Real Estate

So, you've decided to sell your home. Now what?

These days, when there are so many homes on the market in most areas, how do you make yours stand out.

Follow up:

1. It MUST be priced right. Find a good Realtor
(another time I'll tell you how to do that). They will do a
market analysis using several methods to come up with a
realistic sale price. Because most homeowners are emotionally
attached to their home, they tend to think it's worth more than
it is. Remember 2 things: Your home is only worth what someone
is willing to pay for it, AND unless the buyer is paying cash
(hey, it could happen !) the house MUST appraise for the selling
price.

2. You can't change the location of your home, so you have
to make it the most attractive home in the area and price
range.

3. ELIMINATE CLUTTER !! I can't stress this enough. You may
be proud of your kids and grandkids and want 10,000 of their
pictures hanging all over the house, but this will distract
potential buyers and make the home seem smaller.
De-personlaize !! Same goes with your precious nic-knacks you've
been collecting since 1942, and all the really cute crap all
over the refrigerator.

4. Box up anything you won't need for the next 3 or 4 months
and stack it neatly in a spare room, basement or garage. You're
moving anyway so pack it! Better yet put it in a storage unit.
It will be worth every penny !

5. CLEAN, CLEAN, CLEAN ! Enough said about that.

6. Fix every little thing that you can fix. Doors that don't
close, wiggly handles, shaky hand rails, blah, blah, blah, just
giving the impression of disrepair will make potential buyers
inspect everything to death.

7. Pay for a home inspection. Then you can take care of
potential deal-breaking problems ahead of time.

8. No matter the season, make sure the yard is as neat and
clean as possible. Get rid of the sweet little Christmas
lights!! (Don't forget the garage)

9. Paint the interior if it needs it. But don't get all
Martha Stuart. Maybe you like "puce" but it will not show off
your home to it's best advantage. Use light nuetral colors.
Painting will make your home look and smell bright, fresh and
clean.

10. Hire a home stager. This is all the rage these days.
Even a little staging can make a big difference.

Buyers are much more sophisticated than they used to be. Most have
already done extensive research and probably know more about the
market and what's out there than you do. You can't fool them !!
They usually have quite a few homes to pick from in their price range so you have to make them want yours !!

Chris Mullins
Real Estate Broker
Prudential Rocky Mountain Realtors