Home Selling Checklist- Show your Home In Its best Light

 ome seller checklist to help prepare your home for sale.

Preparing a home for sale can reap you thousands if not tens of thousands of dollars and can save you tons of aggravation.  This home selling checklist for preparing your house will help you get on the right track to make the most of each and every buyer showing.

A home that presents well will increase buyer activity not only in showings but online as well.  Remember buyers are making big decisions based on your homes online image and whether they want to view your home in person.  It must present well online and carry thru to your buyers showings.  The more desirable your home is the more successful your home sale will be.

Preparing your home for the market starts with a thorough cleaning, de-cluttering and depersonalization of your home.  If you do nothing else these three checklist items are the most important.

Home Selling Checklist For Preparing Your Home

Almost every home can benefit from a deep clean, de-cluttering and depersonalization when it comes time to sell your home.  The great thing about these three home preparation checklist items is you can do it yourself and it costs you little or no money. 

But they will go a long way in presenting your home in its best light.

Clean Your Home From Top To Bottom To Prepare For Showings

Your home should be as spotless.  If a home is sparkling clean a buyer can overlook a lot of minor issues.  If a thorough cleaning is too much for you to do on your own, consider hiring a cleaning company.  A deep clean can cost between $450-$1000

  • Thoroughly dust your home
  • Sweep vacuum and/or mop and polish floors
  • Clean your carpet
  • Wipe Down all surfaces and cabinets
  • Clean all doors and baseboards
  • Clean the windows
  • Organize closets
  • Don’t forget the attic, garage and basement!

De-Clutter And Show Off Your Home And Not Your Stuff

When it comes to selling your home, less is more.  We are not selling your personal belongings we are selling your house.  You are going to be moving this is a good time to pack and store seasonal and items that are rarely used.

  • Make a list of major items that are not coming with you in the move and make a plan of how you will get rid of each item.
  • Pack or get rid of your chatckes and collections. 
  • Pack or get rid of unused or rarely used items.
  • Consider renting a dumpster if you have years of unused items stored away.
  • Edit each room of your home individually from a buyer’s perspective. 

Consider how you are going to store your overflow belongings.  Consider an onsite storage container, renting a storage locker, or at a bare minimum neatly storing your items in the garage or basement.

 

De-Personalize- Take The Home Out Of The House

You want a home buyer to take ownership of your home while they are taking the time to do a personal showing.  It is hard to do when it screams it is someone else’s home.  I always tell sellers you want to “take the home out of the house”.  You are selling the house for someone else to make it theirs not a home that is yours.

  • Remove all family photos, albums etc…
  • Remove any religious items.
  • Tone down any highly personalized décor.  The more neutral your décor the better.
  • Remove any collections- My favorite home stager says if you have more than three it is a collection!

Preparing Individual Rooms

The Kitchen

Your kitchen is what I call a money room.  It is one of the most scrutinized areas of your home. Even if it is small and even outdated, show your buyer it can be clean and organized.  Take the time to stage your kitchen to show it at it’s best.

  •  Clean, then re-clean it and clean it again. 
    •                Clean the countertops.
    •                Clean and degrease the stove, cabinets and vent hood.
    •                Clean the inside of cabinets, refrigerator, appliances and drawers.
    •                Clean the floor.  Mop, wax and polish where appropriate.
    •                Clean all the light fixtures.
    •                Clean your windows and glass slider
  • Remove excess appliances and items from the countertops.  If the appliance isn’t in pristine condition or is an often unused item, store it away or get rid of it.
  • Make sure you have no plumbing leaks. 
  • Replace any old dried-out caulking around countertops, sinks and fixtures.
  • Organize cabinets pantries and drawers.
  • Remove all the window treatments if possible.  Curtains and drapes can be highly personalized and block natural light.  And, yes I said remove… if you absolutely have to have something put up a simple sheer.
  • Consider removing rugs.  You want to show off the floor and often throw or area rugs are distracting.  If you feel you must have a rug stick with a neutral natural fiber.
  • Replace old and outdated lighting and cabinet fixtures.

The Bathrooms

Per square foot bathrooms are the most expensive to renovate.  It is important to show them off in their best light.  When preparing bathrooms for a home sale think spa!!  Pristine and clean. 

  • Clean, then re-clean it and clean it again. 
    • Clean the countertops and sink.
    • Clean the tub tower and faucets so they sparkle.
    • Clean the floor.  Mop, wax and polish where appropriate
    • Clean and replace missing grout.
    • Clean all the light fixtures.
    • Clean bathroom windows
    • Clean the toilet and make sure it is seated properly and in working order.
  • Remove all personal hygiene products from vanity and tub/shower.  Find a way to store them and be able to pull them away during showings.
  • Organize linen closet.
  • Replace any shower curtains, towels and bath mats with neutral-colored items.
  • Consider replacing any outdated lighting fixtures, bath fixtures, hardware and mirrors.
  • Make sure there is no evidence of mold anywhere and if it is on the walls or ceiling clean remove use a stain-blocking primer and repaint.
  • Replace an old cracked and mildewed caulking.
  • Fix any faucet drips or plumbing leaks.
  • Remove curtain, if you need one stick to a simple sheer or blind.

Dining Room/Area

  • Thorough dusting from top to bottom.
  • Clean and polish floors or clean carpet if it is wall to wall.
  • Remove all personal items, glasses, personal photos, magazines, tablets, etc…
  • If you have throw rugs consider completely removing or replacing them with a small natural-fiber or neutral colored carpet.
  • Edit the room. Make sure the flow is proper for the room.  Show the buyers that people can sit comfortably and not be cramped.  A dining room or kitchen table can often have the leaves taken out.  In a dining room seating for 4-6 is adequate.  In small eating areas off the kitchen, you can even pair it down to seating for two.
  • Remove bulky furniture that may not belong.  Often dining areas have hutches or side tables that are too large for space.  Get rid of them.
  • Edit andy hutches or side tales so there are only a few items on them.
  • Remove any heavy curtains and drapes.

 

Living Room/ Family Rooms

  • Thorough dusting from top to bottom.
  • Clean and polish floors or clean carpet if it is wall to wall.
  • Remove all personal items, glasses, personal photos, magazines, tablets, etc…
  • If you have throw rugs consider completely removing or replacing them with a small natural-fiber or neutral colored carpet.
  • Edit the room.
  • Remove bulky furniture that may not belong.  Often sectionals may be too large for space, consider pairing down the sections. 
  • Less is more.  A living room needs a couch, a chair, a coffee table a tv and tv stand and a side table at most.
  • Edit and neaten up any bookshelves,  coffee table, etc….
  • Check and make sure the traffic flow is not hindered.  Doorways should not be blocked and there should be room to adequately move around the area.  A good rule of thumb is to leave at least 3 feet in major traffic flow areas.
  • Remove any heavy curtains and drapes.

Master Bedroom/Bedrooms

A Master Bedroom is another room that is a high priority on your buyer’s list and should be a key part of a home selling checklist.  Think retreat when preparing and staging a master bedroom.

  • Thorough dusting from top to bottom.
  • Clean and polish floors or clean carpet if it is wall to wall.
  • Remove all personal items, glasses, personal photos, medications, books, magazines, hygiene products, etc…
  • If you have throw rugs consider completely removing or replacing them with a small natural-fiber or neutral colored carpet.  If you have a nice hardwood floor or laminate floor show it off!
  • Pack up seasonal and rarely used clothing.  Keep it to a minimum!
  • Organize your closets.
  • Edit the room.  Remove bulky furniture that may not belong.  Often bedrooms may have more than 2 dressers.  Remove extra storage beyond a dresser or two.  Of course, consider the size of a room.  If your bedroom is 18 x24 it could handle 2 dressers an armoire.  A 11×12 bedroom shouldn’t have more than one dresser.
  • Dressers and nightstands should be limited to a few items on top.  A nightstand could be lamp and no more than 2-or 3 decorative items.  If nightstands are open underneath edit to just a few items.
  • Dressers should not be covered with combs, perfume, beauty or grooming products.  It should be limited to 2 or 3 decorative items.
  • Less is more.  The Master bedroom room needs a bed, a nightstand, and a dresser.
  • Check and make sure the traffic flow is not hindered.  Doorways should not be blocked and there should be room to adequately move around the area.  A good rule of thumb is to leave at least 3 feet in major traffic flow areas.
  • Add large mirrors to open up your bedroom’s space.  Above a low dresser is a great spot for a large mirror.
  • Remove any heavy curtains and drapes.

Children’s Bedrooms

Moving is tough on young children.  I try not to disrupt their space too much.  But you can still organize and edit their belongings. 

Older Teen’s and Spare Bedrooms

Follow the same principles as the master bedroom. 

One note about spare bedrooms.  Often a spare bedroom can be used as a catch-all room.  Get rid of any items that don’t make the room present as a bedroom.  Bedrooms translate to cash.  If a bedroom doesn’t present as a bedroom as much as you want to call it one, a buyer may not include that in a home’s bedroom count.

Playrooms

Again, young children should not be disrupted, but playrooms can be organized and decluttered.  Often many older, unused toys can be packed up or given away.  Follow the same principles you would for a living room or family room.

Home Office

Some homes have a room used specifically used as an office and having a comfortable workspace is huge now.  Make sure your office space looks organized and professional.

  • Thorough dusting from top to bottom.
  • Clean and polish floors or clean carpet if it is wall to wall.
  • Declutter desk and worktops.
  • File away any important papers.
  • Edit any bookshelves and credenzas down to a few items.
  • Show you have a viable working office that you can spend hours at work.
  • Edit the room to show a functioning office but not cluttered

Fresh Paint

If you are going to spend any money preparing your home there is nothing that gives you a better return than a fresh, neutral color paint job.  If your painting skills are poor or you don’t have the time.  Consider a professional painter.

A word about neutral paint colors.  Take a living room painted bright red.  It is highly personalized and forces a home buyer to either paint or change their current decor.  Unfortunately red is not very versatile and could be objectionable. Bright red does not allow you to introduce a variety of other colors. It is a bold statement…. But it may not be a statement your homebuyer wants to make or even hates.

Take a soft warm grey wall color and now almost any color decor can be worked into the room.

  • Are there areas that need to be freshened up with paint? List areas:

 

  • Are there areas that have a highly personalized paint color that needs to be repainted? List areas: 

 

  • Don’t forget the ceilings if they look dinghy, consider fresh paint.  List areas:

 

  • Trim and doors.  List area:

 

  • Outside Your Home.  Consider siding, trim, doors, windows and garage doors.  List areas­­­­:

 

The Yard

If you are starting preparation in a prior season to when you are listing, consider overseeding and rejuvenating unhealthy areas of the yard.

  • Weed all garden areas.
  • Lay down fresh bark mulch in all garden beds.
  • Make sure walkways, stairs, decks and entrances are in good repair.
  • Power wash all walkways, decks and patios as needed.
  • Store away any unused lawn and play equipment.
  • Children’s play equipment should be neat and in good repair.

Outdoor Living Areas

Outdoor living areas like screened porches, gazebos, patios and decks are areas that can contribute significantly to the appeal of your home.  Showing them in good repair and how they are best used can go a long way in attracting a buyer.

  • Make sure everything is in good repair.
  • Powerwash to remove dirt and mildew.
  • Apply fresh paint or stain.
  • If underutilized take the time to set up an attractive area with outdoor seating and eating areas.
  • Edit items in your outdoor living area like any other room in your house.

Garages and Basements

Garages and basements are often overlooked when preparing a home for sale.  But both can add a significant amount of value to a home if prepared properly.  They are areas that are primarily used for storage and to house utilities for the house.  And, in the case of a basement, can be used for additional living space.

  • Clean every corner.
  • Replace dirty Insulation in basement ceilings.
  • Make sure it is adequately lit and doesn’t seem dark and dingy.
  • Organize!!  Bring in shelves and bins to neatly organize your garage and basement.
  • Consider painting the floor for a huge impact.

Curb Appeal Is A Home Buyers First Impression

Curb appeal is so important when selling your home and should be part of any home selling checklist.  Curb appeal is the attractiveness of your home as you approach from the street and carries through the front entrance.  Curb appeal sets the first impression a home buyer will have of your home. 

A great first impression will make home buyers minimize minor issues inside the home.  Start with a bad impression and the showing can go downhill from there.

As a seller, grab a friend and both of you approach the house like a buyer.  What do you see?  Are their areas of concern or are their areas that are bland and lackluster? 

If you don’t like it, your home buyers will be even more critical.  If it is at all within your budget fix it!

  • Driveways, walkways, and stairs are all in good repair.  You don’t want a tripping hazard.
  • Garden beds are weeded and mulched.
  • All outdoor lights are working.  Consider adding some solar walkway lights if the lighting in the evening is inadequate.
  • The front door is clean and freshly painted along with any shutters. 
  • Consider a welcome mat and seasonal wreath.
  • Soften the line of where the house meets the land with foundation planting or bring in large potted plants.
  • Consider hanging plants on a front deck or porch.
  • A home’s landscaping should soften lines of walkways driveways and the area where the home meets the land.  Landscaping also can be used to rame the house.  Consider adding garden beds or trees if it is in your budget and it would add to the curb appeal of your home.

Curb appeal is part of the home inspection checklist

Consider These Small Upgrades

We already mention paint. But I can’t stress how important fresh paint can go and give you the best bang for your buck.  Consider spot painting areas of concern painting entire walls or even a whole room.

  • Replace and update hardware.  Replacing door handles, knobs, outlet covers, hinges can be relatively inexpensive and can go a long way.  Pay close attention to baths and kitchens.
  • Replace outdated light fixtures.  The Home Depots of the world have made lighting relatively cheap.  If your lighting is outdated consider replacing the overhead lights in key wares with a current style.
  • Refinish Hardwood Floors.  Nothing beats newly refinished floors.
  • Add a few plants, trees or shrubs to increase curb appeal if the approach is lackluster.

Repairs To Consider Adding to Your Home Selling Checklist

If it is in the budget consider adding major repairs that may be a safety, health or structural issue to your home selling checklist.

Big-ticket items that have an immediate need cause a lot of concern for buyers.  Even if they are willing to take them on they will take them off the price of the house or walk away during the home inspection period.

  • The roof.  If it is leaking or on the verge of needing to be replaced consider replacing or at least repairing.
  • Faulty electrical issues.
  • Faulty plumbing.  Take care of any leaking or improperly working plumbing.
  • HVAC problems.  If it working fine but older definitely get it serviced with a clean bill of health.
  • Any water penetration of the home.

Why Use A Home Selling Checklist

Can you sell your house without using this home seller checklist and preparing your home? 

Absolutely a home can be sold as-is, but it will cost you in the end.  It will prevent you from getting top dollar for your home, it will increase the angst during the home inspection period and it prevents your home from not selling.  Using the home selling checklist and putting your home in top showing condition will also speed up the sale of your home and save you the stress of getting ready for showing after showing.

Involve your REALTOR or real estate agent early on in the preparation process.  Your agent can help you identify projects that detract from your home’s value or appeal and the ones that will have a  positive effect on the sale on the home selling checklist.

 

Curb Appeal- How Important is it?

Before and After Curb Appeal Shot

 

We hear about curb appeal from real estate agents all the time. 

But as a potential home seller, have you ever taken the time to understand the impact the initial visual presentation of your home has on the sale?

Ok, so we think about how attractive your home is to potential home buyers from the street.  But, goes much deeper than your home’s visual impact.

What Is Curb Appeal?

Curb Appeal: the visual attractiveness of a house as seen from the street – from Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Curb appeal starts from the moment a homebuyer approaches your home for sale in the car and continues as they walk up the walkway to the front door.

curb appeal sets the tone for a showing

 

How Important Is Curb Appeal When Selling A House?

Curb Appeal is the first impression a home buyer has of your home.  As they are walking up the walkway to open the front door, the buyer has already formed an opinion of your home before ever looking inside!! 

A homebuyers first impression is usually the lasting impression.

Curb appeal will set the entire tone for your home buyers showing.  Do you want potential home buyers walking through your door starting off with a negative impression because of poor curb appeal?  Probably not.

Once they are in the home, where a negative impression has been made, the negativity snowballs, no matter how nice the inside presents.  The home buyer will nitpick everything.

Versus, having a positive first impression from your outstanding curb appeal.  Because they started off with a great impression, they will take any negatives and think they can work with it since they started out with a good feeling, to begin with.

Don’t underestimate the power of curb appeal when selling your home.

Curb Appeal Doesn’t Just Apply To Showings

You are probably are just thinking of how curb appeal affects a potential buyer when they arrive for a showing.   Curb appeal starts even before the buyer shows up to view your home in person.

The Drive-By Buyers

Many buyers do a drive-by of a home they are interested in prior to scheduling a showing.  Remember, if they are driving by your newly listed home, they have an interest.  They have taken the time to jump in their car and give it a quick once over.

What will they see?

If they like what they see they call their agent and schedule a showing, if they don’t, they will skip over your home and move on to the next.

To give you an idea of how many buyers do drive-bys, I had a client recently sitting in his front office on a Saturday afternoon.  He counted no less than 25 cars stop and view the home from the street in a several hour period.  Don’t underestimate the drive-by buyers.  They are very serious buyers.

Online Visual Appeal

Curb appeal starts before a buyer visits your home in person. It is just as important for your online presence…. I call it online curb appeal web appeal! 

If your house has good curb appeal from the street that will show through online.  Almost every home starts with a beauty shot of the front of the home on the web. 

If the beauty photo is taken so it’s pleasing and shows how attractive your home is, it will increase the number of showings you will get.

Curb Appeal On A Budget

Curb appeal is always about spending a ton of money. Here are 8 budget-friendly curb appeal ideas to increase your home’s visual presentation.  Oftentimes you don’t need to spend a lot of money preparing your home, a little time and elbow grease can go a long way.

Clean your gutters- 

Overflowing filthy gutters don’t create a good impression and can create water penetration issues.

Pressure wash your walkways and driveway-

And don’t forget your siding and any decks.  Sparkling clean goes a long way in impressing buyers.

Clean your windows- 

It makes a huge impression on buyers and makes them think you’ve taken great care of your home.

Trim trees and bushes that are close to your home- 

The small things often make the biggest impressions.  Don’t let your landscaping look unruly and unkempt.

Mow your lawn-

Even if it is the dead of winter having a nicely mowed lawn looks good to potential buyers.

Rake your leaves-

This really is a big deal. A well-raked yard simply looks better than a yard full of leaves.

Make sure there is no litter and that all tools and equipment and play equipment are put away–

You are not selling your stuff.  Show off what actually comes with the purchase of your home.

Freshen up paint or stain on stairs, decks and doorways-

If you spend any money preparing your home for sale, fresh paint is one home improvement you the most bang for the buck.

Other Curb Appeal Ideas To Consider

Replace Fixtures-

Consider freshening up door handles lighting fixtures and railings with either a coat of paint or modernizing with new fixtures.

Highlight Your Front Porch-

If you have a front porch bring in some seating and show it off as some additional outdoor living space.

Install Lighting- 

If your outdoor lighting is poor, consider installing solar-powered walkway lighting to lighten up the path to your house.

Use Potted Plants- 

Maybe you have neglected some gardening over the years.  Consider bringing in potted plants to create little vignettes around your door or front steps.

Replace Your Mailbox- 

Your mailbox can make a big statement.  Is it old and tired?  Could you stand to replace the post and box with a more upscale look?

Refresh Your Gardens- 

Make sure your gardens are looking great.  You may need to do some pruning and add some new plants.  And, definitely add a fresh bed of bark mulch.

Patch and Repair Driveway- 

The driveway is your buyer’s first approach to the house.  Consider patching and repairing any holes and cracks.  A nice new seal coat can also increase curb appeal.

Walkway in Good Repair- 

Make sure your walkway is in good repair and is not a tripping hazard.  It creates a visual line to your house and you don’t want anyone getting hurt!!

Paint Your Grage Door- 

Many homes have front-facing garage doors and are a huge visual for your home as viewed from the street.  Consider painting or replacing your garage door.

Add Foundation Plantings- 

A home, as it sits, on is the foundation is pretty unappealing.  Soften your home’s visual from the street and depth with foundation plantings.

Add A Tree-

A tree or picket fence adds visual depth to your property.  Consider adding a tree or a fence.

Create better curb appeal with outdoor living space
Create some outdoor living space to increase the appeal of your home.

Landscaping For Curb Appeal

Often the thought to sell a home begins 6 months to a year before you actually list your home.  And when it comes to curb appeal a nice, thick green lawn can add tons of appeal.

If you are months or even a season or two away from listing your home, jump on your tired lawn immediately and other landscaping elements in your front yard.  Good aeration and overseeding in the fall can help create a fresh, new lawn for spring on any New England home.

If you lack landscaping in general, consider adding some foundation plantings and/or garden beds to increase your curb appeal with landscaping.

A green lawn creates good curb appeal. Comparison of burned out lawn and green lawn

 

Discuss With Your REALTOR

If money was no object you could spend 10’s of thousands of dollars increasing your home’s curb appeal.  But often that isn’t the case.

Discuss with your agent, or better yet your home stager what improvements will have the biggest impact on your home’s visual appeal from the street.  Sometimes the smallest changes can have huge payoffs when selling your home.

Bring your agent in at the first thought of selling.  I often find home sellers focusing on the wrong things and creating more work for themselves (and spending more money than they need to).

An experienced listing agent knows what will grab a buyer’s attention and what is a waste of time and money.

Other Real Estate Resources:

Summary

Don’t underestimate the power of curb appeal of your home when it comes to selling your home. 

Start from the street and approach your home the way a buyer would. 

How does it look? Are there things you can do to increase the curb appeal? It really boils down to common sense.  If something doesn’t look good to you, your home buyers will feel the same way.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

This post, Curb Appeal- How important is it for Massachusetts Home Sellers? was provided by Kevin Vitali of EXIT Realty.  Kevin can be reached at anytime by 978-360-0422 or by email at kevin@kevinvitali.com

If you are thinking of buying or selling Real Estate in Massachusetts, contact Kevin for your free consultation.  Make your next real estate transaction a smooth transaction.

Serving the Real Estate needs of 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, Merrimac, Methuen, North Andover, North Reading, Reading,  Tewksbury, Tyngsborough, Wakefield, Wilmington, Westford

Home Selling Myths That Just Aren’t True

Sell My House- 17 Home Selling Myths

The thought enters your head… “I want to sell my house”.  You are going to have preconceived notions about much of the home-selling process that may or may not be true.

Often these thoughts are put into your head by people other than real estate professionals.  But are they true or are they home-selling myths not to be believed?

Home sellers come to me with thoughts on certain aspects of selling a home that they think is the absolute truth.  But they couldn’t be farther from the truth.  Of course,  homeowners say “I want to sell my home for top dollar and quickly”

Home Selling Myth #1- The Home Seller Sets The Price

In actuality, the home seller does set the list or asking price of a home.  But this is only a small part of the equation. 

I am sure you are not just listing your home to say it is listed…. you want it your home SOLD!!

But, you only get your home sold if you have a buyer or better yet a group of buyers willing to pay the price.  It is the buyer population that actually sets the price by stepping up and making an offer.

Homebuyers are not stupid, they know what other similar homes are selling for in the marketplace.  Your home value is based upon its size, location, amenities and what a buyer is willing to pay.

The buyers set the price based on what your home has to offer in a particular marketplace.  Without a buyer stepping up to buy your home, your home’s price is not validated.

Home Selling Myth #2- The Agent That Offers The Highest Price Is The One To Hire To Sell My Home

Many home sellers that want to list their home for sale, hire the agent who says they can get the most amount of money for their listing.  This is certainly not the way to go to achieve home selling success.

There is an unscrupulous practice, called buying a listing, where some agents overprice the suggested list price of your home.  Once you sign a listing contract, they work relentlessly for you to lower the price into a realistic range where your home will sell. 

Meanwhile, you are locked into a listing contract.

You should choose an agent based on their reputation, track record and marketing plan.  Any number an agent gives you for an asking price of your home should be backed up by data in a Comparative Market Analysis.

Home Selling Myth #3- Paying A Lower Commission Nets More Money From My Home Sale

Have you ever heard you get what you pay for?

Well, that is true for real estate commissions and when it comes time to sell your home.

Often a lower commission means less marketing and expertise comes with it.  An experienced listing agent has a proven track record and plan that comes with more work and more money spent on your listing.

Case in point.  Years ago I had a listing in a condo complex alongside 2 other listings.  They were essentially identical and should have sold for within several thousand dollars of each other.   Mine sold for $363,00 another agents sold for $345,000 and the for-sale-by-owner sold for $324,000. On top of it mine sold the quickest of the bunch.

The FSBO could have paid a 5 percent commission to the other agent and pocket an additional $4800 or used me and pocketed another $22,200 on top of paying a REALTOR’s commission.

Paying less of a commission does not translate into increased net proceeds.  The quality of the listing agent does.

Home Selling Myth #4- I Can Save The REALTOR Commission By Selling My House On My Own

See Myth #3!! selling on your own does not always translate into making more money on your home. 

Here are some facts that you should consider before trying to sell your home on your own.

  1. Stats show that FSBO sold properties sell for 16% less than an agent sold home.
  2. The biggest hurdle to overcome is exposure.  Without the Massachusetts MLS to market a property, you are bypassing a bulk of the real buyers for your property.  The MLS puts every home at the fingertips of almost 100% of the buyers.
  3. You may save on commission.  But every penny you save you will have earned with hours of hard work.  And, on top of it leave some money on the table… did I say see Myth #3!!
  4. Are you sure you are up to the task?  Do you have ample knowledge to sell your house on your own?  There was a FSBO when I first entered the business, that accepted two offers in their excitement.  Neither buyer would back down and it was tied up in the court for years.  The seller eventually lost their home to foreclosure.

You certainly can sell your house on your own, but is it the most prudent way to go?

sell my house- selling your house on your own makes you more money... or not

 

Home Selling Myth #5- Having A Family Member Or Friend To Sell My House Is Best

Often a homeowner will have a friend or family member in the business when it comes time to sell their home.  But it may not always be the wisest route to go to hire a friend or family member as your agent.

Make your family member or friend interview for the job of selling your home like every other agent.  They may be the best person for the job or maybe they aren’t.  You have too much at stake. 

A part-time agent won’t have the experience of a full-time listing agent.  Or maybe they are out of the area and can’t service your listing well.

Or do you really want them up in your financial business?

If things go bad you could have a ruined relationship.  Won’t Christmas time be fun if Aunt Mary screwed up your listing and cost you thousands of dollars?

what's my home worth- instananeous home values in Massachusetts

 

Home Selling Myth #6- If I Ask For More When I Sell My House I’ll Get More

When selling your home, setting an asking price that is higher than its true market value doesn’t mean you’ll get more money.

Buyers are willing to pay fair market value for a house.  But listing your home for more than fair market value does not lead to people paying for more money for it.

What it does is….

….turn away the real buyers for your house because of your overpricing it is not even on their radar screen. 

….bring in buyers that are not the real buyers for your home looking for more than what your home offers.

….drags out the home selling process.

….may lead to your home expiring on the market and not selling your home at all.

….leads to less money because your home has stagnated on the market.

…sells your competition’s home because they look better at a lower price.

Home Selling Myth #7- Price High, Let The Buyers Negotiate

Often a seller will want to overprice their newly listed home.  The thought is “I still may get my price but if not they can always negotiate”.

But many of the best buyers won’t negotiate.

Why?

Buying a home is an emotional process.  If your asking price is more than a few percentage points away from fair market value, they don’t want to get involved in a process that they think won’t have a good outcome.  Especially in today’s market where many homes are going at asking or over asking. 

And, if they are aware your house is for sale, they will wait for a price change rather than waste their time in a process that won’t get the results they want.

And as I pointed out, you may not be showing your home to your true potential buyers.  They may not even be aware of it. 

Buyers search for homes up to a certain price point.  A home that will sell for $480,000 to $490,000 will usually have many of its true buyers searching up to $500,000.  If you price at $525,000 your true buyer won’t even know your home is for sale.

Home Selling Myth #8- If I Wait Long Enough The Right Buyer Will Come Along

Waiting longer does not mean a buyer will come along and pay your overinflated price when you try to sell your house. 

Data shows that the longer a home sits on the market, the less money you end up netting in the long run.  Days on market or days to offer has a significant psychological impact on home buyers.

There comes a point, where buyers become leary of a property that has been on the market too long. Here in the current Massachusetts real estate market it is 30-45 days.

Buyers have a herd mentality and if someone else doesn’t want the house why should they?  There is something obviously wrong with it in their minds.  And it opens your house to offers from bottom feeders willing to low ball an offer.

Also, your very best buyers are scheduling showings when your home is first listed.   These are the buyers most prepared to buy.  They have been in the market, they are tired, they have been educated by the market and are ready to step up and buy a home. 

The majority of the first buyers for your home have rejected every other home in the marketplace and are waiting for the next home that suits their needs.

Home Selling Myth  #9- I Need To Be There To Sell My House

No, no, no.  A seller should vacate the property for all showings and have no contact with the buyer. 

First off a house sells itself based on its features and amenities at a given price, if it is marketed properly to the right home buying population.  It’s your listing agent’s job to translate what those are in the MLS listing to entice the buyer to visit the home.

Buyers are uncomfortable if sellers are present during showings. 

First, sellers focus on the wrong things to bring to a buyer’s attention.  Along with making remarks that violate fair housing laws as well as not properly disclosing information on their home.  Which can lead to lawsuits.

Secondly, they feel like they are intruding if a seller is present.

And finally, they are there with their buyer’s agent and want to discuss the house freely as they tour the home.  They will not do so if you are present.

In my almost 20 years of experience, buyers are so uncomfortable when a seller is present they rush thru a home.  Often they will say it was uncomfortable when they leave. 

Do you really think they got a good look at your home if they are feeling uncomfortable and are rushing?

Home Selling Myth  #10- More Open Houses Will Sell My Home

Open houses do not sell homes.  The fact is the majority of attendees are unqualified to close on your home in the next 30-90 days.  You are opening up your home to amuse a bunch of people that only qualification is they can walk through the front door.

Yes, maybe a buyer shows up. but they would schedule a showing with their agent if there was not an open house.  They would come anyway. 

Statistics show that less than 3% of all homes are sold as a direct result of an open house. 

There is a time and a place for the occasional open house but to have an open house weekend after weekend, is a waste of your time, your agent’s time and you are opening yourself up to safety risks from an open house.

Home Selling Myth #11- I Can Sell My House As-Is

The seller always has the option to sell their house as-is.  Often a seller who does not want to spend the time and money to prepare their home for sale says, sell my home as-is. 

But most sellers want to get top dollar for their home.  Selling your house as-is does not absolve you from preparing your home properly.

As-is sends a message to the home-buying population.  It says the house is in severe need of work and the homeowner does not have the cash to fix it up.  This usually attracts investors or experienced home buyers that will pay pennies on the dollar for the house.

But for most home sellers this is not their intention.  They want top dollar for their home. 

Yes, you are going to have to spend some time preparing your home for sale to receive top dollar.  It is a step that can’t be missed for a successful home sale.

A move-in ready home is going to attract a larger pool of buyers and bring better offers.  Unless you are willing to give up some money, don’t sell your house as-is.

Home Selling Myth 11- Selling Your house as-is does not absolve you from preparing your home

Home Selling Myth  #12-  Selling My House Is Easy, All You Have To Do Is Slap Up A Sign

A successful home sale….

Meaning one that sells for top dollar, in a reasonable amount of time, with few hassles….

Requires a carefully crafted plan.  Just slapping up a sign could be hindering your sale.

Often my most successful home sales are the sellers that have talked to me months before listing a home.  This has given us time to price the home accordingly, prepare the home for the best buyers and have time to present the very best marketing materials including professional real estate photography, aerials, floorplans, etc….

But this all takes time.  Sometimes several weeks or more.  Just slapping a for sale sign in the front yard does not serve you best.

Home Selling Myth #12-  Spring Is The Best Time Of Year To Sell A Home

With the paradigm shift created in real estate by the internet, spring is not the only time of year to sell your home.

Any time of year is a good time to sell your home.  When you want to move is time to sell your home.  Waiting for the spring market is not going to have a significant impact on your home sale.

Spring is flooded with listings that may not be serious as well as tire kickers wasting some time.  Your home can get lost in the noise.

Waiting 6 or more months to catch the spring market can also mean a market change.  Interest rates could rise significantly, there can be a market downturn…  no one really knows what the real estate market holds in the future.

Every season has its advantages and disadvantages.

Waiting for the spring market, just because it is the spring market is a mistake. 

Did you know January is the biggest corporate relocation month of the year?

Home Selling Myth #13- Expensive Renovations Yield Big Returns When You Sell Your House

Nothing can be farther from the truth. 

Often big renovations are costly and highly personalized and will only return pennies on the dollar. 

Renovate because you can enjoy the renovation for years to come, not because you think it will increase the value of your home.

Often a seller will come to me ready to drop thousands of dollars in renovations and I need to pull them back because the return is not great enough to do a full kitchen renovation or remodel.

Before doing any work on your home to sell your home, call your local REALTOR to discuss where you will get the most bang for your buck.

Home Selling Myth #14- If You Get A Good Offer Quickly You Should Wait For A Better Offer

This may sound like a cliche but your first offer is usually your best offer. 

Don’t let your mind think oh wow I must have underpriced it or if they offered this much now I can get more if I wait.

Refer to Myth #8.  Your very best buyers are usually the first through the door.  They have felt the pain in the marketplace and are ready to step up.  They may have underbid on a few houses, they may have lost some over the home inspection, not pulled the trigger fast enough, etc….

They are mentally prepared to step up to the plate and get out of the market by buying your home. 

The buyer who calls all excited after your home has been on the market for 65 days…. where have they been? Why today?

They are generally just getting serious about buying and need to go through the buying cycle the early viewers of your home have been through.

If your first offer is in the range of fair market value, think about accepting it. 

Home Selling Myth #15 My Neighbor Said His House Sold For…..

If I received $20 bucks someone told me their neighbor’s house sold for $XXX,XXX and were wrong, I would be rich.  

Neighbors lie! Yep, I said it. 

Public records don’t lie.  Either the neighbor who sold their home lied or like the telephone game, it changes every time the info gets passed on from neighbor to neighbor.

Verify your neighbor’s home sale and see if it sold for what you hear on the street.

Home Selling Myth #16  My Neighbors House Is A Great Comparable For When I List My Home

Ok, that is great your neighbor’s home sold for that much.  But is it an acceptable comparable to use in the Comparative Market Analysis for your home?

Not every neighbor’s house is comparable to yours.

Just because your neighbor’s 3000 sq foot colonial sold for $735,000 does not make it a comp for your 1400 sq foot cape style home.

While the location is very important when choosing a comp, there are other criteria to be used. 

First and foremost, the square footage of comparable homes needs to be +/- 25% of your home as well as have a similar bathroom and bedroom counts to be used as a comparable.

You need to compare like-kind to like-kind.

Home Selling Myth  #17- I Received A Letter, Agent X Has A Buyer They Can Sell My House To

I go to breakfast with a group of guys on a regular basis.  They all own houses in an expensive, rapidly appreciating community. 

They also all get letters from agents saying they have a buyer for their home. And they brag all the time how their house is in demand.

Truth be told it is a gimmick for real estate agents to get their foot in the door.  When you say bring them by, their response is they want to see the home first to make sure it is a good fit for their buyer.

Their intent is to vet you as a viable home seller and get your house listed.  Do they have a specific buyer… no.  Do they maybe have some buyers that could be interested in your home, yes?  But we all do.

Summary

Hiring an exceptional listing agent whose opinion you value will go a long way in avoiding these home-selling myths when you decide it’s time to “sell my home”.  It will also lead to reduced stress levels that come with selling a home

Nothing beats working with an experienced listing agent to help properly price your home, prepare it for the market place and finally market the heck out of it. 

Shattered!! Home Selling Myths That Just Aren’t True is provided by Kevin Vitali of EXIT Realty based out of Middleton MA.  If you are thinking I want to sell my house?  Give me a call and let’s discuss your upcoming home sale. 978-360-0422.

Can a Buyer Back Out Of A Purchase Agreement On My Home?

Can a Buyer Back Out Of An Accepted Offer On My House?

The question often arises, “can a buyer back out of an accepted offer on a house?” after putting their home under contract.  Of course, it is great to be under contract but don’t think you are on easy street.

Simply put, it’s not over till the fat lady sings!! 

When it comes time to sell your home, there is always risk involved when a seller takes their home off the market for a buyer. 

While you have done everything possible to put a good transaction together, things happen that can prevent your buyer from closing.

It is not over until the closing is complete and the deed is recorded.  Anything can happen while you are in escrow waiting to close.

Can A Buyer Back Out Of A Real Estate Contract?

The short answer is yes.  A buyer can back out of an accepted offer on your home.

The question is how easy is it for a buyer to back out of a real estate contract?

The answer to that is it depends.  There are several scenarios that can play out if a buyer decides to walk away from a real estate contract.

A Buyer Backs Out And Exercises A Contingency The Real Estate Contract

The first scenario is the buyer terminates a contract under the right given to them in a contingency in your purchase contract.  A contingency is where something must happen for the sale to occur, like a buyer being able to secure mortgage commitment by a certain date.

If the buyer backs out based on terms of a contingency, usually there is language stating that all earnest money deposits are returned. The contingency will further state the contract is null and void and no further recourse can be pursued by either party.

Many of the basic contracts, in Massachusetts, are written relatively the same when it comes to purchasing a home.  There are typically two standard contingencies in the contracts where buyers can withdraw from a contract and if done in a timely manner and properly they will receive all deposit monies back.

  1. Mortgage Contingency- The buyer usually has about 30-45 days from the date of signing the contract to secure a mortgage.  If they cannot obtain financing by a certain date they can notify the seller and back out of the contract with no recourse to them.  As a seller it is important to keep that date tight usually no more than 45 days out.  You don’t want to find out two days before closing that the buyer cannot perform.
  2. Home Inspection Contingency- The home buyer will typically have 5-10 days to complete a home inspection.  If anything is to their dissatisfaction they again may withdraw from the contract with no further recourse to the buyer. (unless new terms can be negotiated after the home inspection)

Once the contingencies have passed then a home buyer must complete the sale or risk losing their earnest monies. 

While most transactions that have reached this point will close on time there can be unforeseeable events that could prevent the buyer from closing on the purchase of your home. 

Buyer Backs Out A Real Estate Contract For Reasons Other Than A Contingency

So this leads to another scenario where a buyer backs out of a contract for reasons other than what is spelled out in a contingency.   There can be a wide range of reasons why a buyer does not close on a property.

Some of the more common reasons are:

  • Loss of job/ income- not being able to pay the mortgage or their financing is withdrawn
  • Credit profile has changed in which event the financing can be withdrawn
  • Buyers just change their mind, due to illness, lost interest, change of situation, divorce……

In this scenario, the buyers have left a good faith deposit table, typically in the amount of 1% to 5% of the purchase price. 

In this scenario, a seller would have a claim on the good faith deposit that the buyer put on the table for damages.

Seller Issues Causing A Buyer To Back Out Of Buying Your Home

Issues that can arise on the seller’s side of the transaction may cause a buyer to walk away from purchasing a home. 

Title issues, material change in the condition of the house (fire damage, water damage) not delivering the house as spelled out in the contract and so on…. 

If something should happen on the seller side that causes the buyer to walk away from a home purchase of course a home seller should immediately return the deposit money and agree to terminate the contract.

Can A Seller Sue A Buyer For Backing Out Of An Accepted Contract?

In Massachusetts, most contracts state that damages are limited to the deposits tendered and all deposit monies are held in an escrow account.  The following language is from  a Massachusetts Contract to Purchase:

“If the buyers default in the buyer’s obligations and all monies tendered as a deposit shall be paid to the seller as liquidated damages and this shall be the seller’s sole remedy”

So can a seller sue a buyer for backing out?

Of course, you can try to sue for damages or specific performance.  But, you signed an agreement stating specifically what would happen if the buyer defualted on the contract.  Which is you accepted that liquidated damages are limited to the deposits held in escrow.

There would have to be some extenuating circumstances like fraud for a seller to make any headway in suing a buyer for terminating a real estate contract.

Other Questions

Can A Buyer Back Out After The Final Walk Through?

This is a common question from home sellers.  Of course they can back out after the final walk though.  But, don’t let you be the reason they back out.  Deliver the house as your purchase contract spells out. 

Can A Buyer Back Out At Closing?

Again the answer is of course.  A buyer can back out of a real estate transaction before or at closing.  Technically they can back out all the way up to money being disbursed.  In Massachusetts a sale is not complete and monies and keys are not distributed until the deed is recorded.

Preventing A Buyer From Terminating A Real Estate Contract

Get A Large Deposit

One thing you can do is insist on a large deposit.  Typically a 5% deposit is the highest amount that is given.  Many buyers in this buyers market have gotten away with putting down much less. 

Basically, if the buyer backs out of a real estate contract and leaves deposit money on the table you want it to hurt a little, or even a lot! 

It could be easy for a buyer to walk away from $1500 dollars but not so easy to walk away from $15,000.  Ask for the highest deposit you think the buyer will be willing to risk.  A larger deposit that leaves a hole in a buyer’s pocket will help hold them in the purchase of your home.

  1. Pay Attention To The Buyer’s Pre-Approval

Pay attention to the buyer’s financing. Obviously a deal that has a 20% down payment is more likely to close than a deal that where the home buyer is only putting down 3.5% (FHA Financing). 

As a seller’s agent I always verify that assets, income and credit have been verified by the loan officers.  There are companies that will issue a pre-qual based on verbal information that is given, this is where deals can start to go bad.

Consider A Pre-Home Inspection

Hire a home inspector to provide you with a home inspection prior to listing your home.  Consider fixing items on the report or at least show the report to a prospective buyer so there are no surprises when they do their home inspection.  This way they have made an offer based on known issues with the home.

Also truthful about any issues with your home upfront so there are no surprises at the home inspection for the buyer.  Carefully fill out your sellers disclosure to the best of your abilities.  Most likely your buyer will have a home inspection and if you are trying to hide or avoid an issue it will arise during the home inspection.

Read Your Contract

Read your contract and understand your obligations as a home seller. Deliver the home as the contract spells out.  Don’t give your buyer a reason to back out because you didn’t fullfill your obligations or were not ready to close on time.

For example, most contracts state that a home is to be delivered in broom clean condition, free of all debris and personal items. Your contract will spell out a time and date to close.  Be ready!!  For a buyer having cold feet, if you are not ready to close on time, it is an excuse for that buyer to back out of purchasing your home with no recourse to them.

Don’t Be Affraid To Ask Questions

If something doesn’t make sense to you about an offer, don’t be afraid to ask questions to get clarification.

Can A Buyer Back Put of Purchasing my home

What Can I Do If A Buyer Is trying To Back Out Of The Purchase Of My Home?

Consult a real estate attorney at the first sign of trouble.  Contract law is complicated and should not be handled by any one but a real estate attorney.  If you are not already working with an attorney on the sale of your home, find one.  Bring them your Contract to Purchase, Purchase and Sale and any communication involving the real estate transaction for him to determine what your rights are in this situation.

What you will probably find is that a small deposit of a few thousand dollars is not worth the time effort or money involved in trying to keep it.  But if you are talking significant deposit monies of  tens of thousand of dollars, you may find the fight worth it.

Remember as a home seller you always take some risk taking your home of the market for a buyer.  Try and tighten up dates and ask for the largest deposit you can get away with and try to hold the buyer to the deal. 

Other Real Estate Resources:

 

This post, Can a Buyer Back Out of Purchasing my Massachusetts Home? was provided by Kevin Vitali of EXIT Group One Real Estate in Tewksbury Massachusetts. Kevin can be reached at anytime by 978-360-0422 or by email at kevin@kevinvitali.com

If you are thinking of buying or selling Real Estate in Massachusetts, contact Kevin for your free consultation. Make your next real estate transaction a smooth transaction.

Serving the Real Estate needs of 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, Merrimac, Methuen, North Andover, North Reading, Reading, Tewksbury, Tyngsborough, Wakefield, Wilmington, Westford

 

 

 

Denying Home Showings. What is it costing you?

Denying home showings can cost you dearly.  It can cost you obtaining the highest selling price for your home or even worse… it can prevent the sale of your home. 

Every listing I take,  I have a discussion with the home owner how important it is to allow as many showings as possible to occur.  Of course they always are on board and say no problem.  Well I recently had such a homeowner.  I won’t go into personal details but he needed to get his house sold, sooner rather than later.  He assured me all showings would occur, he had to get the home sold.

So several weeks into the listing and 19 showings and no offers.  But as I am reviewing the listing activity report, I noticed there have been 22 showings denied.  Now some of them rescheduled and became part of the 19 showings. But over half never rescheduled and tried to come back.

So what happens to the others that never come back.  Well there are three things that can happen.

1) Denying home showings can send a message to home buyers

The first thing that can happen is you are possibly sending the message that your not all that interested in selling your home.  Buyer’s do not want to get emotionally involved in a house they can’t have.  Trust me, most home buyers need to get emotionally involved in a house for them to purchase it.

I can’t tell you how many times, when I have been working with buyers and we have difficulty getting into a home for sale, the home buyer says “they must not really want to sell their home”.  Subsequently, they move on to new inventory coming on the market.

2) Denying home showings can deter real estate agents

It is not unusual for agents to have several potential buyers for your home.  But if it is difficult to get showings of your home and there is other inventory, they not going to go crazy trying to show your home.

Make it as easy as possible.  And don’t make the mistake in thinking your house has no competition.

3) Denying showing makes buyer lose interest

Buyers get excited with each new listing that comes along….. this could be the one!      They have lost interest in the home.  It is not safe to assume as a seller if you can’t accommodate a showing that they are automatically going to try again.   Buyers get excited when they see a home they might like.  They get quite disappointed when they can’t see it.  They move on to the next house that catches their attention or they have found a house and put it under agreement.

So what doses denying showings cost you?  Denied showings can cost you the sale of your home or at the very least thousands of dollars.  Excitement among buyers is high when your home is new to the market and quickly dies off.  It is critical to sell your home in the first 30-45 days to maximize your net proceeds.  As buyer interest dwindles so do potential offers.

Once you make the decision to sell your home.  Make sure you give buyers as much access to your home as possible.  Remember all it takes is one, denying one showing could cost you a sale.

Showing Your Home – Is your agent hindering showings?

Showing your home leads to offers.  I think that it goes without saying, that in most cases, the more showings you receive on your home the more likely you are to receive an offer.

With that said, I write this post out of a little frustration.  Last Saturday, I tried to schedule 7 showings in Haverhill, Massachusetts.  It was like pulling teeth to schedule the showings.  I had to contact the listing agents directly on 5 of the homes and 2 I had to contact the agency.  The 2 agency showings went relatively smoothly, where the other showings that had to be arranged directly with the listing agents went miserably.  It took multiple phone calls and lots of my time. I ended up not hearing from one agent and one showing didn’t happen because it was an accompanied showing and the agent couldn’t accommodate us.  Guess what? Continue reading…

Show your home!!

It seems silly I have to say this, yet it happens all the time!!  Clients find a home they would like to view and the sellers do not accomodate showings.  You cannot sell your home if you do not allow home buyers to view it.

I recently had a client, there house was underagreement, they were ready to close in 45 days.  My clients were out to buy a house!!  We looked at 32 houses and about 5 houses they were interested in, we did not gain entry into.  Agents did not call us back, sellers said time was inconvenient, sellers were away on vacation and did not make other arrangements, sellers could not be found…. Guess what?  My clients bought a home in 3 weeks.  Maybe this was the right buyer for your home and you did not accomodate a showing.

As a homeowner you need to remember, we may have 5-8 houses scheduled in a row.  If we can’t see your home, we may all together skip it.  Many times when I am working with buyers, if we are denied a showing, 50% of the time we never go back to view it.  The more showings you have the better chance of an offer.  Every showing is an opportunity for you to sell your home.

What can home sellers do?

  1. Be prepared to show your home at any time.  Even if your house is not perfect, I feel you are better off showing it than turning away a showing.
  2. If there are regular times you can’t show your home, let your agent know so it can be published on the Multiple Listing Service so showing agents can work around it, knowing your restrictions up front.
  3. Make sure your agent has a system in place to schedule showings in a timely manner.  I use a third party service that is available from 8am to 8pm that schedules all showings.  I pay a lot of money for this service but this is all this company does and they schedule in a timely manner.
  4. The dreaded accompanied showing!!  Do you insist your agnet needs to be at every showing?  Let me tell you many times this is a hiderance, the listing agent isn’t available when my buyers are able to view a home.  Again a lost opportunity.

Remember Showings = Offers

 

Control- Sellers What Can and Can’t You Control? Home Seller Advice

Home sellers learn what you can control and cant control

 

 

Are you a home seller getting ready to put your home on the market?  It is important to know what you can and can’t control during the home selling process.  There are plenty of aspects of the home selling process you can control.  But realize there are just as many that you can’t.

I recently had a home seller in Andover MA who had a hard time understanding that up to a certain point you have no control how a buyer perceives your home.  There are certain things that you can change like the price and the condition, but you cant change the layout or how the home functions or even how a home buyer will perceive your home.

What Can A Home Seller Control?

  1. List Price– You, as the home seller have total control on how you price your home based on your competition and fair market value.  Price just right and things go well.  Over price your home and frustration will kick in.
  2. Preparation and Condition–  You have a great deal of control over how the condition of you home and how it will show to the buying public.
  3. Advertising– You, or you real estate agent have a fair amount of control over the exposure your home will get to the buying public in your price range.  This one really ties in with #4.  Great real estate photographs and good web exposure go a long way in marketing your home.
  4. Providing access to your home.  Sometimes I have home sellers who deny half the showings on their home with excuses of inconvenience.  Yes, selling your home is inconvenient but we can’t sell homes where buyers can’t get in.  Everybody has schedule that need to be accommodated in in may be different than yours.
  5. The agent you pick– You have complete control over the listing agent you choose.  Pick an agent based upon their history of success and their marketing plan, not based on the highest price they say they can sell your house for.

What a Home Seller Cannot Control

  1. Location- Location, Location, Location…. Its true!  Location is very important and definitely has a huge impact on what your home is worth and what buyers will be interested in the home.  You have absolutely no control over your homes location or more importantly what your buyers think of the location.
  2. The appeal and functionality of your home– Lets face it a colonial built yesterday versus the same size colonial built in the 50’s will have a totally different appeal and functionality.  Today’s buyers want a more open floor plan than what an older home may offer.  Also amenities can differ greatly from an older home to a newer home.  You can’t control what a home buyer wants.
  3. Buyers– This is a tough pill to swallow but you have absolutely no control over how a home buyer will perceive your home, will do or even think.  Don’t even try to control a home buyer, it is a huge turn off for a potential buyer.  You cannot make a buyer buy your home that doesn’t like it.
  4. The overall real estate market– Yes we all know what your house was worth at the top of the market in 2006 but we are talking about selling your home in today’s real estate market.  The real estate market fluctuates and as a home seller you are merely along along for the ride.
  5. The true fair market value of your home–  Your home is worth the highest amount a buyer is willing to pay for your home in a reasonable market time… period.  Just because you need more money doesn’t mean a buyer will pay it.

Sometimes home sellers want to control every aspect of a home sale and it is impossible for that to happen..  They especially want to take control when their home is not selling as fast as they would like.  This is time to look at what you can control!

You cannot force a home buyer to write an offer on your home.  Really that is what it boils down to you want your home sold.  Calling your agent five minutes after a showing for feedback is not going to change anything.  Trust me if a buyer is going to make an offer you will know about it in a short period of time.

I recently had another home for sale in Andover MA.  The home was just off a very desirable location that demanded a premium….. except, this home overlooked a commercial garage with heavy equipment parked outside and piles of dirt.  The home seller only wanted the buyer to see the premium location but ignore the commercial property behind.  Feedback from the buyers kept saying the commercial property was a turn off.

Home sellers, know you do not have complete control over much of the home selling process.  Realize what you can control and what you can’t control and the home selling process and concentrate on what you can control.

Other Home Selling Resources

Home Sellers Learn What You Can Control and Can’t Control, was provided by Kevin Vitali of EXIT Group One Real Estate of Tewksbury MA. If you would like to sell your home 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

Three Simple Tips to Prepare Your Home to Sell

As the spring market starts to heat up, home sellers are getting their homes ready to enter the real estate market.  There are three simple tips to prepare your home to sell. While your home may benefit from some costlier repairs, not every home seller can spend a lot of money preparing there home for the real estate market.  But, there are three simple, no cost our low cost solutions that a home seller can do to prepare their home.  First impression are very important with most things in life.  This is also true when selling your home.  You want to the home buyers to have a great first impression of your home.

Three Simple Tips to Prepare Your Home to Sell

#1 Tips to Prepare Your Home to Sell- Declutter

Declutter- Cost $0 Your moving start packing up what you don’t need and store it neatly out of the way.  I’m not talking about tidying up I mean get it out of there!  When it comes to selling your home de-cluttering accomplishes two things.

  1. Opens up the spaces…. with less stuff, the rooms look bigger.
  2. Lets the buyer focus on the house and not personal items.

First off get rid of all knick knacks and collections and personal items. No one wants to see your 300 snow babies.   The kitchen spaces should be devoid of all but the most essential items on its surfaces.  If you have appliances you don’t use or use often store it away.  Bathroom surfaces should be free of all personal items… think of using a storage basket while your getting ready but than sliding it under a bed during the day when showings occur.  Closets and drawers should be neatly organized.  If your not using something store it or get rid of it.

Get rid of bulky barely used furniture.  Again you want to open up the spaces and make them look larger and keep traffic patterns wide open.

When selling your home, less is more…….

#2 Tips to Prepare Your Home to Sell- Clean

Massachusetts home sellers need to clean, clean, clean!!Clean- Cost $0 Home buyers love a home that is sparkling clean.  Over the years, not one home buyer has ever complained to me about a home that is spotless.  While it is important to have the entire home clean from top to bottom it is particularly important to pay special attention to the kitchen and bathrooms.  Home buyers tend to perceive a clean home as a well maintained home.  Don’t forget the sliders and the windows too!!

If your struggling with time, I have had house cleaners come in and do a top to bottom cleaning from $350 to $500 dollars on moderate sized homes.  Don’t be afraid to spend a little money.  Trust me you will recoup the several hundred dollars on the sale.

While a good deep cleaning is important, don’t forget to keep it clean while your on the market.  I know as well as anyone, especially with two young boys, that it is easier said than done.

#3 Tips to Prepare Your Home to Sell- Fresh Paint

Painting- $50-$500 Dollar for dollar there is no better return on painting when it comes to selling your home.  If the walls are scuffed or you have strong personalized colors nothing goes further than fresh paint.  Make sure the paint job is well done…. if you can’t do it hire a professional or ask some friends for help.  Don’t forget a fresh coat on door and window trim as well as a fresh coat on the front door! Oh and a fresh coat on ceilings can do wonders!

Don’t be afraid to bring your real estate agent in early to make suggestions in getting your home ready.  Better yet a home staging consultation can be some of the best money spent.  Any good listing agent will have the name of a great home stager.

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Thinking of selling your home?  Get a free no obligation consultation for suggestions of what to do to sell your home, by calling Kevin Vitali at 978-360-0422-

Find out what your Massachusetts home is worth, by filling out the convenient form.

CONTACT ME

Kevin Vitali- Massachusetts Realtor Serving Essex County and Northern Middlesex County Massachusetts

KEVIN VITALI

978-360-0422
kevin@kevinvitali.com

Kevin Vitali- Massachusetts REALTOR
Real Broker MA, LLC
90 Canal Street
Boston, MA 02114
cell phone: (978) 360-0422
office phone: (855) 450-0442

My Office

Massachusetts Real Estate

 

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

Disclaimer

No information on this website is to be construed as legal advice.  The information is either generalized or state-specific. If you are seeking information for legal purposes please consult an attorney.