areas: Northeast Massachusetts, Merrimack Valley, North Shore and Metrowest. Including the following communities and the surrounding area- Amesbury, Andover, Billerica, Burlington, Chelmsford, Dracut, Groveland, Haverhill, Lowell, Melrose, Merrimac, Methuen, Middleton, North Andover, North Reading, Reading, Stoneham, Tewksbury, Tyngsborough, Wakefield, Wilmington, Westford

When Love Goes Bad!

I think at this point everyone knows the real estate market is booming. It is a seller’s market like we have never seen before. The market gained momentum well before Covid-19 but as the virus ramped up, housing inventory dried up in a real estate market already desperate for more homes for sale.

There are more serious buyers than there are homes for sale in many real estate markets across the country, including mine, which encompasses northeastern Massachusetts.

As homebuyers compete amongst each other, desperate homebuyers are ready to make their offers stand out for desirable homes. We are seeing many home buyers remove home inspection contingencies, offer appraisal gap coverage, offer well over asking, etc…

Another tactic, that has been around for a long time, but is coming very prevalent in this extreme seller’s market, is for homebuyers to write love letters to the seller of the home to be submitted with their offer.

But as a seller, reading the personal letter from a home buyer can open up liability when it comes to fair housing laws.

What Is A Homebuyer Love Letter?

A homebuyer “love letter” is where a home buyer writes a heartfelt note to the home seller. In the letter, many home buyers will share personal information about themselves, their family, significant other etc… And, why their home is perfect for them and as the term implies why they love the seller’s house so much!! Often it may also include a picture of who will be living in the house.

The idea is to connect with the seller and find some common ground in hopes that the seller chooses their offer. When multiple offers are on the table and there are similar offers to choose from, the hope is the personal heartfelt letter will tip the scales in your favor.

Does a home buyer letter to seller work?

In some cases, yes, that personal connection can make your offer stand out. You can certainly gain favor with a personal letter stating why you love their home and why it is perfect for you.

In other cases, the seller will be show me the money!! And, nothing else matters.

How A Buyer Love Letter Could Create A Fair Housing Law Issue

A few years back I had a home in Haverhill MA for sale. I had over 8 offers, but two stood out and were nearly identical. Both buyers wrote love letters to include with their offer to the seller.

One was a married couple with a young baby just starting out, the other was an engaged couple looking to buy a home prior to being married. Both set of buyers included photos of themselves.

First, I would like to say the seller never saw the letters. I always recommend to my sellers not to read or have the love letters in their possession.

But, if the seller had read them, either couple could potentially stir the pot and say they were discriminated against.

The married couple could claim they were discriminated against because they had a child the unmarried couple could say they were discriminated against because they were unmarried.

On top of it, there could hve been a racial claim made since the photo made the race of the couples known.

The difficulty, is the offers were so close, it was a matter of a minor details separating the two offers.

The mere fact that the seller had this knowledge of whom the buyers were, creates a liability. Even if the seller had no bad intentions, there is a potential liability created by just having the information about a buyers race, origin, familial status, marital status, etc….

Anybody can make a fair housing claim, especially when they feel slighted, whether it is true or not.

And, defending yourself against a fair housing violation is timely and costly. The good news are Fair Housing claims because of love letters are rare. The bad news is defending a fair housing claim can be costly and emotionally draining

But, avoid the hassle to begin with and skip the letter.

Protected Classes Under Massachusetts Fair Housing Laws

Fair Housing Laws in Massachusetts covers 14 classes of people, the first seven in red are Federally protected and apply to every state across the country. The rest are state specific protected classes. Make sure you check with your state regarding who is covered by fair housing laws in your State and what the protected classes are for your state.

Race
Color
National Origin
Religion
Sex
Familial Status (i.e. children)
Disability
Source of Income (e.g. a Section 8 voucher)
Sexual Orientation
Gender Identity
Age
Marital Status
Veteran or Active Military Status
Genetic Information

In my example above, a Fair Housing Claim could be made based on familial status, marital status or race if a home buyer decides to pursue a claim that their offer was not accepted because of discrimination.

Why A Letter To The Seller of Home From A Buyer Should Be Rejected?

This is where love can go bad for sellers. The love letter from a buyer can create a liability for both the real estate agent and the seller.

How so?

Remember how I just said there are personal details in the letter?

The letter can reveal, their race, origin, marital status, familial status, sexual orientation…. the list goes on and on. It can put the seller at risk of violating fair housing laws if they choose an offer based on the people rather than the strength of the offer.

The less you know about the buyers who submitted an offer on your home, the better.

Fair housing discrimination can sometimes be quite blatant, but more often than not, it is subtle and home sellers may not even be aware that their actions could be misconstrued as discrimination when it comes to fair housing laws.

The buyer’s love letter, especially in a multiple offer situation, can create a fair housing violation. If any thing about the buyer and who they are, played into your decision to choose an offer, even inadvertantly, this could create a liability to you.

Avoiding Liability From A Home Buyer’s Love Letter

Avoiding the liability is easy. Do not accept love letters from home buyers.

Tell your REALTOR you do not want to see them. Furthermore, state in the Multiple Listing Service listing that you will not accept a personal letter from the buyer to the seller.

While personal letters from homebuyers to sellers have been around forever, the hot 2021 market has seen them on the rise again. And I don’t see the housing bubble bursting anytime soon, so the trend will continue. The concern is the personal information in these letters open up homebuyers to discrimination based on Fair Housing Laws.

The letters contain personal information about whom the buyers are and can reveal that the buyer may belong to any number of protected classes. Oregon has recently addressed the issue and have actually banned the use of buyers love letters in the home buying process in hope of reducing any discrimination against homebuyer.

I will reiterate what I said before…. Choose an offer based on terms and conditions and their ability to get a mortgage and not the people. The less you know about your buyer, the better.

Is It Illegal For A Buyer To Write A Love Letter To The Home Seller?

It is not illegal for a buyer to write a personal letter to the seller to submit with their offer.

Realize your efforts may be in vain and it may not be a great idea as you could unknowingly create a liability for the seller. Listing agents and their sellers may not read them at all. There may even be an agreement between the seller and their real estate agent not to have the letters forwarded to the seller to read.

But, in no way is it illegal for a buyer to forward their letter along with an offer nor are you violating any fair housing laws. It may even work and help to get your offer accepted if the letter should get to your seller.

A Buyer Can Unwittlingy Put You In Bad Situation By Writing A Persoanl Letter To A Seller

Even if you handle yourself perfectly, a buyer may say something in their home buyer letter that you probably would be better off not knowing. Benign statement can be made that could be a future laibaility.

Statements like the ones below could be found in home buyer letters to a seller.

My daughter is a star basketball player at the local school. You now know there are children. Children are a protected class.

We can walk to our synangogue from here. The homebuyer has indicated they are religious and could even identify a certain religion. Religion is a protected class.

If a man, says my husband and I love this neighborhood…. Sexual orientation is a protected class.

We just got married and want to start a family here. Marital Status and Familial Status are protected classes.

We want to be in our first home by Christmas. Religion is a protected class.

Everyone of those statements gives you, the seller, an idea of who the buyers are and reveals what protected classes they may belong to.

In itself, it is may not present a problem. But what you say in response and what you do with that information in your head can create a problem. Discrimination of a potential buyer could be inadvertant without you even being aware. The minute you identify with someone from a protected class you open the door for potential discrimination and liabilty.

After reading a home buyer leter presented to you the seller and you think awwww…..

….they want to raise a family here….

….they are newlyweds just starting out like we were….

….the new owners will love the other same sex couple next door….

Each thought you have of a buyer relating to their protected class can open you up for a potential problem and subtely sway your decision to accept an offer based on who your buyers are and what protected class they belong to are.

State in the listing you will not be accepting homebuyer letters to the seller. Tell your agent to reject any homebuying letters and not to forward them to you if you should get any.

Fair Housing Laws Go Beyond A Buyer’s Love Letter To A Seller

A home seller needs to be aware of fair housing laws throughout the entire process of selling a home. As real estate agents, we have been trained to deal with fair housing laws. But as a home seller, it is not something you run into every day.

Unfortunately, your curiosity, with no bad intentions behind it, can be misconstrued as a violation of fair housing laws.

A prime example, there are always sellers who ask me about who showed up to an open house or a showing.

Questions like is it a family, are they older, is it a young couple, are they married, do they have kids….

These questions come up more often than not and each has the potential to create a ton of liability for the seller.

So here is the problem. By asking the question, it shows that it is important to you who your buyers are and may play into your decision-making process. But every one of those questions addresses a protected class!!

Don’t ask, the less you know the better.

An experienced agent will remind you that selling a home is not about the people, “let’s not talk about whom the potential buyers are to avoid any fair housing issues”.

Meeting Prospective Buyers

Occasionally, as a home seller, you may meet a potential buyer for your home if you come home early and a buyer is in the middle of their showing at your home or a drive by buyer stops and asks you a question.

Now this is where things can get very sticky. Don’t ask personal questions. This is where you can get in trouble. If you ask the questions from the previous section it can be viewed as fair housing violations. And don’t make any assumptions…. like the girl next to the woman in the car is her daughter, that the family is Chinese, the couple would be interested in the synagogue around the corner, etc…

As a buyer’s agent in Massachusetts, I have run into sellers that have made statements to home buyers like:

“This is a great family neighborhood” Problem- It could be understood that this neighborhood is for families only, unmarried, childless couples not welcome.

“There’s another Chinese girl, your daughter’s age, two houses down” Problem- You are implying this neighborhood is for Chinese people only. Who even said my client was Chinese in the first place!

“I want to make sure the new owner is a good fit for the neighborhood” Problem- Is you are implying the neighborhood is for a certain type of person. What if the buyer is not the right type of person.

“We can walk to our church” Problem- You are implying the neighborhood is for certain religious people and the person you may be talking to may have a disability and has difficulty walking.

“This is a great starter home for a married couple just starting out” Problem- You are implying the home is for married people only.

And, the list goes on…. Anyone of those statements canbe turned into a Fair Housing Lawsuit if you are talkingabout a protected class of people and implying the should or shouldn’t buy a specific home or in a specific neighborhood.

So, as a home seller, avoid making assumptions about who your buyer is, do not talk about people and have a general awareness of fair housing laws. The best solution is to ask the potential buyer and/or their buyers agents to direct questions to your listing agent.

If you feel compelled to answer a question, base your question on fact and specifically about the property do not include biased opinions of why or why not the home will work for a particular person and do not talk about the buyer or people who live in the area.

Choosing An Offer

I get it, some people have lived in their home for many years and have many fond memories that have been made in the home. And, you want the next owners to make those memories and love your home like you did.

Of course, if you’re a mom or parents that raised a family in the home you’re selling, you can certainly identify with a young couple starting a family in your home. You would love nothing better than your home being passed on to another family. I can’t tell you how often that is expressed to me by a home seller and I have to remind them that we don’t get to choose the next owner based on who they are.

It is violation of fair housing laws, to choose or deny a buyer based upon who they are based on the Federal and State protected classes. Especially when you are choosing or denying a home buyers offer over another potential buyer.

The only consideration should be the terms and conditions of the offer and the buyers ability to close on the home.

But to choose an offer because you liked a buyer better can open up a can of worms.

The less you know about your buyer, the farther you distance your self from any liaility concerning fair housing laws.

And that include ignoring a homebuyer letter to the seller that may include personal details you are better off not knowing. Not knowing who your buyer is in the first place will avoid any trouble down the road.

Curb your curiosity and refuse the love letters that your buyers may include with their offers.

Other Real Estate Resources

Are emotional support animals allowed in rentals with “no pet” policies? G. Brian Davis takcles the question about Emotional Support Animals being allowed in a rental property where no pets are allowed. Find out when an ESA is allowed or not.
The real estate market is red hot maybe even white hot in many markets. But entering a hot real estate market for first time home buyers can be especially tough. Chris Highland helps set expectations for a first time home buyer during a hot real estate market.

When Love Goes Bad! was provided by Kevin Vitali of EXIT Realty. Kevin Vitali is your Haverhill MA Realtor and can help you buy or sell your next home.

Real Estate Services in the following areas: Northeast Massachusetts, Merrimack Valley, North Shore and Metrowest including the following communities and the surrounding area including Amesbury, Andover, Billerica, Burlington, Chelmsford, Dracut. Georgetown, Groveland, Haverhill, Lawrence, Littleton, Lowell, Melrose, Merrimac, Methuen, Middleton, Newbury, Newburyport, North Andover, North Reading, Reading, Salisbury, Stoneham, Tewksbury, Tyngsborough, Wakefield, West Newbury, Westford

When Your Buyer Requests Home Inspection Repairs

You have prepared your house for the market as best as you can. You priced it accordingly and now have your property under agreement.

Now you are nervously awaiting the home inspection results from the buyer.

Finally, you hear from your buyer.

But you find the buyer has a long list of repairs after their home inspection.

You are wondering what to do when your buyer requests home inspection repairs.

Are the home inspection repair requests unreasonable?

Are any repairs mandatory after the home inspection?

Should you do all the repairs?

Should you tell the buyer no?

As a seller, you find that maybe a couple of the inspection requests are reasonable and some of the home inspection requests are unreasonable.

How do you handle reasonable repair requests and how do you handle unreasonable repair requests?

What Repairs Are Mandatory After A Home Inspection?

There are no mandatory fixes after a home inspection.

You and the homebuyer have already agreed to a purchase price and while the contract has a home inspection contingency in their contract it does not mean that a home seller has to perform any requested repairs after the inspection.

A home inspector may call out items that are out of code with the local building department. That still does no mean you are required to fix it.

A new home can “be out of code” shortly after being built. Building codes change on a regular basis. But, you are not obligated to bring your home completely up to code because the buyers are demanding its a mandatory repair after the inspection by law.

Most inspection contingencies give the right for a buyer to terminate a contract with no further recourse if they find defects in a home that are unsatisfactory. But in no way is a seller obligated to make any mandatory fixes after a home inspection.

In reality, many buyers may use this clause to negotiate a new price or to have the seller make fixes. And, in rare cases, a buyer may completely pull out of the deal if there are serious issues in the home that they were not expecting.

How to Negotiate After A Buyer Requests Home Inspection Repairs

Your personal circumstances, the state of the real estate market and the seriousness of the repair will factor into how you negotiate after a buyer requests a price reduction or repairs prior to closing.

Remember there are no mandatory repairs after a buyers home inspection.

But, it may be prudent to consider doing some of the repairs if asked. There is no right or wrong.

Some things to consider before negotiating home inspection repair requests.

The seriousness of the requested repair. Mold, water penetration, faulty electrical, major structural issues etc… are all issues you may want to consider taking on.
What will happen if your home goes back on the market due to inspection issues. In a buyer’s market, having to put your home back on the market because of expensive or serious issues can kill a future sale and will the repair or repairs likely cause a price reduction.
The state of the real estate market and how easy it will be to secure another buyer.

Here are a few suggestion of how your home buyers home inspection requests can be handled:

Reject Any Counter Offers of Inspection Repairs

Of course as a seller it is well with-in your right to deny any repair requests. Especially if the requests from your home buyer are unreasonable.

Don’t be penny wise and pound foolish though. It is probably not prudent to kill a deal over a few hundred dollars worth of repairs unless it is a strong seller’s market.

While you do not want a home buyer to take advantage of a situation, there is always some hesitation from buyers with a house that has come back on the market due to home inspection issues.

Consider What Happens If YOur Sale Falls Through Over Home Inspection Issues

A house will become highly suspect if a deal fell through and comes back on the market. The first question from a home buyer is what showed up on the home inspection.

Remember, as a seller, if you are asked about previous home inspections and to describe the issues you do have to answer the request truthfully. If there are truly serious issues that should be taken care of, most likely these same issues will continue to rear their ugly head with each new buyer during a home inspection.

A real estate agent is under obligation to disclose any known issues with a house even if the seller doesn’t. You can’t ask an agent to hide a serious issue with your home.

Like I said, it is well within your right as a home seller to reject home inspection repair requests wheter they are reasonable or unreasonable. But, make sure you have thought it through carefully and have consulted with your listing agent.

Negotiate Home Inspection Repairs

Often a home buyer will ask for specific repairs to be performed by the home seller by closing. You can certainly negotiate what repairs you are willing or not willing to do. While doing the repairs can be burdensome on a home seller who is also trying to pack up and move, I find this more cost-effective than negotiating a price reduction for repairs.

In my experience a buyer will way overestimate the cost of a repair when a home seller can have the repair work done for much less than the buyer is requesting.

A buyer’s head is usually spinning after a home inspection with a long list of punch list items.

They are like Chicken Little running around screaming the sky is falling. When in reality many of the issues are minor and can be rectified quite simply.

Negotiate A Price Reduction

If trying to pull together home repairs prior to closing seems like a daunting task consider paying all or some of the buyers closing costs or a price reduction to compensate for the future repairs that a home buyer will have to do.

The plus of a price reduction is it does eliminate the stress of getting the repairs done yourself. The downside is it can be tougher to come to terms with cost of the repairs. A buyer will always way overestimate the cost of repairs.

Or, you can handle the after home inspection negotiations both ways. You can choose to handle some repairs yourself and offer a price reduction or closing cost credit for others. Nothing is set in stone.

A Word On Closing Cost Credit

One concern from buyers is if you negotiate the buyer are to do the repair themselves and you reduce the price of the home, where does the extra money come from. A price reduction does not put muney in your home buyers pocket, a closing cost credit does.

Are My Buyer’s Making Unreasonable Repair Requests?

So what repairs should a home seller consider doing?

When your home buyer requests home inspection repairs take the time to review carefully.

Do not immediately become defensive and think they are making unreasonable repair requests.

Maybe they are, maybe they aren’t. But don’t let emotions overtake you without carefully consider what requests your home buyer is making after the home inspection

Make sure you have a clear understanding of what the buyer is asking for after their home inspection. They should provide evidence of the issue by providing the particular section of the home inspection report spelling out the issue.

Are The Home Inspection Repair Requests Reasonable of Unreasonable?

Now, this is where you really have to pay attention to what is reasonable for your price range and the type of market you are in, and even where you are located in the country.

Take two similar houses where one is selling for $350k and the other is selling for $500k. The expectation of condition would be different. You would expect the house for $350k would need far more work than the one selling for $500k This is where your real estate agent really can counsel you based on what they are seeing in the marketplace.

Review with your listing agent what inspection requests are reasonable and you might consider doing (if any) and what buyer repair requests are unreasonable.

Unless otherwise stated by the seller in the sellers disclosure a buyer expects (and reasonably so) a home to be relatively safe, healthy and functioning properly at the time of the sale.

Consider The Current State of The Real Estate Market

You need to consider the current market conditions first. The market is very different today in 2021 vs the market in 2010. Today the market is on fire, buyers are fighting fiercely for good homes. But, in 2010 a seller could barely give a house away.

How you handle repair requests can be very different based on market conditions. Today,you can pretty much tell a buyer next, please, if they dare ask for any requests at all. There is most likely another buyer right behind them willing to accept your house as-is.

In 2010, you had to consider every repair request seriously even if the request was unreasonable. If you said no, you could easily turn the buyer away and not know if you would even get another offer.

The Difference Between A Buyer’s Unreasonable Repair Request and A Reasonable Repair Request

Serious issues may arise a seller is not aware of at all during the inspection of a home. A seller can live for years with excessive amounts of mold in their attic or high levels of radon in the home and not even know it.

Both of these do pose a health risk to potential occupants. These are requests that a seller should consider making.

Other Examples

An electric panel that has had water penetration and corrosion is a fire hazard and should be rectified by an electrician and a home seller should probably consider the repair or a credit back at closing. A home buyer has put in an offer expecting the panel to function properly and safely.

But, a 100 amp panel that may beat its max, but fully serviceable, is not necessarily a repair request a seller should consider. There is no safety issues and it is fully functionable.

A furnace that is functioning properly but is past its useful life is another story. As far as I am concerned you are delivering a home with a functioning furnace and in good repair.

Even if the system is older I don’t see a properly functioning furnace as a repair request that should be considered. The current furnace could die next month or last another 10 years but it is functioning properly at this current time.

Now if the furnace has a cracked heat exchanger that again is a safety issue. It could leak dangerous carbon monoxide into the home.

What it boils down to, is does it present a serious safety or health issue?

An outside outlet that is not GFCI or insulation in the attic that is not to code are not what I would call serious issues and should be reviewed on a case by case basis.

At some point, the buyer needs to realize that they are buying a used house. Not everything will be to current building codes and there are some dings and dents.

Do Your Due Diligence

You have a list of items you might consider either compensating a buyer for or are willing to repair. Do your due diligence and call some contractors that are appropriate for the job.

It is much easier to negotiate from a position of knowledge than one of uncertainty.

For example, I recently had a buyer who wanted $2000.00 off for a pest treatment for mice. The buyer was providing a quote the received from a pest company. I jumped on the phone, called a few pest companies I knew. I received a quote under $400 with a 6-month guarantee. There is a huge difference there.

Remember a home inspector knows a little about a lot of things but is an expert in none.

Often times a question of concern from a home inspection can be made to go away by a quick, inexpensive appointment with the appropriate specialist. If a licensed electrician, plumber or other professional put their stamp of approval on something being in proper working order it is very difficult for a home buyer to dispute that.

Negotiating Home Inspection Repairs

If your home buyer is being unreasonable with their home inspection repair request, present what you are willing to do and not do when it comes to repairs or price adjustments.

Definitely keep emotion out of the negotiations.

Many buyers will come with a long list hoping to negotiate somewhere in the middle. Start the negotiations. Even if it is the smallest of concessions.

Give A Little, See What Happens

If the buyer is asking for a lot and your not willing to do much, give a little see what happens. I have closed the gap many times on situations that seem impossible between a buyer and seller as a listing agent.

As real estate agents we spend part of every day negotiating and your listing agent can be invaluable. If you and your agent have done your homework about the market costs of repairs and have a good understanding of how your house compares condition wise to other houses in it’s price range, calmly present your case to the buyer and know whey you are just willing to walk away and move on to another buyer.

More often than not a buyer and seller can agree on terms they can both live with.

What To Do If Your Buyers Are Asking For Unreasonable Repairs After The Inspection

You can’t stop your buyers from asking for unreasonable repairs. I have seen buyers that want every little picky item repaired. It happens.

Remain calm and talk with your agent about what repairs you should or shouldn’t do based on the current real estate market conditions and your home’s competition. Remember everything is a negotiation.

Some buyers are going to ask just to see what they can get from you. Others may truly expect perfection.

If your buyer is truly unreasonable with their repair requests be prepared to shut down negotiations and walk away.

Prevent Buyers From Requesting Repairs After A Home Inspection

The best defense is a good offense. And, preventing repair requests after a home inspection starts prior to listing your home.

When you are preparing your home for the market, go through your home with a fine-tooth comb and take care of any nuisance repairs that you find. Minor plumbing leaks, peeling paint, any electrical issues, etc… all can be taken care of prior to listing your home and hopefully they are minor repairs you can do yourself or at least for a minimal cost.

Pre-Listing Inspection

Consider having a pre-listing inspection. A pre-listing home inspection will help pull together punch list items to prepare your home for the market and give you an overview of what a buyer’s home inspector will be looking for during an inspection. If you have taken care of a lot of the issues it can become a marketing tool as well.

You can show that all of the little nuisance repairs were fixed. And, if not fixed at least a home buyer is aware of the issues as well and should make their offer being aware of the issues.

Seller’s Disclosure

Filling out your Sellers Statement of Property Condition in detail will help prevent issues from a home inspection. The Sellers Statement is a multi-page document where a seller discloses details about the home.

While Massachusetts is a “Buyer Beware” state and does not require a seller to disclose anything unless asked, a home buyer who is fully informed about your home should take any defects into effect upfront, prior to an offer if a home seller takes the time to fill out the disclosure.

It is very hard for a home buyer to ask for a repair after a home inspection if the issue was known to them prior to putting in an offer. It is important to have the disclosure in the buyer’s hand before they submit an offer. And, your listing agents should require the disclosure form is reviewed and signed along with the offer.

Final Thoughts On Home Inspection Repair Requests

There is no right or wrong way to handle your buyer’s request for home inspection repairs after the fact. What are reasonable or unreasonable repair request can be very subjective. As the seller, you need to decide what repairs you may consider taking on and which are deal breakers.

Take the time upfront and considering a pre-listing inspection. Consider doing any nuisance repairs. And, detailed sellers disclosure can prevent a lot of nuisance requests from surfacing intthe first place.

Rely On Your Agent for Guidance

There are pros and cons to handling it each way and one may be better for you than another. Look to your agent to see what is a reasonable request and what is not based on the price bracket your home falls in and the current market conditions.

Everything is negotiable. Just because a buyer asks that doesn’t mean that they will walk away if you do not give them everything they want. Be reasonable and hopefully your buyer will respond in kind.

Do Your Due Diligence

Do your due diligence and don’t become defensive. A few small repairs for a few hundred bucks can be a lot easier than killing the deal and putting your home back on the market after wasting valuable time under agreement. Remember a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush!!

At the end of the day, consider… is it worth walking away over a few hundred or maybe thousands of dollars and try to capture the interest of another buyer?

Other Home Inspection Resources:

Joe Manuasa 5 Tips for Sellers Regarding Home Inspections
Anita Clark Should a Seller Get A Home Inspection Before Listing Their Home
Paul Sian Top 8 Home Inspection Issues
Bankrate Who Repairs? Buyer or Seller?

Video and Audio Surveillance During Home Showings

Technology has come a long way and when it comes to home surveillance. It is easy to install a very comprehensive video and audio recording system using security cams or hidden cameras that are both equipped with microphones.

When it comes time to sell your home, you may already have some sort of surveillance on the interior or exterior of your home, whether it is made up if surveillance cameras in plain sight, hidden cameras, spy cameras or nanny cams.

With today’s technology, it can be so easy and inexpensive to be notified of a visitor in your home and be able to tap into hidden video cameras and microphones to spy on your home buyers and see what they are saying about your home.

Are you tempted to record your potential home buyers as they view your home? Are you thinking of using those spy cams to protect yourself from theft or to gain a negotiating edge?

Learn what you need to know about turning on those hidden cameras during a home showing.

Can I Secretly Record Home Buyers In My Home?

The answer is complicated and is very state dependent. Surveillance video and audio laws vary drastically from state to state. Audio and video recording are treated very differently from a legal standpoint, and a home seller should take note before recording home visits.

Video

Video cameras are prevalent everywhere. Stores, street corners, work etc…. Generally, it is alright to record anyone in public view and also to record in your own home.

In most states, taking a video of someone using a hidden camera whether they are made aware or not is usually not breaking the law. The people being captured on a video camera do not generally need to give consent. This includes home buyers at a showing of your home. Note, this applies to video only, audio adds another layer of complexity.

The one caveat is it is illegal to take video footage of a person in an area where they would expect privacy, like a bathroom, locker room, bedroom etc…

Audio

Audio is far more complicated than video and you need to be aware that there are wiretap laws to contend with. And, most hidden cams now have an audio feature as well. Just tap into your homes internet and you can watch a buyer live go through your home or have it uploaded to the cloud to watch later. Many states require at least one party involved to be aware that audio is being recorded.

12 states require all parties to be made aware their conversations are being recorded, including, Michigan. California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Montana, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Nevada and Washington.

In general, you cannot secretly record conversations your potential home buyers and their agents have in your home. Recording audio of homebuyers in your home without permission violates federal and state wiretapping laws and can be a felony that can carry serious penalties to the home seller if caught.

Know The Law Before Spying Your Buyers

Before recording video and audio of buyers, during home showings research, laws regarding video and audio recording in your state or better yet consult with an attorney.

It may not seem like a big deal to you to check in on your homebuyers with the hidden cameras throughout your home on your phone or computer at work, but it can be a very serious crime.

Why Would Sellers Want To Snoop On Home Buyers With Hidden Cameras?

There are two obvious reasons why a home seller would want to use the in-home spy cams that allow them to record or tap into what home buyers are saying or doing in their home.

The first is security. You can monitor open house visitors and homebuyers during showings to see if they are there for reasons other than checking out your home to potentially buy it. You now have a record on video if anything shows up missing.

The second reason is to give you a negotiating leg up by listening to their conversations during a buyer showing. If the buyers tell their agent, they love the home and they have to have it, that certainly can give you a leg up in negotiations.

By monitoring what is said with hidden microphones, you take the guesswork out of what the buyers think of your home.

The Downsides Of Spying On Homebuyers

Spying on your homebuyers with video and audio recording comes with two downsides.

The first downside is if it is not done correctly you could be breaking the law. It adds a layer of risk to selling a house that you may not want to take on.

The second reason you may want to turn off the video and audio recording devices is it is just downright creepy.

Here Is The Rub

A homebuyer who knows they are being recorded feels uncomfortable in your home and do not feel welcome.

Often they rush through the showing without really paying attention to the home. They are more concerned about saying or doing something wrong, trying to find the cameras and figuring out why you feel the need to record their every word and movement.

When you sell your home, you want the buyers to feel welcome. During the showing you want the buyer to take ownership of the home in their mind. When buyers linger thinking of the possibilities of your home has for their family, it is a good thing.

As much as you feel you may be gaining an advantage, you could be disadvantaging yourself more than you may realize by using your in-home security cams to spy on home buyers.

Lending Tree conducted a survey saying that 44% of homebuyers would back out of purchasing a home if they discovered they were secretly recorded.

Bear that in mind before you decide to record your home buyers. Is it worth it?

Check Your Motives

Why do you want to spy on your homebuyers? Are you just being nosy, trying to give yourself an advantage or do you have legitimate security concerns?

If you are being nosy, let’s face it that’s a bit unsettling. You probably wouldn’t like it either.

Security concerns may be a valid reason to use surveillance equipment during showings, but you can probably get by with video and don’t need the audio.

Just ask yourself if you need to tune into your home buyer’s showings?

Disclosure For Home Sellers Using Hidden Cameras

If you decide you have to use your hidden cameras when homebuyers are in your house, do not do it without your listing agent knowing. Even if your cameras are out and the open where you think are obvious to see, makes sure you disclose. Listing agents have been dealing with this for years and most likely are aware of the best practices of recording audio and video in the home during the sale of real estate.

My take is, regardless if you legally need to or not, be fully transparent about the use of video and audio recording equipment being used in the home when a home buyer is present. Consider the following:

Disclose in the MLS listing sheet that video and/or audio surveillance will be used on your property.
Consider the buyer and the agent representing the buyer signing a disclosure that states they are being recorded, especially if audio is being used. Most states require the consent of at least one party being recorded.
Post multiple signs prominently around your home, letting buyers know they are being recorded while on the property.

Full disclosure will help lessen the sting of realizing they are being recorded, as well as help cover you with any consent laws your state may have.

Do not engage in any audio recording without disclosure!! Federal law prohibits any recording of conversations without the consent of at least one person involved in the conversation. And some states require all parties to give consent.

What Do Homebuyers Need to Know About Spy-Cams In A Home?

Earlier I referenced a survey by Lending Tree. They also surveyed home sellers using surveillance systems. 33% of sellers surveyed said they secretly used spy cams during their home buyers showings!!

While legally a home seller should probably disclose you are being recorded, there is a good chance you are secretly being recorded.

Hidden cameras for a home can be purchased for less than $25 a piece and many can now record audio. Most of these hidden cameras make it so easy to set up by using wireless technology. The spy cams can take the form of almost anything, a led lightbulb a smoke alarm, a USB block, etc… and can easily go undetected.

Treat every showing as if your every action and word is being secretly recorded.

Take any discussion you and your REALTOR have about a potential home out to the street, so you don’t disadvantage yourself when it comes time to negotiate a purchase.

To Spy Or Not To Spy With Hidden or Surveillance Cameras

As a real estate veteran of 20 years, I think it is an all-around bad idea to use your hidden cameras either secretly or knowingly to spy on your home buyers. It freaks out buyers and they don’t look at your home the way they should. It could also have serious ramifications for you legally if done improperly.

If you decide you need to know what home buyers are doing in your home through the use of spy cams, nanny cams, in-home surveillance systems, etc… first consult with an attorney to make sure you are with in the law and secondly disclose that you are using recording devices to your buyers.

Homebuyers, assume you are always being recorded and act accordingly.

Finally, in no way is this post to be construed as legal advice. Any questions about using hidden cameras, security systems and audio recordings should be answered by an attorney.

Other Real Estate Resources:

Your home’s foundation is a critical structural element of your home. The foundation supports the whole house. Paul Sian discusses what can cause foundations to fail in his latest post. Knowing what can cause foundation failure can go a long way in preventing issues cause by a poor foundation.

Selling a rental property adds a layer of complexity to selling a home…. tenants. Vicki Moore provides some great advice on selling a tenant occupied home as well as how to deal with tenants during the sale.

In todays competitive house market you may be looking at home in your budget that need signicicant repairs or cosmetics. Bill Gassett discusses the FHA 203K loan. An FHA Rehab loan can be a great way to finance your new home as well as finance repairs and upgrades.

Broom Clean Condition, What Does It Mean?

Many real estate contracts use the term broom clean or broom swept to describe the condition of how a property is to be left. But what does broom-clean really mean for a home seller or a home buyer?

It is a very ambiguous term. And, while you will often find the term broom clean condition in a contract there is no legal definition. It does leave the delivery in a gray area if any issues would arise. And if a home seller does not leave the home in broom clean condition, there could be consequences at the closing table.

What Does Broom Clean Mean?

Broom clean at a minimum means the property should be free of all personal items and debris. At a bare minimum, floors should be swept or vacuumed and all surfaces wiped clean.

Whenever the transfer of property is involved it is very important to read your contract. The details of the delivery of a home will be somewhere in your purchase contract. Also use your REALTOR and attorney as a resource if you have any question about what the expectation should be the transfer of a home should be.

Let’s take a quick look at the standard language of a Massachusetts Purchase and Sale Agreement in regard to the delivery of the premises. Remember, each state may be slightly different regarding the language.

Delivery of Premises in The Massachusetts Purchase and Sales Agreement

At the time for performance the SELLER shall give the BUYER possession of the entire Premises, free of all occupants and tenants and of all personal property, except property included in the sale or tenants permitted to remain. At the time for performance the Premises also shall comply with the requirements of paragraph 6, and be broom clean and in the same condition as the Premises now are, reasonable wear and tear excepted, with the SELLER to have performed all maintenance customarily undertaken by the SELLER between the date of this Agreement and the time for performance, and there shall be no outstanding notices of violation of any building, zoning, health or environmental law, bylaw, code or regulation, except as agreed.

So the term broom clean is used, but really there is no indication of what is to be expected. It is extremely vague, leaving no real guidance to what broom clean condition really means.

What Does Broom Clean Mean for Home Sellers?

At a bare minimum a seller should leave a home first and foremost free of all personal belongings and debris.

That means don’t leave the unwanted furniture that is too difficult to get rid of or the construction debris under the deck from a project 10 years ago or every household chemical and paint you have acquired over the years. The house should be delivered empty.

The floors should be vacuumed and/or swept, and surfaces wiped down. The expectation is set in the contract, by saying the home should be delivered in the manner that was least seen at the home inspection.

So broom clean would come down to are you leaving any evidence you were there? Are there food crumbs on the floor, food spills on the counter or refrigerator, hair in the bathroom sink, your kids dirty handprints on the wall, the accumulation of dust and cobwebs, etc….

If you are leaving anything that may be in question, avoid any trouble and just ask the buyers if they want it or if it should be removed.

Broom Clean Condition for Home Buyers

Broom clean condition would be a minimum standard. As a home buyer, do not expect a home to be professionally cleaned. The term broom clean is vague at best. What about the oven being cleaned, or the refrigerator being thoroughly wiped down, or the window cleaned inside and out?

It certainly would be nice if the seller did all of that for you, but, that would fall under a professional cleaning and not under broom clean condition.

You will most likely want to hire a cleaning service or do a thorough cleaning yourself after a seller has delivered a home to you in broom clean condition.

Fall Back To The Contract

When it comes to real estate and any dispute that may arise, often your purchase contract will have something to say about it. The purchase contract is a legal and binding agreement that will dictate how the transfer will take place.

If as a home buyer you have certain expectations of how the home is delivered, spell it out in your contract. I have had buyers negotiate a professional cleaning or the removal of certain items like a cord of rotten firewood by closing.

Technically the firewood would be classified as a personal belonging and should go, but if it is in question re-iterate in the contract that the firewood should be removed by closing.

Disputes

A home buyer should be allowed a final walk through of the home just prior to closing. Occasionally, a seller may not deliver the home in broom clean condition. This would put a seller at risk of defaulting on a contract.

A few dead flies on a window sill is not a reason to halt a closing, but a garage filled with personal belongings and debris may. Most final walk through issues involving the delivery of a home are solved by delaying the closing to rectify the issue, or a hold back of the sellers proceeds to give the buyer time to rectify the issue and be reimbursed any expenses.

If an issue should arise, consult with your attorney and real estate agent about the best course of action.

Summary

Broom clean condition is vague at best and leaves a lot to interpretation. As home buyer’s most likely you will be disappointed. You aren’t getting a full professional cleaning and the home will probably not be completely turnkey. You will want to do a thorough cleaning before occupying the home.

Home sellers, do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Leave the premises the way you would want to find it if you were the home buyer.

Other Real Estate Resources

Buying or selling a home means moving. Moving can be tedious. Being organized about your move can certainly take the sting out of moving. Danny Margaliono provides a moving checklist that will help create a smooth transition from one home to another.
If you are buying a first home or downsizing, the debate in your mind is should you buy a condo vs a single family home. Michelle Gibson provides some pros and cons of buying a single family home versus a condo.
This incredibly hot real estate market has buyers scrambling to secure a home. It may be tempting to put offers in on more than one home at the same time in hopes of one being accepted. Petra Norris discusses the downside of writing multiple offers.

Broom Clean Condition, What Does It Mean? Is written by Kevin Vitali of EXIT Realty. Are you thinking of buying or selling a home? Give me a call today and let’s get started on helping you achieve your housing goals. Call me at 978-360-0422

10 Organizing Tips for Your Garage That Will Impress Home Buyers

We all know how difficult it gets when it comes to arranging your home garage. Most often, it ends up like a dump, where we put all unwanted things. If you are reading this right now, I’m sure you face the same issue as well.

To help you with that problem, I’ll list down a few tips that could help you organize your garage better and impress home buyers at the same time. I hope these tips are useful to you!

Creating a floor plan

It is essential to come up with a garage floor plan. It helps you know the space your garage occupies in a better way. For instance, you get to learn more about the dimensions needed while your storage units.

When you create the floor design, it’s like you set a plan for the garage. Through the plan, you can decide what things you would place where. For example, keeping all the daily needed items at one corner, spare parts of the vehicle at another, etc.

Storage Cabinets

In any organized garage, you will always find neat and unique storage cabinets. They help to store your things appropriately. You could also label each cabinet for better classification.

Based on your garage dimensions, you could also use customized cabinets. These will fit your garage perfectly and also ensure that no extra space is occupied. In addition, the larger and spacious your cabinet is, the better and well organized your garage turns out.

Garage Monkey Bars

If your garage isn’t much wide and spacious, you could use monkey bars. The wall unit stays off the ground, thereby not acquiring any space in your garage. It hangs on the wall and can carry all the items that you would like to hang.

The monkey bars might seem delicate but are long-lasting and best for small garages. In addition, they give the garage a clean and well-designed look. It is also an excellent way to store your bicycles. You can check more tips on how to store your bike here.

Vertical stacking

If you have bins and chairs, try stacking those vertically. Horizontal storing only takes more area and looks messy. Most often, they get pushed in some corner, making the garage shabby.

You could opt for storage towers that are easy to manage and unique as well. In addition, they are attractive and can be made more colorful by storing different color bins at different places.

With the sides, you could try attaching hooks or small nails that might hold other hanging items.

Wall-mounted shelves/planks

Open shelves or blanks are always better than other cabinets. You can either use the plywood planks or metal shelves that you get on the market. It provides you with space where you can place or even hang things accordingly.

You can use this surface to place items efficiently and in proper order. As the planks make the storing space visible, you get to play with the order in which you want the things to stay and make your garage look better.

Overage storage ideas

A new tip that might seem very helpful for small garages is the overhead storing space. Most often, we fail to ignore the ceiling area as a location to store items. You could build a ceiling storage system that can hold light things.

You will need a few wooden bars based on the size and dimension of the things you want to store. Once built and fixed appropriately, you can hang your stuff there with ultimate ease.

Door/Window locks

The locking system is often ignored and not taken seriously. You must ensure that your doors and windows are locked appropriately. It helps in keeping your garage and its equipment safe.

Apart from that, it prevents any dust, dirt from entering and spoiling its cleanliness. Do not leave the garage open even if you are busy performing other tasks at the back of the house. So, along with proper organization, safety also gets considered.

Invest in proper lighting

Any place looks much more organized and neat when there is proper lighting. Unfortunately, most garages have a bare bulb or two, which makes them dull and less attractive. However, you could give fluorescent fixtures a try.

At times, even if your garage is well arranged, it fails to look pleasurable because of the lights. These lights acquire less space and electricity yet manage to brighten the place. Moreover, they work fine even during cold weather.

The more light-filled your garage is the more chances of it looking beautiful, thereby impressing house buyers.

Corner shelves

Corner shelves are a must-have for small garages. However, if your garage doesn’t have enough space, you could use custom-build corner shelves. You can use any plywood to make such shelves.

They do not occupy any space and look neat as they help store all small items in one corner. An advantage of having such shelves is that they are easy to build and are cost-effective.

They are even strong enough to hold all small cans, tins, glue bottles, and much more. The durability is long as well.

Time-to-time Clean

During summer, there is a chance of insects and other pests entering your garage. So make sure you clean it from time to time. Keep a small garbage bin in the garage that will help you tidy things up easily.

Also, clean the entire garage at least once a year. It helps in getting rid of unwanted things that get piled up over time. You can also vacuum the place at least once a week to keep it clean and neat.

Time to Sell

When it comes time to selling a home, a home seller will often forget about their garage when preparing their home for sale. Don’t forget to make your garage part of any home preparation checklist.

A clean, well-organized garage will impress buyers. Show them your home can help them be organized, it could be the tipping point for them to choose your home to buy.

Conclusion

Whether big or small, well-organized garages are 10 ten times more attractive than messy ones. So, these were a few of the basic tips most people aren’t aware of or haven’t tried yet.

If you do find them useful, give them a try, and you will love the way your garage turns out. It’s all about using the space wisely to store all that is needed and make it look beautiful at the same time. Good luck!