It’s that time of the year where the market usually picks up in terms of activity. People have been huddled up in their houses all winter long and let’s be honest, they’re more than likely over winter. This year, being one of the coldest we have had in a long time and busiest in terms of snowstorms has resulted in what I hope to be a severe case of cabin fever. That said, as soon as the weather warms up, I would expect the buyers to come out of the wood works looking for houses to buy.
Where am I going with this? If you are about ready to list your house for sale my advice to you is to make sure your home is in the proper condition for showing. Buyers walk into any house they are about to see with a sense of excitement. They walk in with one main question on their mind: “Could I see myself living here?” Anything less than a well kept house could be a major disappointment to a potential buyer and could result in a longer time frame to sell your home. When I go on a listing appointment I want my potential sellers to be aware of some key items of importance in the process of selling their home. That’s why I go into every listing appointment wearing three hats on my head.
The first and most obvious is the real estate agent hat. I am going to come in and initially take a look around. I’ll point out the positives and probably make a few suggestions for areas of improvement based on what buyers are currently looking at. Then I present to the potential seller how I work, what my values are, and how we can best get their home sold. I will certainly be asking several questions as well as addressing any concerns a seller may have. We will discuss things like curb appeal, staging, making some improvements and how my team can help facilitate the process of selling the home. One of the most important things a seller can do to help facilitate the sale of their home is to declutter. Clutter takes up space, makes a house feel smaller than it is and could be a major obstacle in the process of selling a home. The listing appointment is a time to clearly understand the seller’s objectives and what’s most important to them.
The second hat I wear is the home inspector hat. Let me be clear, I am not a home inspector but I have been on enough inspections to have an idea what a home inspector might point out in an inspection. So, in a sense, I am making a seller aware of potential issues that could come up in an inspection. If we can nip any problems in the bud in advance, it eliminates anxiety down the road and can make the process a little smoother for you.
The third hat I where is that of the buyer. I come into your home with the mindset of a buyer. Buyers are commonly concerned with several things. When a buyer looks at a house, the buyer is thinking about how much money will have to be spent to get the house in the condition they want it. Buyers are thinking about big ticket items such as the roof, the windows, the HVAC system, water heater, carpet and paint. Improvements in with any of these items are considered a plus. This also leads back to the topic of clutter. Buyers are also looking for space. They are looking for space in three areas, the counters, the floors, and the walls. Less is always more and the fewer items you have on your counters the more spacious your countertops will look. The less furniture you have in a room the bigger it looks. Fewer pictures on a wall makes the wall look bigger and ultimately will make a room look larger as well.
Spring is right around the corner! The buyers will be out and they WILL be looking! The better prepared you are the more likely you will sell your house in a reasonable time for the best price possible. And should you be in need of professionals to help you out with repairs, updates, decluttering, etc please take a look at my list of preferred businesses.
Until next time my friends….