Do you ever wonder why some homes don’t sell when listed? Check out this video for some insight – knowing this info may prevent you from making some crucial mistakes when listing your home for sale. HOME STAGING TIPS: [catlist name=home-staging-tips]
What You Can Do to Help Drive the Sale of Your Home
There is much that is dependent on the sale of a home. The economy and the time of year are important factors. Luck can often have a major role when you ask yourself why your neighbor’s home, almost identical to your own, sold in just a few days while your’s has been sitting idle for a matter of months. There are a few things you should know that could help you with the sale of your own home. 45 seconds. That’s all it takes. You have 45 seconds to impress your buyer. As your potential buyer is walking into your house, she is taking everything in and making her initial decision right there on the spot. If she loves your home there’s not much that can be done to change her mind unless she sees something truly unappealing and unexpected. If your buyer is on the fence or not 100% certain that this house is for them, you will have to make sure that everything about your home is in order. Choosing a home is like choosing a partner. The two are quite similar. We are emotional people. We are emotional buyers. We are very visual creatures. When you meet someone, such as your spouse or significant other, you most likely were drawn to them immediately. If not, there was some other incredible quality that made your partner stand apart from all the rest. Your home must be like this too, especially if you live in an area where homes tend to resemble one another. Stand apart from the crowd. Make your home stand out from the all others. Make it remarkable. Make it so that others take notice. The first thing you can do is to clean up and fix up your front yard. Trim your hedges and bushes. …
What prevents a home from selling?
There is a pretty short list of reasons that most slow-to-sell homes lag on the market. You’ve probably heard at least a couple of them before, maybe even from your real estate agent. But sometimes hearing things a few times, from different people and at the right moment in time can cause the shift in position that will power a shift in the situations that are keeping your home sale stuck – and your life plans stuck with it. 1. You’re stuck on a too-high price. If your home has been sitting on the market for significantly longer than average, the market has spoken. And it’s saying: the price is too high vis-a-vis the current condition of the market and the property. Period. There are only three variables in this equation – which is helpful, because it means there are really only three ways to fix this situation: change the condition of your property wait until your market conditions change to support a higher price change the list price. That’s it. That’s all there really is. For most sellers the simplest, most sensible of these three variables is to modify is the list price. This is especially so in cases where the home is in good basic condition, is well-staged, and other homes nearby are flying off the market. The fact that you don’t want to hear that your home is overpriced doesn’t mean it’s not the truth. In fact, your resistance to making a necessary price cut could backfire. Buyers often keep their eye on overpriced but otherwise nice homes, waiting until they suspect the seller’s desperation will make them more receptive to a lowball offer. 2. Your home is not be fully exposed to the market. So the truth that the market has spoken on the matter of overpricing does …
Emotional Mistakes Home Sellers Make
Have you ever said something in the heat of the moment, then wished for weeks later you could reel those words back in? Truth is, all of us commit emotion-driven mistakes in some areas of our lives. But when it comes to selling your home – read: cashing out your most valuable asset – the stakes are simply too, too high to allow yourself and your transaction to fall prey to predictable emotional pitfalls. Fortunately, when it comes to emotion, what’s predictable is avoidable if you’re willing to acknowledge and correct for your own feelings and how they can foul up your decision-making. This list will help you predict – and better yet, avoid – some common decision traps driven by emotions. 1. Price reduction paralysis. Wikipedia defines panic as “a sudden sensation of fear which is so strong as to dominate or prevent reason and logical thinking, replacing it with overwhelming feelings of anxiety and frantic agitation consistent with an animalistic fight-or-flight reaction.” But there’s a real estate-specific reaction to panic that the infinitely wise Wiki editors left out: freezing up entirely. In cases of overpricing, the seller has most often started out as overconfident in their home’s prospects on the current market. But as the days on the market turn into weeks, or even months, that overconfidence morphs into panic: panic that the place will only get a lowball offer, panic that the place won’t ever sell, panic that the seller will be stuck in the property, panic that the seller’s future life or career plans will be ruined. This is a panic that snowballs into increasingly disastrous hypothetical scenarios, and fast. Unfortunately, this panic is often accompanied by a fear that actually reducing the home’s list price will actually kick off the snowball effect. This couldn’t …
Free Properties in White Rock, BC?
Only 100 years too late !! When I finish building my time machine, I’m going back to 1911 to take part in this deal!! Check it out!
Does the quality of photographs matter when trying to sell your home?
I find it interesting that so many Realtors don’t place a priority on the promotional materials used to feature the homes they are trying to sell. Especially considering that most home buyers are now being introduced to the home for the first time online – you’d think that quality photographs would be essential. When poor photographs are used to feature a property, many negative aspects can be perceived such as the home appearing much smaller and crowded than it really is (by using the wrong lenses), and much darker (by not knowing how to take proper exposures). Below are photographs of one of my listings – a side by side comparison of SOME photographs I’m using to market my current listing, vs a previous time this same house was marketed on the MLS with another Realtor. If you were selling your home, which would you prefer? When hiring a Realtor to market your home, make sure they are hiring a professional photographer to capture your home in the most favourable way. Your home will stand out much better, and this is especially important when trying to sell your home in a very competitive market such as the one we’re dealing with right now in South Surrey / White Rock, BC.
Questions to ask before hiring a property inspector
Hiring the right home inspector is important. After all, you want the inspection to leave no stone unturned when determining the condition of the house you are considering purchasing. Unfortunately, the professionalism and range of services vary widely in the home inspection industry. So it pays to ask the right questions before you choose. Here are a few suggestions: “What does your inspection cover?” A home inspector should be able to present you with a detailed list of what is covered in the inspection. Don’t settle for a vague verbal promise like, “We check everything top to bottom.” Get it in writing. In addition, you should get an assurance that the inspection complies with all Local and State or Provincial regulations. “What are your qualifications?” As with most professions, experience counts.You want to check how long the inspector has been in the business, and how many homes like yours he has inspected. Also ask about his credentials.What professional training programs has he completed? Does he belong to a recognized home inspection association? “Do you also offer to do home repairs or renovations?” If he does, it’s a conflict of interest.You want an inspector to give you an unbiased report as to the condition of the house, without any expectation of getting some contracting work on the side. “How long will the inspection take?” You’ll want to find out if the inspector takes his time and does a thorough job, or rushes things so he can get as many homes done in a day as possible. On average, a typical single family home should take two to three hours to inspect properly. “May I contact some references?” Ask for references from people in the neighborhood you are considering. Then, make sure you call them.
Ten Ways to Get the Best of Winter When Selling Your Home
If your home will be for sale this winter, it is important to master certain seasonal issues that are less significant or even non-existent at other times of the year. Here are 10 bits of sage advice from RE/MAX agents that can help put a “Sold” sticker on that yard sign. Let Those Lights Shine: The best way to combat winter’s short and frequently cloudy days is to turn on your house lights. For a showing, every single light in the house must be on, even in the closets and utility/mechanical rooms, according to Marlene Granacki of RE/MAX Exclusive Properties, Chicago. “Make sure all the bulbs are working, and stock up on all the right bulbs for lamps and fixtures so burned out bulbs can be replaced immediately,” she advises. “Also, it’s a great idea to keep the lights on in the front of the house even if no showings are scheduled. People are always driving past the house, and keeping it lighted makes it look happy and welcoming.” She also advises opening the drapes and blinds during the day to let in light and let visitors enjoy the view. Provide Convenient Parking: It’s vital that buyers have a convenient place to park. They won’t want to walk very far in cold weather or be forced to climb over a snow bank to exit their vehicle. Because parking is often more restricted around condominiums, sellers should make sure their agent can pass along parking details to buyers. Make It Easy to Enter: Winter showings can get off to an awkward start if prospective buyers arrive with snow or salt on their shoes. “Make it easy for buyers to deal with their shoes when they arrive,” recommends Barbara Hibnick of RE/MAX Showcase, Long Grove, Ill. “Put a festive area rug at …