Sellers
Preparing your home for showings.First impressions are important and often potential home buyers will drive by before making an appointment to see your home. Have your yard looking neat and trim, grass cut and edged, shrubs trimmed. In the winter, have walks cleared of ice and snow. Your front door and doorway should be clean and freshly painted, if necessary. Polish the hardware and be sure the locks work easily.
Fresh decorating can add dollars to the value of your home. Faded wallpaper, soiled walls, scratched woodwork detract from the good impression you want to make.
Clean all windows inside and out. Remove all screens, label them, and store in basement or garage. The windows look cleaner with screens removed. All shades and blinds should be open when your home is being shown.
Make repairs. Tighten that loose doorknob, make sure that the sliding closet doors work smoothly, take care of the screen door that sticks, fix the leaking faucet, oil the door hinges and the fan that rattles, etc. These are minor items that may not have bothered you, but potential buyers may see these as signs of neglect, even though you may have been a careful homeowner.
Entire home should be thoroughly cleaned. This includes bathrooms, kitchen, including inside and outside of kitchen cabinets and all appliances. Refrigerator should be clean, neat and tidy, ideally no more than 50% full.
Closets are important to all buyers. Neat, organized closets look larger. Remove items that can be stored elsewhere. All closet floors should be empty, all closets should be ideally no more than 50% full to give the impression that your home has plenty of storage space.
Basement, garage and other storage spaces should be cleared out to show all the space available. Remove unnecessary articles.
The basement should be neat, clean, and tidy as well. Install bright light bulbs where necessary. Clean the exteriors of the furnace, water heater and other appliances. Have a dehumidifier in the basement during the non-heating seasons to keep the air dry.
Choosing the right listing price.I will supply you with information regarding similar types of property that have sold recently as well as other homes that are currently on the market. From this information, I will suggest a listing price. When buyers start a house search, they usually do so with price boundaries in mind. If you set your price over one of these "break points" you may eliminate a whole group of buyers. With this in mind, its best to price within the appropriate search parameter. Houses that are well-priced from the start sell more quickly and for a better price than those that are overpriced.
The greatest number of showings usually happen in the first weeks the house is on the market because agents as well as buyers want to see the "new house." If you discourage showings during this prime period because of an inflated asking price, you may never do as well again. Market time is important. Generally, the shorter the market time, the higher the selling price. Helpful information.A list of recent improvements to the property, as well as some important features of your home that you would like to highlight. All window treatments, light fixtures, ceiling fans, appliances, and attached shelving are typically included and stay with the home. If you wish to exclude any of these items, we should disclose this to potential buyers in advance.
Documents needed for condominium sales.-A copy of the Condominium Declaration and Bylaws.-Rules and regulations for the condo association.-Association budgets and financial statements for the current and prior calendar year.-Name and phone number of Association Board President or one of the Board Officers.-Name, phone number and address of the Management Company and Manager (if building is professionally managed).-Minutes from the association's meetings for the past 12 months. -Condo association disclosure form, filled out and signed by an association official.