Get more for your home in less time

When you list your home for sale the last thing you want is for it to sit on the market for a year and then end up taking a lower offer than you had hoped.  Here is some advice on how to get your home to sell faster for closer to list price!

1. De-clutter.  Remove and pack away any clutter in your home.  You can store it in the garage or rent a storage unit for a short period if needed.  Too many knick-knacks or toys can be distracting to buyers.

2. De-personalize.  Take down any excessive amounts of personal items or pictures that would potentially distract buyers from the real reason they are there...to look at your home, not your stuff!  Also, neutralize any wild paint colors.

3. Deep Clean.  Take extra time to wipe down all surfaces, especially the ones that are used the most, like light switches, doors and door knobs.  Dust the ceiling fans and blinds and wash the windows.  If this task seems daunting, I'd be happy to refer you to a trusted professional.

4. Curb Appeal.  During the winter, make sure your driveway is plowed, your sidewalks are shoveled and the surfaces are free of ice. In the summer, make sure your lawn is cut and trimmed.  Look at your home with a buyers eye, next time you drive up to your house look at the details. Make your front door appealing by freshening up the paint, add new house numbers, or a new light fixture to welcome buyers.

5. Repair.  Fix any nagging repairs that need to be done. Broken door knobs or leaky faucets can lead buyers to think that the home was not well cared for. Repair any holes in the walls and touch up paint.

6. Animals.  This is a tough subject for many because pets are like family.  If you have pets, make sure they are either kenneled for showings, taken with you or to a neighbors. Pick up any doggy doo-doo in your yard, make sure litter boxes are fresh and animal hair is vacuumed.

7. Sparkle.  Make your home sparkle and shine! Use light bulbs that make your home feel warm and inviting.  If your bulbs take too long to get bright consider replacing them.  Get rid of any unwanted odors. Studies show that most people cannot smell odors in their own home.  My tip is to go outside for a while then enter your home with a fresh nose to see if you can detect any odors.  Use an air freshener but don't over freshen! There is such a thing as too much of a good thing!

These tips in conjunction with pricing your home correctly by getting a Comparable Market Analysis from your favorite Realtor will help you obtain the best price in the shortest amount of time!

Getting your home to shine

When selling your home in the current market it has to be the best in it's price range in order to get it sold in a reasonable amount of time.  In a world where everyone wants more for less, in order to get the best price possible for your home, it has to shine!  As I was cleaning my own home I began to think of what my home would look like if it were on the market and what things I would need to do to prepare to sell.  Looking around my kitchen I looked over at my fridge (top), covered in precious artwork done by my 2 little girls.  While I love every single one of those masterpieces, if I were selling, I would take them down (bottom) for showings or during the duration of my listing as I'm sure it would be distracting for potential buyers to see the beautiful paintings, to-do lists, and calendars.  The same goes for too many family photos.  While you want to make your home look like a happy place to live you also want the buyers to look at your house, not your life.  The only time I would recommend photos would be if you lived on a lake or in the country where you were able to capture pictures of the wildlife or big fish you caught on your lake!

If the thought of even getting to the place where you are ready to worry about these "little things" scares you, it may be time to hire a professional.  Like I said in a previous post, cleaning, de-cluttering, doing small repairs and painting are the the most important and most cost effective ways to increase your home's value and decrease it's time on the market.  In the busy world we live in where not everyone has time to get these projects done, a great place to turn would be a home stager.  In the Bemidji area I would recommend checking out Kendra Fuller at Urban Essence Interiors on facebook or on the web at http://www.urbanessenceinteriors.com/  By hiring a stager/painter you can check off half of your to-do list while getting top notch advice.  Not everyone has the same tastes in decorating so having gender and taste neutral style can help potential home buyers have a vision of what the home would look like if they were to live there. If you are a seller this is exactly what you want; people to "mentally move-in" to your home!

Statistics show that staged homes spend 50% less time on the market.  Average days on market in the Bemidji area so far this year is 180 days.  Cutting that in half could save you a lot of headaches. Also, a staged home can sell for up to 7% more than a non-staged home.  The cost of staging your home now will be much less than a price reduction later.  So whether you are a DIYer or you need a helping hand, taking the time to prepare your home for sale is a must!  Don't forget you can always call or email me with questions or for a free consultation.  Happy Selling!

Preparing to Sell

In Northern Minnesota, real estate tends to have a season.  During the coldest of winter months buyers are less active and homes typically don't "show" as well without the green grass and blue skies.  Most sellers wait to put their homes on the market in the spring, unless they have the need to move quicker.  Which brings me to what you can do if you are a seller while you wait for the spring thaw!

1. De-clutter.  Remove as many personal items, family photos, and kick knacks from your home as possible. You want buyers to be able to look at the house instead of focusing on your stuff.

2. Deep Clean.  Pay special attention to those places that get touched often but most people don't think about.  Light switches, door knobs, walls near doors, windows and baseboards.  A clean house shows a buyer that the home is well cared for.

3. Repair.  Fix any of those little nagging items that have been on your list that you may live with day to day but to a buyer they show neglect.

4. Paint.  Freshen up a room or two or just touch up paint as needed.  Make sure to choose neutral colors to appeal to the largest audience.

4. Call ahead of time.  Call me and I'd be happy to walk through your home with you to let you know what I think you could do to help you sell your home faster and for the best price when the time comes.